New storybook garden will open at CALF 2025

April 24, 2025 – Get ready to strut your feathers with Plum the peacock and friends at the 13th Children’s Art + Literacy Festival (CALF) June 12-15 featuring the books of award-winning illustrator and author Matt Phelan, whose original artwork will be on exhibit this summer at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL). The CALF theme is inspired by the artist on exhibit each summer at the museum.

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council will open Phase One of the Clear Fork Bank Storybook Garden and unveil the newest additions to the Storybook Sculpture Project based on Matt’s “Leave It to Plum” chapter book series and his picture book “Turtle Walk.” This will bring our storybook sculpture collection to 46 sculptures, the largest collection of its kind in the nation! Thirty-nine sculptures were crafted by Abilene artist Steve Neves. The garden also features a signature contemporary art piece by local artist Nic Noblique, “Storybook Giving Tree,” inspired by Shel Silverstein’s book “The Giving Tree.”

The Cultural Affairs Council implements the festival with the help of art organizations, generous sponsors, and hundreds of volunteers.

More than 5,400 people from 156 Texas cities and 28 states attended last year’s CALF. Spread your wings and fly over to the Abilene Cultural District for four days of fun!

The festival kicks off Thursday, June 12 with Group Day for day cares and summer camps. About 600 children are expected to attend Group Day who might otherwise not be able to come to the festival thanks to our generous sponsors.

Thursday events free to the public include a costume contest followed by a new event, the CALF Kick-Off Party! Meet and greet up to 70 costume characters, and enjoy music, bubbles, stilt walkers and food trucks. We will open Phase One of the new garden and unveil the new sculptures followed by “Sketch with Matt Phelan” at Paramount Theatre and by a book signing and chance to meet him.

A festival pass is required to attend Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Zoo events, which include dramatic readings of Matt’s most popular books at six venues with art activities and costume characters. New entertainment this year includes The Singing Zoologist, stilt walkers, juggler Bruce Manners, and children’s musicians Mr. Will and the Excavators. Popular festival favorites that are back include Le Marionette Theater of Dallas, Kornpop the clown’s balloon show, train rides, Abilene Philharmonic Instrument Petting Zoo, a new animal petting zoo and more! Friday and Saturday nights are CALF Movie Nights at the historic Paramount Theatre.

Children collect up to 15 CALF buttons for their festival lanyards as they complete each activity.

Register for CALF at www.abilenecalf.com. Thursday events are free. Passes for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are $12 for children 3-12 (2 and under are free) and $17 for ages 13 and up. Passes are good for all four days of the festival.

The Texas Legislature declared Abilene the official Storybook Capital of Texas in 2015, and in 2018, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office approved Abilene to trademark and exclusively use the term “Storybook Capital of America®.”

CALF started in 2012 and is a program of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, an affiliate of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce dedicated to promoting the arts and enriching lives in Abilene, a city of 120,000 people between Midland and Fort Worth on Interstate 20. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit www.abilenecalf.com or call 325-677-1161. For information about other fun stuff to do and places to stay, visit www.abilenevisitors.com, or call 800-727-7704.

# # #

Abilene celebrates 44 years of outdoor sculpture with new additions

AUGUST 5, 2024 - For more than four decades, the Abilene Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition has provided an opportunity for acclaimed Texas artists to present their work.  Abilene’s exhibition is the longest running community initiated public art exhibition in Texas.

The 38th biennial Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition is celebrating 44 years of bringing contemporary outdoor sculpture to Abilene made by award-winning artists. The exhibition is a juried, invitational exhibition with a focus on Texas artists.

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council’s Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition Committee organized the exhibition in partnership with the City of Abilene Community Services Department, McMurry, Hardin-Simmons and Abilene Christian universities, The Grace Museum and the Center for Contemporary Arts. This year’s sculptures and their artists are:

- “Two Prisms with Molecular Eyes” by James Surls, an internationally recognized artist now living in Colorado

- “This Way Up” by Michael Christopher Matson, Albany

- “~Used Tyres~” by Jack A. Massing, Houston

- “Bad Hair Day” by Jeffie Brewer, Nacogdoches

The sculptures will be on exhibit along North 1st Street (between Beech and Grape streets) for two years. 

To celebrate the creators of the outdoor sculptures, as well as artists opening their exhibits at other local galleries, receptions open to the public will take place at:

FRIDAY, Sept. 20

5 p.m. – Reception for Deborah Ballard’s exhibition at Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Gallery, 1642 Sayles Blvd., McMurry University.

5:45 p.m. - Reception for Allison Evonne Streett’s exhibition “Wilderness” at the Ira M. Taylor Memorial Gallery at Hardin-Simmons University, 2200 Hickory St.

SATURDAY, Sept. 21

3:30-4:30 p.m.  – Reception for “Into the Woods” exhibition by Bonny Leibowitz, Deborah Kapoor and Pilar Uribe at Shore Art Gallery at the Don Morris Center at Abilene Christian University. The artist talk will be at 4:30 p.m.

6:15 p.m. – Reception at the Center for Contemporary Arts for the featured outdoor sculptors and an exhibition by sculptor Adela Andea, juror for this year’s CCAN show at the Center.

Tickets on sale for Broadway in the Big Country

JUNE 25, 2024 – Abilene Convention Center and Nederlander National Markets are thrilled to present the inaugural 2024-2025 Broadway in the Big Country season! The 24/25 Season will feature 5 incredible shows including CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE, the family holiday spectacular and TINA - THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, the triumphant story of the Queen of Rock featuring many of her beloved songs. Also making it’s Abilene premiere is Tina Fey’s hilarious hit musical MEAN GIRLS, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time and closing out the season is the iconic Broadway fan favorite, ANNIE. Broadway in the Big Country’s season subscribers guarantee the best seats with priority access and premiere service.

