ACAC launches "A Storybook Christmas Adventure" game

Celebrate the holidays "farm-style" at Christmas in the Garden - Canceled

CANCELED DUE TO COVID SURGE IN ABILENE

DEC. 4, 2020 – Jump into your pajamas, grab a mask and head downtown to celebrate the holidays with new four-legged friends! The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council presents the 3rd Annual Christmas in the Garden: Family Fun on the Farm on Friday, Dec. 4. This year’s event features the May Farm Petting Zoo, live country music, farm-themed crafts and food.

This year, we are offering families two times to choose from – 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 7 to 8:30 p.m. with a limit of 75 families for each time. The cost is $10 per family. Families who want to ride the Storybook Capital Express and see Storybook Capital of America characters in Santa’s Workshop can reserve a train car for $5 that fits up to five people.

 Last year’s Christmas in the Garden sold out. Buy tickets at www.abilenecac.org while spots are still available.

This festive evening takes place in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden on the lawn of the Abilene Convention Center. The garden’s storybook sculptures are decorated with twinkling Christmas lights and holiday decorations.

Families are asked to wear their face masks and socially distance while in the garden. Families will enter only on the north side of the garden this year.

Children will have the opportunity to share their Christmas wishes with Santa Claus, who will be seated inside a vintage red truck decorated for the holidays.

Mrs. Claus will read “An Otis Christmas” written and illustrated by Loren Long, whose original artwork will go on exhibit in Abilene at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature on June 10 to kick off the 2021 Children’s Art & Literacy Festival.

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

Abilene receives $149,566 in TCA Grants

SEPT. 4, 2020 – The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) has approved funding for $12.9 million in grants for fiscal year 2021, including a project for the Abilene Cultural District in the amount of $94,566. The matching grant will fund the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council’s “Freedom to Roam” project designed to light two underpasses to connect the Abilene Cultural District with the SoDA District (South Downtown Abilene) and to commission a signature public sculpture that will be located between the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden, the Abilene Convention Center and the new DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. The projects are a collaboration between the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the City of Abilene and SoDA.

The underpass lighting project will include security cameras and will enhance safety and pedestrian traffic between both sides of downtown, which are divided by the North and South 1st railroad tracks that go through the center of town. The lighting project will encourage visitors to travel back and forth at night through the underpass to have a drink, eat dinner and visit venues and outdoor sculptures.

The goal of the “Freedom to Roam” project is to create an increase in downtown cultural tourism.

“Public art directly influences how people perceive and connect with a place,” said Lynn Barnett, executive director of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, which is an Abilene Chamber of Commerce affiliate. “In this unprecedented time of social distancing, public art and lighting provides a visual mechanism which reinforces social connectivity and serves as a tool for economic growth and sustainability.”

In addition to the “Freedom to Roam” grant the TCA awarded through the Cultural District Project program, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council received the second year of its TCA Arts Create grant in the amount of $6,500 for operations and $3,000 from the TCA Arts Respond Project program for the Children’s Art & Literacy Festival.

Other Abilene art organizations that were awarded funding are The Grace Museum, Abilene Community Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Association, the Center for Contemporary Arts, Chorus Abilene, and the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature. Their grant amounts varied from $2,000 to $7,000.

“We are honored and humbled to provide these grants to help sustain the Texas arts industry, which has been economically devastated by COVID-19. Over the last several months, we have seen many arts organizations and artists find creative and flexible ways to bridge distances and to find new ways of conducting their work and connecting communities. The arts have brought much comfort and means of expression to people across our state,” said Gary Gibbs, executive director of TCA. “However, it is important to note that most organizations and artists are not making the money they were before social distancing became necessary. We are proud to invest these funds with arts organizations toward recovering the creative economy in Texas.”

Abilene Community Theatre: Arts Create - General, $3,500

Abilene Cultural Affairs Council: Cultural District Project, $94,566

Abilene Cultural Affairs Council: Arts Respond Project, $3,000

Abilene Cultural Affairs Council: Arts Create - General, $6,500

Abilene Philharmonic Association: Cultural District Project, $7,000

Abilene Philharmonic Association: Arts Respond Project, $4,500

Abilene Philharmonic Association: Arts Create - General, $5,500

Center for Contemporary Arts: Arts Respond Project, $2,000

Chorus Abilene: Arts Create - General, $4,500

Grace Museum: Arts Create - General, $4,500

Grace Museum: Arts Respond Project, $4,000

National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature: Cultural District Project, $3,500

National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature: Arts Create - General, $6,500

To see a full list of cities that received TCA grants for fiscal year 2021, please visit https://www.arts.texas.gov/cities21/cities/show/2021

Abilene celebrates 40 years of outdoor sculpture with

AUG. 17, 2020 - Every other year in September, the landscape along the North 1st railroad tracks changes with the addition of new contemporary art.

