By Shanaa Smith-Snyder

 

Abilene offers an assortment of fun-filled activities that will keep both the young and the young at heart entertained. The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature in historic downtown Abilene is a museum dedicated to housing the illustrations of children’s books’ authors and illustrators. The NCCIL (pronounced ‘nickel’) continually collaborates with award-winning artists to produce quality exhibitions appealing to visitors of all ages.

Many well-known authors and illustrators have displayed their work at the NCCIL, such as William Steig, the creator of “Shrek”; Jan and Mike Berenstain, the author and illustrator of the famous “Berenstain Bears” series; and Leonard Marcus, author of “A Golden Legacy: Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books”.

The NCCIL’s exhibits are always in circulation, making this museum new and exciting for all. Following the debut at the NCCIL gallery, each exhibition travels to museums, public libraries and galleries worldwide.

On the first Friday of every month, the NCCIL hosts “Art Adventure.” This is a free monthly event for children ages two to five and is generally held at 10 a.m. This parent-tot program combines the different aspects of visual and verbal literacy by exposing the children to books and art based on the featured artist in the gallery.

Each Saturday, the NCCIL hosts “Family Fun Saturday” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The NCCIL’s art educators help you and your children create a work of art by using the style and medium of the featured artist in the gallery. This event is always free and the children can take their work of art home with them.

The museum always offers gallery talks that are free to the public, as well as special events surrounding the opening of each exhibit. Here, you can meet the artist and find out what inspired them to create the works of art featured in the gallery.

There is still time to check out the wonderful exhibit, “Golden Kite, Golden Dreams: The SCBWI Awards.” It will be on display through October 1 and features Golden Kite Award Winners from 1974 to 2010. This is the first time a retrospective of Golden Kite Award winners has been organized and exhibited.

Curated by author and illustrator, David Diaz, the exhibit features artwork from some of the most prestigious, influential and talented artists; many of who are also Caldecott Award Winners in media ranging from ink, pencil, acrylic, gouache, watercolors and paper cutting. Forty-six artists with 73 pieces of artwork are featured in this show. This exhibition highlights the variety, diversity and high standards the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) sets for Golden Kite Awards recognition.

For a complete list of artists participating in the exhibition and additional opening event details, visit www.nccil.org or call 325-673-4586. The NCCIL is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is always free to the public.

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

At your wit’s end? Consider retreating to The Refuge at Wit’s End in Abilene, Texas, a guesthouse that will transport you to a different place in time.

The Refuge is a rock cottage originally built in the 1930s as an apartment or possibly in-law quarters. Now it’s a well-done guesthouse on the property of Bobby and Cindy Deegan, surrounded by serene gardens on a quiet boulevard in the middle of the city.

After entering the cottage through a striking cobalt blue door, I realized one of The Refuge’s most appealing traits is that it has little connection to the outside world. There’s no Wi-Fi or TV, just a CD player and a large collection of music for their guests. Sure, you could get online with your smartphone, but where’s the fun in that? While giving me a tour of the property, Cindy Deegan told me, “When you stay with us, you can withdraw from the 21st century and return renewed.”

The patterns, colors and textures of the guesthouse will transport you to a warm casita with décor straight from el Mercado. The Refuge is a gem in the middle of Abilene, with brilliant cobalt blues, luscious lime greens and rustic reds. Just imagine soaking in a turquoise claw-foot tub and grabbing drinks out of a lime-green vintage fridge — what’s not to love? Plus, the backyard patio overlooks the gardens and greenhouse; it’s perfect for morning coffee, reading in the afternoon sun or relaxing at night with a glass of wine.

As for the name, Cindy Deegan says, “We had four sons living at home at the time. We had just sold another property and closed one chapter of our lives. We were ready to be energized by the beginning of a new project and were ready to move forward. Oh yeah…and we are now located at the end of the street. You could say that the irony and timing worked hand-in-hand on this project.”

The Refuge at Wit’s End: 302 Riverside Blvd. 325-232-8474. Check in: 3 p.m., check-out: noon. $75 per night, $250 per week (if less than 30 days). For more information, visit their Facebook page.
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By Shanna Smith-Snyder

This week, I had the opportunity to visit Cockerell Galleries and Studios, as well as sit down for a visit with one of their featured artists, T.M. Gand. Cockerell Galleries is known for being the type of gallery that supports the local arts scene and its artists. The vibe here is a very unified family-type atmosphere amongst the gallery’s artists. According to Carolyn Cockerell, gallery director, this supportive environment has been her dream since opening the studios and gallery.