“We are thrilled to launch the inaugural Broadway in the Big Country series and bring top caliber shows direct from Broadway to the Abilene community,” said Jack Meyer the Vice President of Programming at Nederlander Producing Company of America, Inc. “Bringing Broadway back to Abilene has been one of our top priorities”, commented Austin Connors, General Manager of the Abilene Convention Center. “Since beginning to manage the Convention Center and Auditorium in October of 2022, ASM Global has been focused on elevating the guest experience with in-house Guest Services, Ticketing Services, and Food and Beverage services – you can bring your drink to your seat! We could not be more excited to partner with Nederlander National Markets to bring the highest caliber Broadway back to the Big Country this fall!”

Broadway in the Big Country 2024-2025 Season Performance Dates

All performances are at the Abilene Convention Center (1100 N 6th St)

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE

November 21, 2024 – 7:30 PM

TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL

December 18, 2024 – 7:30 PM

MEAN GIRLS

February 11, 2025 – 7:30 PM

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL

March 13, 2025 – 7:30 PM

ANNIE

May 1, 2025 – 7:30 PM

Enjoy the many exclusive benefits of being a subscriber, including a guarantee of the same great seats to each season show, the option to renew those seats from year to year, and first options on upgrading seats. Subscribers also receive additional special ticket offers and the chance to purchase tickets to add-on shows before the general public.

TICKETING INFORMATION

The Broadway in the Big Country package includes all five shows starting at $220 (plus applicable fees). Individual show tickets will be announced as each engagement approaches. Groups of 10 or more can save by emailing our Groups Sales team at Groups@NederlanderNatlMkts.com or by phone at 877-690-2929.

Broadway In The Big Country’s official ticketing partner is Etix and we remind patrons to purchase tickets online at these official websites, https://abileneconventioncenter.com/broadway/ and www.Etix.com, please exercise caution to guard against fraud.  

# # #

NEDERLANDER NATIONAL MARKETS

Nederlander National Markets, a Nederlander Presentation based in Chicago, is one of the largest presenters of Broadway series and engagements across North America. Currently, they oversee subscription seasons in more than 20 cities throughout the country.

Nederlander continues the tradition of operating historic theatres, producing and presenting the best in theatrical and concert events, and innovating new ways to engage future generations of theatergoers.

ABOUT ASM GLOBAL

ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management—delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.

2024 CALF welcomed registrants from the most states ever

JUNE 17, 2024 - The Children’s Art + Literacy Festival presented by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council registered 5,458 people for the June 13-16 festival, and they hailed from 156 Texas cities and 28 states. This is the most states represented ever in CALF’s 12-year history, beating last year’s record of 21 states. This year’s festival also broke another record, earning the most revenue in our history.

The festival started Thursday with Group Day followed by the Storybook Parade and unveiling of the newest Storybook Sculpture, “Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn and Unicorn,” inspired by the book series written by Shannon Hale and illustrated by CALF honoree LeUyen Pham, who was in Abilene for the celebrations and the opening of her exhibition at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature. Her exhibition will be on exhibit through Sept. 13. All the festival books and imagery celebrated LeUyen’s work. The festival continued Friday and Saturday with book readings, shows, workshops, train rides and other fun. The festival concluded Sunday morning at the Abilene Zoo with additional programming and Animal Encounters.

People can see the new Storybook Sculpture in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden. Abilene is home to the largest Storybook Sculpture collection of its kind in America if not the world and is one of the reasons this city is the official Storybook Capital of America©.

Next year’s CALF honoree and summer NCCIL artist will be award-winning artist/author Dan Santat. Mark your calendars for June 12-15, 2025.

Feedback from CALF 2024 has been amazing! We want to share this story from a Lubbock family:

“We left Abilene today with pep in our step and lumps in our throats. I cried tears of joy every single day of CALF. Thank you for pulling out all the stops and making West Texas proud. Our kids were wide-eyed and giddy all weekend, not wanting to miss a single thing. Poppy loved the sculpture unveiling and probably took out a donor or two in her push to get to the front for the action. We revisited the statue every day. Wallace loved the character breakfast and the experience of seeing so many characters come to life.  He also took to the readings like never before. Four is a magical age.
The thing that stood out to me this year was the West Texas charm and grit. This is not a festival for out-of-town vendors to sell their wares…or for carneys to peddle their rides…or for snobby performers to be divas. This is a festival of authentic West Texans showing off their city, putting their money behind an event for the good of the children and the good of the community. It’s hundreds of volunteers pulling together to dot every i and cross every t.
My family feels like we’ve won the lottery of proximity. Being 2 1/2 hours from CALF is amazing. We absolutely love soaking in all of the city and enjoying the amenities of downtown without the trouble of a flight or a long-distance drive.
The Caldecott of festivals, whatever that could be called, should most certainly go to your team. Congratulations on a job well done.
With sincerity and thankfulness,
The Henry Family

Abilene Storybook Experience App Launch Party

MAY 11, 2024 - The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council invites you to the Abilene Storybook Experience App Launch Party from 10 am to 12 pm Saturday at the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden. The party is free and open to the public!