The biennial Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition is celebrating 40 years of bringing contemporary outdoor sculpture to Abilene made by award-winning Texas artists. The exhibition is the longest-running community organized exhibition in Texas.

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

- “Messenger: Which Way Blows the Wind?” by Joe Barrington. An artist from Throckmorton, Barrington is known throughout the Southwest for his public art pieces. He founded the Bone Yard Art Park in Throckmorton in 2005. His images are drawn from a lifetime of living in rural West Texas.

- “Plagued” by Carter Ernst. A Houston artist and teacher, Ernst often collaborates with her husband, artist Paul Kittelson. They live in an artist community called “Itchy Acres.” Her public art pieces have been featured at zoos, airports, schools and parks. Her media is diverse and ranges from steel to ceramics.

- “Milestone” by Tim Glover. Glover maintains a studio practice in Houston and lives in the “Itchy Acres” artist community, which inspires his work. He has received the Pollack-Krasner Award and was recognized as a Distinguished Teacher by the U.S. Department of Education’s Presidential Scholars Program.

- “Carousel” by Paul Kittelson. For more than 25 years, Paul has created site-specific works and community-based projects. Several of his large-scale installations have become Houston landmarks. He serves on the faculty of the University of Houston’s School of art. In 2003, he was AIA Houston Artist of the Year.

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 exhibits opening at McMurry and the Center, receptions open to the public will take place for three exhibits:

SATURDAY, Sept. 19

5-6 p.m. “The Third Karma” exhibit by LaGina Fairbetter, McMurry University’s Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center, East Foyer, 1642 Sayles Blvd.

Fairbetter is an Abilene native who instructed art and architecture students at Texas Tech University from 1996 to 2019. Her work was included in The Grace Museum’s “Dinosaurs of Texas Exhibit,” and she created the world’s largest indoor windmill mural, “Legacy of the Wind,” at the American Windmill Museum in Lubbock. Her current work is highlighted in the “Changing World” space at the Museum of Texas Tech University.

6-7:30 p.m. Opening reception for Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition featuring artists Joe Barrington, Carter Ernst, Tim Glover and Paul Kittelson at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St.

6-7:30 p.m. “Centra Devolved” exhibit by Kevin Stanford, Center for Contemporary Arts.

Stanford is an Eldorado artist and blacksmith who has a passion for non-traditional shapes forged in steel. He uses techniques that are thousands of years old to manipulate pieces of metal into pieces of art. He was the San Angelo Art Club’s 2019 and 2017 Artist of the Year.

Dance and Sing with Joe McDermott

AUG. 13, 2020 - Sing and dance with Austin singer/song writer Joe McDermott at this outdoor event hosted by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and Young Audiences of Abilene.
In order to stay in accordance with CDC guidelines, we will have two show times and each performance will be limited to approx. 70 people. Families will be asked to sit 6' apart from other families and masks will be required for adults and strongly encouraged for children. Picnic blankets are welcomed, but please no chairs. This is an outdoor event so please prepare accordingly. There will be a take-and-make craft available for the kids to do at their own pace in their own space, and we encourage you to bring a picnic dinner or breakfast to enjoy while you watch.
COST is $5 per family (plus ticketing fees). Pre-registration required.
PLEASE NOTE: Performances will be 45 minutes long. The Convention Center will not be open during these performances, so the closest public restroom will be in the parking lot across the street from the Abilene Public Library on Friday night, or inside of the Abilene Public Library on Saturday morning.

Clown around with Laughter League

AUG. 5, 2020 – The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and Young Audiences of Abilene are hosting Laughter League, which is a Dallas-based clown group that performs in circuses and festivals all over the world.

Join Slappy and Monday at the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7-8, as Laughter League uses comedy and circus skills to inspire youngsters to use their imagination.

Three limited-capacity shows will take place outside with social distancing measures in place, including face mask requirements for adults. Face masks are highly recommended for children. Bring a picnic and blanket to spread out on the shady garden lawn. A make-and-take craft will be provided for each child. Each show is about 45 minutes.