If you ask Carolyn what prompted Cockerell Galleries and Studios, or even just her passion for the arts, she’ll say simply, “It has always been there.” And she is speaking of both the passion and the building. Carolyn was raised around classical music, her mother’s intricate quilts and a love for the performing arts. The Cockerell family has had a historic building in their family for generations and it just so happened to be perfectly suited for artists. So, approximately six years ago, Carolyn and her brother propelled the family into the downtown revitalization era and thus, Cockerell Galleries & Studios “Upstairs” was born.

In the main gallery, you will see a variety of artwork by both local artists and students from Abilene Christian University. Upstairs you’ll find 12 working artists’ studios with work in a variety of mediums — photography, oils, watercolors, graphic design and more.

If you can see only one studio, I would highly recommend T.M. Gand’s. Gand is a contemporary artist specializing in the use of texture, color and layering effects. Her art is vibrant, fun and bright. It is so different than what you would expect to see on a gallery wall and that is why I fell in love with her style instantly. When I inquired about the use of these colors, Gand replied, “I experiment with bright colors because it brings energy and life into a painting or eventually a room. It makes the piece come alive!”

In 2005, T.M. discovered her passion for painting, as she was diving back into her studies at a local university. She was trying to decide between taking economics or beginning painting, when her advisor enthusiastically replied “painting!” But her first painting class also completely terrified her. “I wondered how I could possibly paint on an easel and create anything of value,” she says, “I was not like the other traditional students with an entire educational background in art history, yet I hoped that attempting to paint regardless and facing this fear would be therapeutic for me — a way to ease any anxiety. However, it took about another two years before the anxiety melted away and I found peace in painting. With each new piece, I pushed harder and found a new way to express what I was feeling. Then, I realized that at age 31, I’d finally found my passion.”

What I loved most about her studio was that T.M. offered a retail side. In addition to fine art, she also creates greeting cards, journals, prints and more. Her latest project includes a wearable, fine art pendant line that showcases miniature versions of her popular artwork. Check them out for yourself at www.tmgandfineart.com.

Cockerell Galleries & Studios: 1133 N. 2nd St., 325-829-7975. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. www.cockerellgalleries.com.

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

If you haven’t been antiquing in Abilene, well then I’d say, “It’s about time.” Personally, I enjoy refinishing furniture and love the challenge of attempting to turn the old piece into something shabby chic. So, a hunt to find another fixer-upper, coupled with a suggestion from a loyal reader sent me right into It’s About Time. She told me that women come from all over Texas and stay the night at her Abilene guesthouse, just to shop at this store the next day.

Owners and business partners, Pam Sumrall, Susan Pittman and Terri Whipple will agree. Their customer base drives in from Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland/Odessa and even as far south as Fredericksburg just to see what they have in store.

What I found most interesting is that It’s About Time is not just your average antique store. They actually sell many new items, and you might recognize well-known brands such as Volcano Candles, Nouvelle Candle Company and Tokyo Milk Perfume as you walk amongst the rooms. I think one of the most fascinating and appealing factors about the store is the way in which they display their merchandise. These ladies say that while everything is for sale in their store, they are also selling ideas — ways to display old things, yet incorporate new trends into a room or even an entire home.

“Not everyone gets to start with entirely new stuff or new furniture, so we like to teach our clients and shoppers how to display and organize what they already have with a touch of something new from our store,” Sumrall says. “We enjoy inspiring others to decorate with soul, to breathe new life into a room and to incorporate the art of wabi-sabi,” the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and accepting the natural cycle of age and time.

You will definitely see this theme carried throughout the three rooms in the store. As you look around, you’ll see that it is all about contrast. Mixing the shiny with the matte, rustic with elegant, organic with formal … you get the idea. Overall, the store has a very good and warm energy. It is bright, eclectic, antique — yet fun! While visiting Abilene, a stop at It’s About Time is definitely worth your time! You just might find the perfect gift, personal home accessory, or even a larger item — such as a chair, desk or mirror — that you just can live without.

It’s About Time: 1395 Albany St. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 325-692-7239.

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

The Fourth of July brings to mind barbecues, family togethers and celebrating America’s independence. This summer, take your family and friends out to one of Abilene’s many events on the Fourth of July.

Decorate your bike, walk, wave your flag or sit along the route and enjoy the parade at the Hillcrest Neighborhood July 4th Parade, 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 3 (free). The route begins at 2490 Campus Court and ends at Hillcrest Church of Christ with homemade ice cream and cookies. For more information, call 325-673-4565.