                Costumed characters will welcome guests to the garden, where you can enjoy free donuts and coffee while supplies last as well as hair chalking. Volunteers from the Genius Squad will be helping people download the game on their mobile devices and helping them play. Our celebrity guest is Elsie Stark, a Wylie ISD student who made it to the Top 5 in the most recent season of the Kids Baking Championship TV show on Food Network. Elsie will be giving away baked treats to the first 13 families to download the app. Everyone who downloads the app will receive a special app logo pin!

                The $100,000 app is made possible by a Cultural District grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and generous donors. The app is simple to use. Download Abilene Storybook Experience app on Google Play or Apple App store and play downtown. A map will appear when you open the game guiding you around the Cultural District to Storybook Sculptures and benches. At the sculptures, you can “collect” a virtual image of the book character and interact with it and take your photo with it. The virtual character stays in your collection on the app and you can interact with it even at home. At the benches, you can play a game by filling in the book quote words and virtually collecting the book covers. As you move around downtown, character buttons will pop up you can collect in your app.

“The Abilene Storybook Experience App will provide a fun way for the Cultural District to use augmented reality to experience the Storybook Sculptures and benches,” said Lynn Barnett, Abilene Chamber Vice President over the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. “We think visitors will love it!”

The council is still accepting donations for the app through its 501c(3) arm, the Abilene Arts Alliance. Donations can be made online at www.abilenecac.org and clicking on the “Donate Now” button.

                Since 2019, the Cultural Affairs Council has been fortunate to receive over $500,000 in Cultural District Enhancement grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts. These grants have been matched by more $700,000 from local donors.

Celebrate Grinchy Claus and friends at Christmas in the Garden!

NOV. 29, 2023 – Put on your favorite ugly Christmas sweater and head to the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden for some Grinchy good fun at this year’s Christmas in the Garden! The family friendly event is Friday, Dec. 1, and this year’s theme is inspired by Dr. Seuss books, which are a favorite in the Storybook Capital of America®.

Christmas in the Garden will feature the costume characters the Grinch, Lorax and Cat in the Hat, games and crafts and food inspired by the world of Dr. Seuss.

Families have two sessions to choose from – 5 to 6:30 p.m. or 6:30 to 8 p.m. The cost is $15 per family.

You can purchase tickets at www.abilenecac.org while spots are available. About 600 people are expected to attend this year.

You will enter the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden from the north side of the Abilene Convention Center. The garden’s storybook sculptures will be decorated with twinkling Christmas lights and new holiday decorations.

Children will have the opportunity to share their wishes with Santy Claus, get a balloon animal, have their face painted and be mystified by the tricks of magician Lonnie Chevrie.  The Grinch himself will read his favorite book, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Seven and One Books will have a pop-up shop as well!

Christmas in the Garden is presented by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and is one of several events during the Abilene Downtown Association’s annual City Sidewalks holiday celebration. For a full schedule of holiday events, go to www.abilenedowntown.com.

Sculptures will be lit for Illumination Celebration Finale

NOV. 14, 2023 – The public is invited to take a self-guided tour around the newly lit contemporary sculptures on either side of the railroad tracks along North and South First Streets on Saturday night starting at 6:45 p.m. Leading the procession will be members of the West Texas Region Porsche Club of America.

Families are encouraged to stop by Sonic for a treat! A limited number of coupons donated by Sonic for this special night are available for a free corn dog or Mini Sonic Blast. Stop by the T&P Depot at 6:45 p.m. Saturday to pick one up.

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council completed the lighting project with a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts matched by private donations. Lighting for the 18 sculptures was completed by Bunkley Electric, which has partnered with the ACAC on many downtown projects.

                The ACAC, which is a division of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, received an $81,000 cultural district enhancement grant from TCA to light the contemporary sculptures, including the beloved “Picturesque Texas Buffalo” with the enlarged buffalo photo and saddle on North 1st Street and the world famous “The Singing Ringing Tree” on South Treadaway.

“The lighting of the contemporary sculptures will provide a beautiful and memorable entryway to the Cultural District from the east and west and distinguish Abilene as a city that values the arts,” said Lynn Barnett, Chamber Vice President of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. “Now these sculptures can be appreciated both day and night!”

                Since 2019, the Cultural Affairs Council has been fortunate to receive over $500,000 in Cultural District Enhancement grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts. These grants have been matched by more $700,000 from local donors.

# # #

Groundbreaking Study Reveals Economic and Social Impact of $35.5 Million Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector in Abilene

Oct 13, 2023 —The Community Foundation with the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council today announced that Abilene’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $35.5 million in economic activity in 2022, according to the newly released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), an economic and social impact study conducted by Americans for the Arts. That economic activity – nearly $13.4 million in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and an additional $22.2 million in event-related spending by their audiences supported 820 jobs and generated $8.8 million in local, state, and federal government revenue. Spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce to local merchants, a value-add that few other industries can compete with.

“This study drives home the economic impact of arts and culture in the Abilene community,” said Lynn Barnett, Chamber Vice President of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. “It strengthens the tourism economy and boosts profits for restaurants, merchants, and other businesses. In addition, it brings in tax revenue to our city.”

Barnett said since Abilene participated in the last Arts and Economic Prosperity study in 2005, the amount of direct expenditures into the Abilene economy by arts organizations has nearly doubled. At the same time, the downtown cultural district has exploded with growth.

“We’re proud to support the work of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. We understand the difficulty of quantifying their hard work and success, and this study will provide wonderful context to tell our local story,” said Katie Alford, President/CEO of Community Foundation of Abilene.

Nationally, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study reveals that America’s nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $151.7 billion industry — one that supports 2.6 million jobs and generates $29.1 billion in government revenue.

