Prepare for an inspiring experience as the Abilene Education Foundation (AEF) proudly announces the 18th Annual Young Masters Juried Art Exhibition, taking place at The Grace Museum from March 28 to April 12, 2025.
Spring brings with it warmer weather, blooming plants, and various holidays. Join us for a fun, outdoor family festival as we celebrate SPRINGTIME! Enjoy Spring-themed activities and crafts suitable for all ages including flower headbands, rainbow wands, color changing lemonade, live music, and more!
The Makona Film Festival returns for its fourth year on March 4, 2025, at The Grace Museum, bringing free film submissions for students, discounted ticket pricing, and expanded local business partnerships to make the event more accessible than ever. The Festival’s doors open at 5:30, with film screenings beginning at 6:30 in the evening.
Founded by McMurry alumni and Men of Makona, Noah Wagner’23 and Jordan Mackey’23, the festival was created to provide an outlet for filmmakers at McMurry and beyond—giving students the chance to tell stories, connect with the community, and experience the excitement of a professional film festival.
“McMurry has a small film department, and as two of the few film minors in all of the school, Jordan and I really wanted to give people a chance to create,” said Noah Wagner, festival co-founder. “We wanted them to tell stories they hadn’t had the chance to tell, to have fun, and to experience that moment of stepping onto a red carpet.”
Thanks to partnerships with McMurry University’s Honors College and TRIO program, students in these programs will have fully covered tickets, ensuring even greater accessibility.
“People go to college to learn how to be doctors, lawyers, or teachers, but that doesn’t mean that’s all they have to be,” said Jordan Mackey, festival co-founder. “We wanted to make filmmaking an achievable passion. A lot of people feel overwhelmed by the idea of making a movie on their own, so we created something that gives them a goal, a structure, and an audience.”
Current Festival Director Aiden McKinney reinforced this mission:
“We want to make sure that any student with a story to tell can share it without worrying about submission fees,” McKinney said. “We’re also working to ensure that every student has the opportunity to experience the festival, whether they’re submitting a film or attending as part of the audience.”
Aspiring high school and college filmmakers can submit their short films at no cost and compete for awards.
Submission Guidelines:
• Film Length: 3–15 minutes (including credits)
• Theme: “Cult Classics” is an inspiration, but all genres are welcome
• Format: .MP4 or .MOV
• Rating: PG-13 or lower
• Subtitles: Required for non-English dialogue
• Deadline: February 28, 2025
• How to Submit: FilmFreeway – Makona Film Festival
“Ideas are the most important thing humans have,” Wagner said. “Getting them out into a medium of any kind is what truly keeps the world spinning.”
With expanded sponsorships and community support, the festival is offering discounted tickets for students to ensure broader access.
Ticket Pricing:
• High School & College Students:
• Pre-Sale: $7
• At the Door: $10
• McMurry Honors College & TRIO Students: FREE (covered by their respective programs)
• General Admission (Non-Students):
• Pre-Sale: $15
• At the Door: $20
Tickets can be purchased online at McMurry’s ticket portal/https://www.join.mcm.edu/mkafilm or at the door for a premium(student ID required for door student discount).
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families. Enjoy a mini gallery tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration preferred (walk-ins welcome if space allows) thegracemuseum.org/events
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families. Enjoy a mini gallery tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration preferred (walk-ins welcome if space allows) thegracemuseum.org/events
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families. Enjoy a mini gallery tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration preferred (walk-ins welcome if space allows) thegracemuseum.org/events
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families. Enjoy a mini gallery tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration preferred (walk-ins welcome if space allows) thegracemuseum.org/events
6 pm – 8 pm
FREE EVENT
Everyone is welcome at this groovy Silent Disco! A silent disco is a dance party where attendees wear headphones and get to pick their vibe by switching between channels controlled by different DJs. Black History Month is the perfect time to celebrate the Black community’s endless and immeasurable contributions to mainstream music, not the least of which was disco. This event is in coordination with our Black History Month exhibition on the 3rd floor.
5 pm – 8 pm
FREE ADMISSION: Explore The Grace Museum, celebrate Black History Month, and create Make-n-Take art activities in the Create Lab, perfect for people of all ages.