The shows are 7:30 p.m. Friday and 9 and 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

No restrooms will be available on site..

The cost is $5 per family (plus ticketing fee). Pre-registration required. Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/2OOAw8w or from the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council Facebook page.

This weekend’s shows are made possible by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Atmos Energy and Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc.

The garden is located on the grounds of the Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. 6th St.

Pull some strings to see Geppetto’s Marionette Theater

JULY 23, 2020 - Come see Geppetto’s Marionette Theater perform with music and dancing puppets outside at the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden this weekend.

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and Young Audiences of Abilene are offering three limited capacity showtimes.

The 7:30 p.m. Friday show is full. There are still spots available for the 9 and 10:30 a.m. Saturday shows. Each performance lasts about 45 minutes.

To follow CDC guidelines, each performance is limited to about 70 people (16 or so families). We are asking families to bring a blanket and spread out on the shady lawn at least six feet apart as they enjoy the performance. No restrooms will be available on site. We will provide a make-and-take craft for children. Adults are required to wear masks until they get to their spots. Masks for children are highly encouraged.

The cost is $5 per family (plus ticketing fee). Pre-registration required. Tickets can be purchased at https://abilenecac.ticketspice.com/marionette-theatre-performance  or from the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council Facebook page.

Geppetto’s Marionette Theater is based in Dallas. Their shows at the Children’s Art & Literacy Festival are very popular and always fill up. This weekend’s shows are made possible by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Don and Rudith Drennan and James McCoy’s Drug Stores.

The garden is located on the grounds of the Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. 6th St.

ACAC launches Virtual CALF

JUNE 11, 2020 - This year’s festival and Loren Long art exhibition have officially moved to June 2021, but we still want to celebrate art and reading with you this weekend! Visit the CALF Facebook page for a look back at Children’s Art & Literacy Festivals starting in 2012 and to learn more about the CALF retrospective exhibit the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature is mounting titled “Encore: A Look Back” that opens June 11. We will celebrate each year with photos, videos, readings, crafts, surprise guests and giveaways!!! New content will be posted every 30 minutes during the day June 11-13.

Abilene receives two NEA grants totaling $25,000

June 10, 2020 - The National Endowment for the Arts announced today more than $84 million in grants to organizations in all 50 states. Two of those grants were awarded to the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and The Grace Museum.

The Grace received a $10,000 ArtWorks grant to digitize the museum’s collection. This will involve professionally photographing more than 2,500 works of art in the permanent art collection, digitizing the images, creating metadata and establishing an online, searchable database on the museum’s website for the images.

The ACAC received a $15,000 grant for the 2020 Childen’s Art & Literacy Festival to fund entertainment. However, because the festival had to be postponed, the Cultural Affairs Council has submitted a request to the NEA to amend the original request. The council hopes to use the funds for CALF related programming later this summer instead.

“We are particularly grateful for the support from the NEA in this challenging time for the arts,” said Lynn Barnett, the ACAC’s executive director. “The support of these two programs helps provide momentum as we work to make art experiences available to people who visit the Storybook Capital.”

NEA grants were awarded in 13 artistic disciplines, arts research, and partnership agreements with all U.S. state and regional arts agencies.  Applications for the grants were submitted to the NEA last summer and reflected the wide range of performances, exhibitions, and activities that the agency has traditionally funds.

CALF 2020 delayed to 2021

APRIL 24, 2020 -

After careful consideration of the health and safety of our participants, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature have decided to postpone the 2020 Children’s Art & Literacy Festival and corresponding Loren Long art exhibition until June 10-12, 2021. The celebration previously planned on that date for artist Sophie Blackall will be moved to June 9-11, 2022.

“While I’m disappointed not to celebrate CALF this June by opening my exhibition, I am extremely proud of the efforts we are all taking to ensure our neighbors and friends stay safe and healthy,” Long said. “To have the opportunity to showcase my life’s work at the NCCIL and to see children’s pictures book art celebrated in this way, is truly extraordinary. I’m looking forward taking a year to further explore the exhibition and finally get to Abilene!”

Registrations for CALF 2020 will automatically be moved to CALF 2021, so no action is needed for those who want to keep their orders, including any workshops spots they have reserved. Those wanting a full refund can email operations@abilenecac.org. Festival registration for 2021 is open and will remain open throughout the rest of the year.