“Arts and culture organizations have a powerful ability to attract and hold dollars in the community longer. They employ people locally, purchase goods and services from nearby businesses, and produce the authentic cultural experiences that are magnets for visitors, tourists, and new residents,” said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “When we invest in nonprofit arts and culture, we strengthen our economy and build more livable communities.”

Abilene was one of 373 communities across the country that participated in the study. The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council joined the study on behalf of the City of Abilene. In Abilene, 31 of the 42 eligible nonprofits identified by ACAC provided financial and attendance information for the study. In addition, ACAC collected 736 valid audience-intercept surveys between May 2022 to June 2023.

•       Sense of Pride: For the first time, AEP6 expands beyond the economic and financial data to include social impact measurements of arts and culture’s effect on the well-being of communities and residents. Abilene’s study revealed that 88% of respondents felt the arts and culture activity they were attending was “inspiring a sense of pride” in their community, and 83% said the art venue was “an important pillar for me within my community.”

•   Keeping Local Dollars in Abilene: A vibrant arts and culture community keeps local residents – and their discretionary dollars – in the community. When attendees were asked what they would have done if the event where they were surveyed had not been available, nearly 40% said they would have traveled elsewhere – taking their discretionary dollars with them.

By measuring arts and culture’s wide-ranging impact, public and private sector leaders can work together to secure funding and arts-friendly policies that shape more vibrant and equitable communities.

The full report, a map of the 373 study regions, and a two-page economic impact summary for each, can be found at AEP6.AmericansForTheArts.org

2023 CALF Welcomes Largest Crowd Ever

JUNE 10, 2023 – The Children’s Art + Literacy Festival registered 5,824 people for this weekend’s festival, which is the largest number of people in the festival’s 11 year-history. CALF experienced a 7% increase in registrations, welcoming people from 190 cities in 21 states and as well as Mexico!

The festival started Thursday with Group Day followed by the Storybook Parade and unveiling of the newest Storybook Sculpture and will conclude Sunday with programming at the Abilene Zoo, where people can wear their CALF passes and enter for free. All the festival imagery and books celebrated the work of Caldecott Medal artist and author Brian Lies, whose original artwork went on display this week in the gallery of the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL). The museum hosted Brian and his family during the festival. Books signed by Brian are still available at the NCCIL gift shop and you can see his exhibition through September titled “Brian’s Magnificent Garden.”

People can see the new Storybook Sculpture in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden, “Evan and His Dog,” inspired by the award-winning book by Mr. Lies titled “The Rough Patch.”  Abilene is home to the largest Storybook Sculpture collection of its kind in America and is one of the reasons – along with the CALF and the NCCIL – that Abilene is the official Storybook Capital of America©.

Next year’s CALF honoree and summer NCCIL artist will be award-winning artist/author LeUyen Pham. Mark your calendars for June 13-16, 2024.

“This year’s festival built around the beautiful artwork of Brian Lies was extremely popular with festival goers,” said Lynn Barnett, Abilene Chamber Vice President of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. “Plans are already in place to start planning another great festival for next year.”

11th annual children’s book festival starts next week

MAY 30, 2023 – The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council is preparing to welcome more than 5,000 people downtown for the 11th Children’s Art + Literacy Festival.

Festival registrants can start picking up their orders Thursday, June 1 at festival headquarters in the T&P Depot, 1101 N. 1st St.

The festival starts Thursday, June 8 with Group Day from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for nonprofit child-care groups. It opens to the public later that day with free events starting with the costume contest at 4 p.m. in the Elks Arts Center and the Storybook Parade at 5:30 p.m. The newest addition to the Storybook Sculpture Project will be unveiled at 6:15 p.m. followed by Evan’s Magnificent Garden Party. Then head to the Paramount Theatre for Sketch with Brian followed by a book signing.

This year’s CALF brings to life the books of award-winning illustrator Brian Lies, whose original artwork will go on display at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) on June 8.

The festival continues Friday and Saturday, June 9-10, in downtown with 17 venues participating in the celebration. Festival passes are required for Friday and Saturday events, which include dramatic reading of Brian’s most popular books and the best children’s entertainment from across Texas.

On Sunday, June 11, wear your CALF pass to the Abilene Zoo for free admission and enjoy additional dramatic book readings followed by Animal Encounters in the pavilion.

CALF brings more than 5,400 people from all over Texas and states across the country to the Storybook Capital of America©. More than 500 volunteers help make the festival possible, along with our generous sponsors.

Brian Lies (pronounced “lees”) has illustrated more than 30 books, including two best-selling bat books series and the Caldecott Honor-winning book, “The Rough Patch,” which also won the Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. His newest illustrated book is “Wombat Said Come In” written by Carmen Agra Deedy.

Registration for CALF will continue through June 11 online at www.abilenecalf.com and in person at the T&P Depot. Passes are $11 for children age 3-12 and $16 for ages 13 and up. Children 2 and under are free (no lanyard or pass provided).

CALF was started in 2012 by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, an affiliate of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce dedicated to promoting the arts and enriching lives in Abilene.

Downtown pedestrian tunnels to be lit March 8

MARCH 6, 2023 - After three years of planning, navigating the approval process, and fundraising, the media is invited to witness the lighting of three pedestrian tunnels connecting the Abilene Cultural District to the SoDA district. The lighting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, and it will illuminate the 3D storybook mural of a soaring dragon in the tunnel behind the T&P Depot at 1101 N. 1st. as well as the pedestrian tunnels on the other end of Everman Park on Pine Street.