Join us on Sunday, February 4 at 6:00 pm for an exhilarating dinner event where attendees will help choose works of art to add to The Grace Museum's permanent collection. Grace Curator Judy Deaton and special guest, Cheryl Vogel from Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden in Dallas, will share information & insights about each piece selected for your review. Vote for your favorites to add to the collection!
LEVELS OF PATRONAGE
$2,200 – Table of 8
Table of 8 at our 2024 Collectors Circle Event
Name listed on first floor exhibition signage, in exhibition print materials, and in Artifacts member magazine for one year
Supporter Level Museum Membership
$275 – Individual Tickets
9:30 am and 11 am classes each day
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Enjoy a guided tour through one of our galleries and make a Valentines Day project. Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5)and their families, including a different mini-tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
5 pm – 8 pm
FREE ADMISSION: Explore The Grace Museum, come see our International Holocaust Remembrance Day exhibition, and create Make-n-Take art activities in the Create Lab, perfect for people of all ages.
9:30 am and 11 am classes each day
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Enjoy a guided tour through one of our galleries and create an interactive art project: Snowflake Paint Pour. Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families, including a different mini-tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class–Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
5 pm – 8 pm FREE EVENT
Join The Grace Museum and connect with the community at our FREE holiday event for families. Make crafts, visit with Santa, and learn about holiday traditions around the world with a presentation by Elizabeth Kahura. More information at thegracemuseum.org/event/holidays-around-the-world
6 pm – 8 pm
$35 ($30 for Museum Members)
There’s no place like gnome! Create adorable wooden gnomes to decorate your home this winter. No experience necessary!
*Adult Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/event/grace-studio-winter-gnomes
Thursday, December 7
6 pm
FREE EVENT
Join us for a public reception celebrating our current history exhibition, Abilene in the 1920s. Snacks and drinks provided.
More information at thegracemuseum.org/events
9:30 am and 11 am classes each day
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Enjoy a guided tour through one of our galleries and make a holiday project. Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families, including a different mini-tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
6 pm – 8 pm
$30 ($25 for Museum Members)
Celebrate the season! Did you know that candles have been a part of nearly every winter holiday celebration around the world? Learn about different holidays and create your own pressed flower candles to adorn your home for the season. No experience necessary!
*Adult Class
5 pm – 8 pm
FREE ADMISSION: Explore The Grace Museum, celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a pop-up activity, plus Make-n-Take art activities in the Create Lab, perfect for people of all ages.
5 pm – 8 pm FREE EVENT
All ages can enjoy come-and-go activities and performances at The Grace Museum. Day of the Dead is a holiday observed throughout Mexico and Central American and South American regions joyfully celebrating loved ones who have passed.
More information at thegracemuseum.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos
9:30 am and 11 am classes each day
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Enjoy a guided tour through one of our galleries and create an interactive art project inspired by the prints and patterns in our exhibition, Witness: Black Artists in Texas, Then and Now. Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families, including a different mini-tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
Five Texas writers will take the stage at The Grace Museum at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, to share their intimate perspectives and insights about Larry McMurtry, the internationally acclaimed novelist, screenwriter, and bookseller who died in 2021.
The event, “Fellow Writers on the Life and Legacy of Larry McMurtry,” is being presented by Texas Star Trading Company and The Grace Museum. The program is free to the public.
The five writers featured at the Grace are among 38 who contributed essays and
stories to a new book about McMurtry, Pastures of the Empty Page, published by the
University of Texas Press ($29.95 hardcover). The book will be available for purchase
and signing.
Speakers are:
George Getschow, a Wall Street Journal writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist who organized and edited the collection. He founded and remains the director of Archer City Writers Workshop in McMurtry’s hometown.
Stephen Harrigan, a writer-at-large for Texas Monthly and the author of 13 books of fiction and nonfiction, including the best-selling novel The Gates of the Alamo.
Kathryn Jones, a journalist, poet, and author of a forthcoming biography of Ben Johnson, who won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show.
Beverly Lowry, the author of six novels and five works of nonfiction, including her latest book, Dee Creek Drive: A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta.