The ACAC has already printed the CALF 2020 Loren Long shirts and tote bags and plans to still use those. New 2021 specific merchandise will not be produced.

CALF 2020 costume contest registrations will also automatically be moved to CALF 2021. The ACAC office is currently closed to the public and employees are working from home, but when the office reopens, those who want to keep their CALF registration may pick up their shirts early.

The ACAC will be celebrating “The Year of Loren Long” between now and next summer and would love to see Loren Long shirts everywhere. Details about “The Year of Loren Long” will be announced soon. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@AbileneCALF) to get the latest festival news.

“We are so sorry to share the news of the postponement of CALF 2021, but excited that all the pieces are in place to partner with the NCCIL to make this the best CALF ever,” said Lynn Barnett, executive director of the ACAC. “We look forward to welcoming Loren, Otis and CALF to the Storybook Capital of America next summer. We especially want to thank our generous sculpture and CALF sponsors, our volunteers, venues and the City of Abilene for making this such a special time for families to get together.”

Trish Dressen, NCCIL executive director, said she was also disappointed the festival and exhibition are postponed, but looking forward to celebrating both next year.

“The partnership the NCCIL has with ACAC to bring this festival to life is as powerful as the overall magic CALF brings. It saddens us greatly to postpone, but it would sadden us even more to have Loren miss the magic seeing those celebrate his work in unique ways that, quite literally, no one in the world does the way Abilene does.”

Last year’s CALF drew 5,200 people from 91 Texas cities and 12 states. The festival is a beloved Abilene tradition since 2012 and was one of the reasons the city was named the Storybook Capital of Texas and America.

New date for Nelson Coates event

We are pleased to announce the new date for “In the Heights of Hollywood” featuring Nelson Coates and benefiting HeARTS for the ARTS, our grant program that supports programs for children and special populations! The new date will be Saturday evening, Sept. 26, 2020. Same venues and times.
Please email us at info@abilenecac.org if you would like more information on the event or have any questions. In the meantime, we will work alongside our art partners to plan upcoming events we can all enjoy once COVID-19 is defeated. On with the show!

Changes at our offices at T&P Depot

MARCH 19, 2020 - As an affiliate of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, we are following the Chamber’s lead in closing our building to the public in an effort to do our part to flatten the coronavirus curve. However, we are still working and available by phone, email or text so please let us know if we can be of assistance or answer  any questions over the next several weeks.   We look forward to once again celebrating together the rich cultural offerings we and our  art partners provide  This too shall pass, but not soon enough!

Updates to Abilene art events during national emergency

Abilene art events updates:
1) The Grace Museum has temporarily closed the Children's Museum on the second floor March 16 until the end of the month. Home School Art classes for March 17-18 are canceled. All other programs are unchanged and exhibitions are open.
2) Center for Contemporary Arts classes this week are unchanged and the National Center for Children' Illustrated Literature will be open as usual.
3) Paramount Theatre's March 18 free tour has been canceled and the March 21 “Cabaret Under the Stars” has been postponed.
4) HSU Theatre's "Starlight Extravaganza" on March 21 has been postponed. "The Comedy of Errors" show in early April has been re-scheduled to April 23-25. DirectFest 2020 was April 29-May 2 and will now be limited to May 1-2. The opera set for April 17-18 has been canceled.
5) The March 22 "Peter Rabbit Tales" show at Paramount from the Children's Performing Arts Series has been canceled.
6) ACU Theatre has canceled "Freaky Friday" musical performances in April.
If you have a change to your art event you don't see on this list, please send us a message. Our full calendar of events is at https://www.abilenecac.org/calendar

7) ACAC’s “In the Heights of Hollywood with Nelson Coates” on March 28 has been postponed. A new date will be announced soon.

Nelson Coates event postponed

MARCH 16, 2020 - The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council has postponed the March 28 event “In the Heights of Hollywood with Nelson Coates.” We are working to determine a new date for this HeARTS for the ARTS fundraiser at the Paramount Theatre in the fall. Please check back for updates.

Tickets on sale for "Finding Neverland"

(Abilene, TX JAN. 24, 2020) Celebrity Attractions and the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council present FINDING NEVERLAND, the winner of the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Best Musical. FINDING NEVERLAND makes stop on its national tour in Abilene for one performance only on Thursday, January 30th at 7:30pm at the Abilene Convention Center Auditorium. Tickets on sale now online at CelebrityAttractions.com/Abilene and by phone at 800.869.1451, Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 4:30pm.