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, in partnership with the City of Abilene, is responsible for lighting the tunnels, which are owned by Union Pacific Railroad. For one tunnel, the ACAC commissioned Abilene’s only 3D mural by international artist Kurt Wenner. The mural was designed in such a way that people can pose on the dragon’s back and appear to be riding it or pose on the castle tower and appear to be stepping off into the storybook city.

The lighting for the three tunnels was funded in part by private donations and by a cultural district grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. The grant also included funds for wayfinding maps downtown and security cameras for the tunnel areas that are monitored by the City of Abilene. The purpose of the new lighting and the dragon mural were to better connect the Abilene Cultural District north of the railroad tracks with the SoDA (South Downtown Abilene) district south of the railroad tracks and to use the arts as a tool for economic growth. The lighting will also enhance walkability and safety between the two districts.

“With the continued growth in both districts, this latest addition of lighting should increase visitor enjoyment of downtown and ease of accessibility,” said Lynn Barnett, who has helped promote the city’s standing as the official Storybook Capital of America® through many projects and events. The ACAC has invested $6 million in the downtown Storybook Capital theme.

Barnett said City Manager Robert Hanna was instrumental in making the tunnel lighting possible throughout the three-year process.

“With the transformation happening throughout downtown with the new hotel and other building projects, the city was happy to play a major role in seeing this project to completion,” Hanna said.

Other major players that helped make this possible are Tim Smith, downtown property owner and SoDA founder, and the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.

Tunnel locations: 1) T&P Depot, 1101 N. 1st 2) Everman Park on both sides of Pine St.

Festival brings books to life in Storybook Capital of America®

Feb. 24, 2023 – Registration opened today for the festival that fans are calling “incredible,” “inspiring,” and “a summer highlight!”

Go batty at this summer’s Children’s Art + Literacy Festival (CALF) as the Storybook Capital of America® brings the books of award-winning illustrator Brian Lies to life! The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council turns downtown Abilene into a childhood adventure you won’t forget from Thursday, June 8 to Saturday, June 10 with extra programming at the Abilene Zoo on Sunday, June 11.

The festival brings more than 5,400 people from all over Texas and states across America. This book festival is unlike any other because we celebrate the illustrator! The picture book artist on exhibit each summer at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) in downtown Abilene is the inspiration for our festival.

Brian Lies has illustrated more than 30 books, including two best-selling bat books series and the Caldecott Honor-winning book, “The Rough Patch,” which also won the Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. His newest illustrated book is “Wombat Said Come In” written by Carmen Agra Deedy.

The festival will kick off Thursday, June 8 with Group Day for day cares and summer camps. Nearly 700 children will attend Group Day who might otherwise not be able to come to the festival thanks to our generous sponsors.

The festival opens to the public Thursday afternoon with a costume contest, Storybook Parade, and unveiling of our 28th Storybook Sculpture set based on the book “The Rough Patch.” Abilene is home to the largest Storybook Sculpture collection of its kind in America if not the world. Brian Lies will be joining the festivities in Abilene, which includes the opening of a summer exhibit of his original artwork at the NCCIL, the first museum in the nation to exclusively exhibit children’s picture book art. Thursday night, see the artist in action at the Paramount Theatre and draw along with him during the free “Sketch with Brian” event followed by a book signing.

A festival pass is required to attend Friday and Saturday events, which include dramatic readings of Brian’s most popular books at six venues with art activities and costume characters, a live production of “Little Bat in Night School,” ventriloquist Nancy Burks Worcester, Le Marionette Theater of Dallas, Kornpop the clown’s balloon show, train rides, Abilene Philharmonic Instrument Petting Zoo, May Farm Petting Zoo and more! Children collect CALF buttons for their festival lanyards as they complete each activity. Wear your CALF pass on Sunday, and you can enter the zoo for free and experience more CALF with book readings and animal encounters.

Register for CALF at www.abilenecalf.com and celebrate the art of childhood! Thursday events are free. Passes for Friday and Saturday are $8 for children 3-12 (2 and under are free) and $13 for ages 13 and up through May 15. After that date, passes are $11 for children and $16 for ages 13 and up.

The Texas Legislature declared Abilene the official Storybook Capital of Texas in 2015, and in 2018, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office approved Abilene to trademark and exclusively use the term “Storybook Capital of America®.”

CALF started in 2012 and is a program of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, an affiliate of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce dedicated to promoting the arts and enriching lives in Abilene. This year’s title sponsor is First National Bank, Albany/Breckenridge. For more information and full schedule of events, visit www.abilenecalf.com or call 325-677-1161.

Downtown pedestrian tunnels to be lit Jan. 26 (Postponed)

JAN. 19, 2023 – After three years of planning, navigating the approval process, and fundraising, the media is invited to witness the lighting of two pedestrian tunnels connecting the Abilene Cultural District to the SoDA district. The lighting will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, and it will illuminate the 3D storybook mural of a soaring dragon in the tunnel behind the T&P Depot. 

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, in partnership with the City of Abilene, is responsible for lighting the tunnels, which are owned by Union Pacific Railroad. For one tunnel, the ACAC commissioned Abilene’s only 3D mural by international artist Kurt Wenner. The mural was designed in such a way that people can pose on the dragon’s back and appear to be riding it or pose on the castle tower and appear to be stepping off into the storybook city.