Joe Specht, emeritus director of Jay-Rollins Library at McMurry University and author of The Women There Don’t Treat You Mean: Abilene in Song.
Praise for Pastures of the Empty Page:
More than three dozen writers contemplate the legacy of Texas’s most beloved author. . . a moving tribute.
~Andrew Graybill, Texas Monthly.
This book is part eulogy, part memoir, part literary criticism. All of it is absorbing.
~Michael Barnes, Austin American-Stateman
Pastures of the Empty Page is essential reading for both writers and readers. It should be on the bookshelf of everyone who values words, who appreciates insight and unexpected revelations, and who loves Larry McMurtry. As a bonus, it is brilliantly written.
~Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Good Night, Irene
No Texas man of letters loomed larger than Larry McMurtry. This wonderful encomium from friends and admirers gets at the peculiar magic behind McMurtry's long and incredibly eclectic career as a celebrated novelist, screenwriter, bibliophile, and student of the American West.
~Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West
A brilliant and insightful collection of essays and personal recollections about one of America’s most important writers. Honest, funny, and compelling: this will go down as one of our great literary histories.
~Philipp Meyer, author of The Son
The elegiac remembrances offer intimate glimpses into McMurtry’s life (collaborator Diana Ossana recalls the “emotional breakdown” he suffered after a heart attack), with no shortage of surprises. . . . McMurtry’s fans will want to track this down.
~Publishers Weekly
A conclave of writers gathers to consider the late Larry McMurtry (1936-2021). . . . Sprinkled with surprising revelations, this is a good collection for every McMurtry fan’s library.
~Kirkus
6 pm – 8 pm
$30 ($25 for Museum Members)
Participants will experiment with pastels – a fun medium somewhere in between painting and drawing – to create a work inspired by Harvey Johnson, a featured artist in our new exhibition, Witness: Black Artists in Texas, Then and Now. No experience necessary!
*Adult Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
5 pm – 8 pm
FREE ADMISSION: Explore The Grace Museum and enjoy Make-n-Take art activities in the Create Lab, perfect for people of all ages. Visit the 3rd floor for a special Hispanic Heritage Month “pop-up” activity in the history galleries.
9 am, 11 am, and 2 pm classes
Our October project introduces pastels with a work inspired by Harvey Johnson, an artist featured in The Grace’s fall exhibition Witness: Black Artists in Texas, Then and Now.
*Children’s Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
6 pm – 8 pm
$30 ($25 for Museum Members)
Meet Polly Jones! She’s a local artist known for her joyful mixed media works and she’s joining us in the Grace Studio to help you make one of your own in this step-by-step class with a sunflower theme. No experience necessary!
*Adult Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
9:30 am and 11 am classes each day
$7 (FREE for Museum Members)
Enjoy a guided tour through one of our galleries and make a festive pumpkin craft. Tot Spot is a monthly creative experience designed for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their families, including a different mini-tour each month, a guided art project, and access to Spark following class.
*Children’s Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
$225.00 – $250.00
6:30 pm - Cocktails and music in courtyard
6:30-11:30 pm - Silent Auction Bidding
7:30 pm - Dinner catered by Perini Ranch Steakhouse
9 pm - Live auction
9:30-12 - Dancing and music
6 pm – 8 pm
$30 ($25 for Museum Members)
Participants will create Yarn Art inspired by Mexican folk tradition in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. These “yarn paintings” are an art form belonging to the Wixárika/Huichol, a thriving indigenous people of Mexico. The yarn paintings we’ll create in the Grace Studio were created by the Huichol in the mid-20th century as a commodified version of their art to protect the sanctity of their original ancestral yarn art, nierika. No experience necessary!
*Adult Class – Registration and more information at thegracemuseum.org/events
GALLERY POP-UP Thursday, September 21 5 pm – 8 pm FREE ADMISSION: Visit the 3rd floor history galleries and participate in a “pop-up” activity to learn about Black Texan artists before The Grace’s exhibition Witness: Black Artists in Texas, Then and Now opens in October.
Abilene Cultural Affairs Council | 325-677-1161
1101 North 1st St | Abilene, Texas 79601
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