Welcomed in Abilene by H-E-B, this breathtaking smash “captures the kid-at-heart,” says TIME Magazine. Vogue cheers, “It’s a must-see you’ll remember for years to come!” Originally directed by visionary Tony®-winner Diane Paulus and based on the critically-acclaimed Academy Award® winning film, FINDING NEVERLAND tells the incredible story behind one of the world’s most beloved characters: Peter Pan. Playwright J.M. Barrie, inspired by four young brothers with their enchanting make-believe adventures and their beautiful widowed mother, sets out to write a play that will astound London theatergoers. With a little bit of pixie dust and a lot of faith, Barrie takes this monumental leap, leaving his old world behind for Neverland, where nothing is impossible and the wonder of childhood lasts forever. The magic of Barrie’s classic tale springs spectacularly to life in this heartwarming theatrical event. FINDING NEVERLAND is “far and away the best musical of the year!” (NPR).

FINDING NEVERLAND is part of the 2019-2020 Abilene Broadway Series also including BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical and WAITRESS with thanks to season sponsors KTAB, KRBC and Residence Inn by Marriott. Tickets start at

For more information visit www.CelebrityAttractions.com/Abilene.

Christmas in the Garden tickets on sale

ABILENE, TX (Nov. 5, 2019) - How do dinosaurs say Merry Christmas? Find out at this year’s 2nd Annual Christmas in the Garden: A Dino-Mite Christmas Night! Put on your pajamas and celebrate the holidays in the Storybook Capital of America with Santa Claus, train rides, crafts, a snow machine and more.

“Christmas in the Garden” is 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 and is part of the week-long City Sidewalks celebration downtown. Last year’s event was sold out with 700 people attending. The cost is $10 per family and $1 for train rides. Buy tickets at www.abilenecac.org.

The fun evening takes place in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden at the Abilene Convention Center. The garden’s storybook sculptures are decorated with twinkling Christmas lights and festive decorations. We will debut colorful tree canopy lighting at Christmas in the Garden. Be the first to see it!

Take a ride on the Storybook Capital Express for $1. Have your picture taken with costumed characters and make dinosaur-themed crafts. There’s also face painting and dino-bite snacks.

Children will have the opportunity to talk to Santa and share their Christmas wishes. Mrs. Claus will read “How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?” written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague, whose original artwork has exhibited in Abilene at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature. Have your photo taken in a special photo op area at the “Good Night Dinosaur” sculpture in the garden based on Teague’s artwork. The Abilene Community Band will play festive music and ACS New Song will perform. Bring a blanket and watch a short, animated holiday movie on the lawn.

This year’s lighting sponsors are Dr. William B. and Sadie L. Adamson Charities Inc., the Texas Commission on the Arts and Lowe’s Home Improvement.

Storybook Saturday: Tale as Old as Time

POSTED SEPT 20, 2019

Join us for a special morning of theater and music on Saturday, Sept. 28!

“Storybook Saturday: Tale as Old as Time” is a family event hosted by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council in partnership with the Abilene Philharmonic and Abilene Christian University Theatre.

The event will take place in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden, which will open at 10:30 a.m. with art activities, characters, bubbles, face painting and light snacks. Come early and listen to the Philharmonic rehearse inside the Abilene Convention Center from 10 a.m. to noon. See how a piece of music is shaped and polished as they prepare for their Saturday night concert (tickets available at www.abilenephilharmonic.org). At 10:45 a.m. in the garden, ACU Theatre will perform selections from their homecoming musical, "Beauty and the Beast" (The show is Oct. 18-20. Tickets available at acu.edu/theatre). 

At 11 a.m., touch and play real instruments at the Philharmonic Instrument Petting Zoo. Also, children can use a baton and pretend to lead an orchestra … “Be Our Guest” conductor!

At noon, Philharmonic featured performer Amit Peled, a world-renowned cellist, will perform and read his children's book, “A Cello Named Pablo.” Afterwards, Amit will sign books, which are available for $20.

Storybook Saturday is $10 per family. Families can register online at www.abilenecac.org. Families who pre-register will be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to the Oct. 5 “Broadway Princess Party” at the Abilene Philharmonic. The drawing will take place during Storybook Saturday.

The garden is located on the grounds of the Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. 6th St.