The lighting for the two tunnels was funded in part by private donations and by a cultural district grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. The grant also included funds for wayfinding maps downtown and security cameras for the tunnel areas that are monitored by the City of Abilene. The purpose of the new lighting and the dragon mural were to better connect the Abilene Cultural District north of the railroad tracks with the SoDA (South Downtown Abilene) district south of the railroad tracks and to use the arts as a tool for economic growth. The lighting will also enhance walkability and safety between the two districts.

“With the continued growth in both districts, this latest addition of lighting should increase visitor enjoyment of downtown and ease of accessibility,” said Lynn Barnett, who has helped promote the city’s standing as the official Storybook Capital of America® through many projects and events. The ACAC has invested $6 million in the downtown Storybook Capital theme.

Barnett said City Manager Robert Hanna was instrumental in making the tunnel lighting possible throughout the three-year process.

“With the transformation happening throughout downtown with the new hotel and other building projects, the city was happy to play a major role in seeing this project to completion,” Hanna said.

Other major players that helped make this possible are Tim Smith, downtown property owner and SoDA founder, and the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.

Tunnel locations: 1) T&P Depot, 1101 N. 1st 2) Everman Park at Pine St. and North 1st

Abilene celebrates 42 years of outdoor sculpture

SEPT. 16, 2022 – For more than four decades, the Abilene Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition has provided an opportunity for artists to present a new body of work or a new artistic direction.  Abilene’s exhibition is the longest running community initiated public art exhibition in Texas.

The biennial Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition is celebrating 42 years of bringing contemporary outdoor sculpture to Abilene made by award-winning artists. The exhibition is always juried, and the call for entries is done in a variety of ways with the focus being on Texas artists.

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council’s Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition Committee organized the exhibition in partnership with the City of Abilene Community Services Department, McMurry, Hardin-Simmons and Abilene Christian universities, The Grace Museum and the Center for Contemporary Arts. This year’s sculptures and their artists are:

- “Red Running Dog” by Anthony Huff, an artist from Abilene

- “Talk of Camels and Needles” by Dewane Hughes, an artist from Tyler

- “The Day Gertrude Flew the Coop” by Glory Hartsfield, a Texas artist who has moved to the Midwest

- “Fallen” by Jeffie Brewer, an artist from Nacogdoches

The sculptures will be on exhibit along North 1st Street (between Beech and Grape streets) for two years.  To celebrate the creators of the outdoor sculptures, as well as artists opening their exhibits at other local galleries, receptions open to the public will take place at:

FRIDAY, Sept. 16

5 p.m. - Reception for Robbie Barber’s exhibition “Souls” at Shore Art Gallery in the Don Morris Center at Abilene Christian University.

5:45 p.m. – Reception for Anna Mavromatis’ exhibition “Material Culture” at The Grace Museum.

SATURDAY, Sept. 17

All day – View the Russell Jacques sculpture “Variations on a Theme III” outside of Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center at McMurry University

5:45 p.m.  – Reception for Felice Contreras exhibition “The Letter ‘T’ Stands For…” at the Ira M. Taylor Memorial Gallery at the Frost Center for Visual Arts at Hardin-Simmons University

6:15 p.m. – Reception for featured outdoor sculptors and group exhibition “Outliers” at the Center for Contemporary Arts featuring six artists:

·         Robbie Barber, Waco.

·         Jeffie Brewer, Nacogdoches

·         Andy Don Emmons, Waco

·         Anthony Huff, Abilene

·         Dewane Hughes, Tyler

·         Glory Hartsfield, who has moved to the Midwest.

Installation begins Tuesday for "Singing Ringing Tree"

JULY 21, 2022 – A wind-powered sound sculpture donated to the City of Abilene is arriving Tuesday afternoon in its new, permanent home in downtown Abilene on Tuesday, July 26. “The Singing Ringing Tree” is expected to be fully reassembled by next Thursday and is anticipated to become a tourist draw for the city.                

The sculpture’s donor is covering the installation and moving costs.                

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council contracted with JK Welding to dismantle the sculpture from its location on private property in Travis County and reassemble it in Abilene east of the Frontier Texas! museum in the grassy median where Treadaway Boulevard splits and flows into South 1st St. Visitors will be able to park at Frontier Texas! and walk down the sidewalk to Treadaway to hear it. King said you can hear it from 100-400 feet away and that wind speeds are a factor for it to make sound, something that should not be a problem in a windy city like Abilene.

“The Singing Ringing Tree” is made up of nearly 27 tons of cascading pipes. The sculpture will be positioned to just the right angle to maximize the wind blowing across the pipes to generate this music. The humming sound produced has been described as “melodious” and “choral,” covering a range of several octaves.                                                                                                                                                                 

“We are excited to welcome this internationally recognized sculpture to Abilene,” said Lynn Barnett, executive director of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. “It will attract visitors to downtown and have a positive economic impact on the cultural district.” The sculpture was originally designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu as part of a project for the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network in England to create landmarks over the countryside. The sculpture was completed in 2006 and placed on a hill range overlooking the town of Burnley, whose population is about half the size of Abilene’s, and like Abilene, is considered windy. “The Singing Ringing Tree” there has become a tourist attraction and was named one of the Top 10 places for “sound art” in the world. In 2007, the sculpture won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ National Award for architectural excellence.

A second “Singing Ringing Tree” sculpture was created and located in Saudi Arabia.

A third version was commissioned by a Texas art collector and completed in 2017. JK Welding was contracted to create the sculpture, which King says is 22 feet tall and has 22 levels of pipes that are 11-12 inches tall each utilizing 6-inch pipe of various thicknesses. The pipe swirls around to form the shape of a wind-blown bent tree although some say it resembles a tornado. The sculpture is said to be inspired by a German fairy tale about a spoiled princess who demands the Singing Ringing Tree from a would-be suitor. The tree’s leaves ring with music for those with love in their hearts. The connection between the sculpture and the fairy tale makes the art piece a great fit for the Storybook Capital of America®, said Barnett.

JK Welding will be filming the dismantling and reassembling of the sculpture and will go live with video at various times over the course of the week starting Monday, July 25, on the welding company’s various social media platforms: -         

https://www.facebook.com/jkweldinghtx -         

https://www.instagram.com/jkwelding/ -        

  https://www.tiktok.com/@jkwelding  

In addition, Northern Tool + Equipment, a JK Welding sponsor, will be sending a film crew to Abilene to film the sculpture’s journey for a future TV commercial.  

“The Singing Ringing Tree” is one of five sculptures worth nearly a half million dollars that a Texas art collector is donating to the City of Abilene.

International tourist attraction “Singing Ringing Tree” arriving

Private collector has donated sculpture to Abilene; 1 of only 3 in the world

JULY 12, 2022 – A wind-powered sound sculpture made up of nearly 27 tons of cascading pipes is arriving in its new, permanent home in downtown Abilene on July 26. “The Singing Ringing Tree” is expected to take three days to reassemble and is anticipated to become a tourist draw for the city.

                “It’s a masterpiece, and for Abilene, it’s going to draw a lot of visitors to the city,” said John King, owner of JK Welding in the Houston area.

                The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council contracted with JK Welding to dismantle the sculpture from its location on private property in Travis County and reassemble it in Abilene east of the Frontier Texas! museum in the grassy median where Treadaway Boulevard splits and flows into South 1st St. Visitors will be able to park at Frontier Texas! and walk down the sidewalk to Treadaway to hear it. King said you can hear it from 100-400 feet away and that wind speeds are a factor for it to make sound, something that should not be a problem in a windy city like Abilene.

The sculpture will be positioned to just the right angle to maximize the wind blowing across the pipes to generate this music. The humming sound produced has been described as “melodious” and “choral,” covering a range of several octaves.

The sculpture was originally designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu as part of a project for the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network in England to create landmarks over the countryside. The sculpture was completed in 2006 and placed on a hill range overlooking the town of Burnley, whose population is about half the size of Abilene’s, and like Abilene, is considered windy. “The Singing Ringing Tree” there has become a tourist attraction and was named one of the Top 10 places for “sound art” in the world. In 2007, the sculpture won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ National Award for architectural excellence.

A second “Singing Ringing Tree” sculpture was created and located in Saudi Arabia.

A third version was commissioned by a Texas art collector and completed in 2017. JK Welding was contracted to create the sculpture, which King says is 22 feet tall and has 22 levels of pipes that are 11-12 inches tall each utilizing 6-inch pipe of various thicknesses. The pipe swirls around to form the shape of a wind-blown bent tree although some say it resembles a tornado.

The sculpture is said to be inspired by a 1957 East German children’s film later shown on BBC television that was inspired by a German fairy tale about a spoiled princess who demands the Singing Ringing Tree from a would-be suitor. The tree’s leaves ring with music for those with love in their hearts. The connection between the sculpture and the fairy tale makes the art piece a great fit for the Storybook Capital of America®, said Lynn Barnett, executive director of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council.

JK Welding will be filming the dismantling and reassembling of the sculpture. Viewers can watch the process live or get updates starting July 25 on the welding company’s various social media platforms:

-          https://www.facebook.com/jkweldinghtx

-          https://www.instagram.com/jkwelding/

-          https://www.tiktok.com/@jkwelding

-          https://www.linkedin.com/company/jk-welding-llc/

In addition, Northern Tool + Equipment, a JK Welding sponsor, will be sending a film crew to Abilene to film the sculpture’s journey for a future TV commercial.

“The Singing Ringing Tree” is one of six sculptures worth nearly a half million dollars that a Texas art collector is donating to the City of Abilene. The other five sculptures will be arriving in the next few weeks. They are:

1)      “Davidians” – Mosaic tile Porky Pig pop art by Dianne Sonnenberg applied to granite carved by Stuart Simpson.

2)      “Rainbow Bear” – Abstract Texas limestone figure by artist Stuart Simpson.

3)      “Critter” – Abstract Texas limestone animal by artist Stuart Simpson.

4)      “Dancing Pony (Red)” – Abstract cast aluminum horse sculpture by artist Kevin Box.

5)      “Kinetic Spinner” – A 10-foot tall steel and glass moving sculpture by artist Jim LaPaso.

“The Singing Ringing Tree” (Photo courtesy of John King/JK Welding)

Location of “The Singing Ringing Tree” east of Frontier Texas! museum in downtown Abilene, Texas

Drilling begins for downtown Cultural District pillar project

Texas Commission for the Arts, private donations funding $330,000 project

 MAY 23, 2022 – Drilling began Monday morning at four locations downtown that will soon be the home of 18-foot limestone pillars delineating the borders of the Abilene Cultural District. In addition to the pillars, an 8-foot, hand-carved stone relief of William Joyce’s Sanderson Mansnoozie with outstretched arms welcoming people and a Storybook Capital of America® sign will be added.

 A public celebration for the project will take place Oct. 22. More details on that event will be announced soon.

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council received a cultural district grant in the amount of $129,654 from the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) for the “Be Out Guest” project. This is a matching grant, and fundraising is underway to complete the grant. The ACAC raised a portion of the funds for the $330,000 project during Abilene Gives through its 501c3 arm, the Abilene Arts Alliance.

The four limestone pillars are located at N. 5th and Orange streets, N. 1st and Hickory streets, Pine and N. 7th streets, and across the street from Frontier Texas! at N. 1st. Each pillar will have the words “Cultural District” spelled down the side, which will be lit at night.

Clint Rosenbaum, an Abilene engineer and ACAC board member, is supervising the project. He said after the holes are drilled for the base of the pillars, concrete will be poured later this week. Next, the mason will start building the pillars.

The goal of the “Be Out Guest” project is to create a sense of place and to increase downtown cultural tourism.

“The benefit of creating a sense of place is to reinforce a sense of ownership and pride in our beautiful downtown, which is experiencing a renaissance, and to provide a cultural destination for tourists,” said Lynn Barnett, executive director of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, which is an Abilene Chamber of Commerce affiliate. “Abilene was one of the first five cultural districts in the state along with Dallas and Houston, and we take a lot of pride in that designation.”

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council has successfully applied for and matched other cultural district grants from the TCA that have helped build downtown into a tourism hotspot, including matching funds for the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden.

TXP Inc., an economic analysis and public policy consulting firm, prepared an Economic Impact Study of Cultural District Funding and confirmed that the TCA’s past investments in infrastructure has been critical to the success of the downtown Abilene Cultural District, which includes museums, performance venues, restaurants, retail and offices. The implementation of “Be Our Guest” will benefit all venues and businesses within the district and fuel the explosive economic and tourism growth, Barnett said.

Storybook Capital celebrates Cat in the Hat's 65th birthday

MARCH 11, 2022 – You could not, would not, want to miss, a birthday celebration quite like this!

You are invited to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the classic children’s title, The Cat in The Hat on Saturday, March 12. As part of this celebration, Dr. Seuss Enterprises reached out to the Storybook Capital of America® as an entity that manages beloved landmarks to see if we could get as many statues as possible wearing the iconic red and white striped hat. The Storybook Capital of is decorating the nearly 26 sets of Storybook Sculptures in honor of their friend, Cat in the Hat. The decorations will be up Friday night and all day Saturday.

In addition, the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) will offer a free Dr. Seuss inspired art activity from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Join us for the fun!

But that’s not all. Oh no. That is not all!

Dr. Seuss characters The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2 will participate in a ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building on Friday, March 11. The building will be lit up in red and white to represent the cat’s iconic striped hat.

 First published in 1957, The Cat in The Hat quickly became a cultural phenomenon with excitement and fun packed into its pages. Over the past 65 years, the book has been a staple for young readers - often the first book they read, making it one of the most recognizable and beloved titles to this day. To honor the inspirational Dr. Seuss story and its enduring power to help children fall in love with reading, the Empire State Building will be lit up in red and white to represent The Cat in the Hat’s iconic striped hat.

"Beautiful" Broadway in Abilene show canceled

NOV. 19, 2021 - As Broadway tours return to the road, the theatrical unions* and the industry trade association, The Broadway League have determined a specific set of Covid protocols that each venue is required to meet in order to protect the health and safety of union touring companies. Unfortunately, the Abilene Convention Center was unable to meet the union and industry’s requirements regarding testing due to state and local regulations, forcing the union tour of Beautiful to cancel the Abilene engagement set to play November 30, 2021. 
 
We are all disappointed in this cancellation and apologize for any inconvenience.

Refunds will start immediately from the point of purchase and should be completed within the next 30 days. If you have any questions please call the Celebrity Attractions box office at 800-869-1451, Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm

Dragon-themed community celebration takes flight

OCT 23 - Thousands of people are expected to attend the “Walk This Way: From Castles to Clouds” community celebration orchestrated by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council with the support of donors and the City of Abilene on Saturday, Oct. 23.

The day celebrates the unveiling of a 3D storybook mural by international artist Kurt Wenner in the railroad pedestrian underpass behind the T&P Depot connecting the Abilene Cultural District with the SoDA District, as well as new lighting for the tunnel, security cameras, wayfinding maps around downtown, and a new kinetic sculpture at the Abilene Convention Center called “In Cloud Light IV” by Anthony Howe. The total investment in downtown Abilene for this project thanks to state grants, corporate gifts, private donations and city tax increment reinvestment zone funds totals an impressive $420,000.

Lynn Barnett said the investment in the Abilene Cultural District will serve as a tool for economic growth and sustainability.

“This will enhance the unique character of our community,” said Barnett, who has helped promote the city’s standing as the official Storybook Capital of America® through many projects and events. The Castles to Clouds project brings the total amount of money the ACAC has invested in the downtown Storybook Capital theme to $6 million.

The Oct. 23 celebration begins Saturday morning with a private “Royal Breakfast” for people who donated to the storybook mural, “Flight of the Dragon,” which features a green dragon flying over a castle. The Texas Star Trading Co. will host a book signing for Penny Parker Klostermann and her book, “There Was An Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight” at 11:30 a.m.

At 5 p.m., enjoy free student music performances in Everman Park followed by a procession filled with costumed characters down Cypress Street at 7 p.m. for the lighting and dedication of “In Cloud Light IV.” Then bring a blanket and snacks to watch the animated movie “How To Train Your Dragon” in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden. 

For only $5 a family, walk through the Dragon Experience in the Depot, participate in art activities and see the new 3D storybook mural between 5 and 7 p.m. There will be food trucks and lots of fun! Children are encouraged to dress up. Registration is at www.abilenecac.org.