Take a short drive out to Buffalo Gap Historic Village on Saturday and celebrate an Old Fashioned Fourth! The parade lines up at 9 a.m. at Shades of Hope and officially starts at 9:30. It will proceed down William St. and end at the Buffalo Hap Historic Village. Col. Alan Huffines will read the Declaration of Independence from the Village Church steps. He will also read each state in the order they entered the Union, while the children ring the church bell. Awards will be given for the most patriotic entry to the parade. Prizes sponsored by Shades of Hope. Admission to the Buffalo Gap Historic Village will be free all day. Info: 325-572-3365.

Join Taylor Electric Cooperative, WesTex Connect, Cumulus Radio and the City of Tye for the 4th Annual All-American Fireworks Show and Military Appreciation Day, Saturday in Rister Park. The fun begins at 5 p.m. with food booths and games. At dusk, a spectacular 30-minute fireworks display with over 18,000 bursts will complete the day. Free to the public. To find Rister Park, take the #277 exit off I-20 West, then drive south on Highway 707. For more information, contact the Tye Chamber of Commerce at 325-695-8253.

Listen to the sounds of the Abilene Community Band’s 4th of July Concert at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander Street, on Sunday, July 4. Free to the public. Hot dogs will be served at 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Church of the Heavenly Rest and the Old Town Abilene Neighborhood Association. Don’t forget to bring your own lawn chair! Info: 325-677-2091.

For a full listing of Fourth of July festivities and weekend events across the Abilene and Big Country area, click here.

 

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

The 72nd annual Fort Griffin Fandangle will run for its second and final weekend today through Saturday, June 26. It is Texas’ oldest outdoor musical and is performed in Albany’s outdoor amphitheater. History, tradition, singing and dancing will all come alive this weekend inside the Prairie Theatre as cowboys ride in on horseback, covered wagons trek across the grounds and tunes boom through the air from the infamous Fandangle calliope.

Theatrical history was made in 1938 when Robert Nail, an Albany native, wrote and directed the first Fort Griffin Fandangle. Today, it is still directed, lighted, costumed, sung and danced by the people of Albany.

The Fandangle commemorates the government outpost of Fort Griffin, which stood on Government Hill and overlooked the Clear Fork of the Brazos River and the town of Fort Griffin, Texas. The outdoor musical is based on the pioneer chronicles of West Texas.

Also something to note: The official state longhorn herd — about 20 head — makes its debut in the show! There are also about 15 different types of covered wagons, including the only Butterfield Stagecoach in existence; 30 horses, local bankers, lawyers, teachers, students and newborns — just about everyone in Albany is in the show! From what I hear, the real excitement of the show happens backstage. There are more than 400 people in the Fandangle cast and crew, and they work quickly and tirelessly behind the scenes to make the show appear seamless in front of the audience.

All shows begin around sundown each evening, approximately 8:45 p.m. On Thursday night, the annual Fandangle parade is held at 6 p.m. in downtown Albany. Prior to all performances, a chuck wagon dinner is held on the courthouse lawn from 5 to 8 p.m. For additional information and ticket prices, visit www.fortgriffinfandangle.org or call 325-762-3838.

On your way from Abilene to Albany, be sure to have a Windshield History CD in your car! “Windshield History: Tales of the Texas Frontier from Fort Worth to Abilene, an Audio Tour of the Immigrants Trail West” tells entertaining and educational tales about Abilene, Fort Griffin, Albany and much more. This production, along with the latest audio tour, “Windshield History: Tales of the Texas Frontier Audio Tour II Abilene to Fort Worth Interstate 20,” are available for just $6 at the Abilene CVB, Frontier Texas!, Texas Star Trading Co., the Texas Store at Buffalo Gap Historic Village and texasstartrading.com.

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

As of late, I have had a rather fun, extraordinary and busy experience … I am currently gracing the stage as the French stewardess, Jacqueline, in “Boeing-Boeing” at the Abilene Community Theatre!

It has been absolutely delightful playing her character. I get to share the stage with five other charming, hilarious characters and play out a ridiculous, funny, sexy, door-slamming farce. This show was revived on Broadway in a 2008 Tony-winning production and is also a nonstop 1960s comedy. It’s always the best feeling when our story is met with laughter from the audience!

As I said, I play the French airline hostess. Back in the 1960s, air travel was much different than it is today. Only the rich could afford to fly, and travelers would dress up for the flights. When I began to think about my character, I thought of what it would be like to be a stewardess back in the 1960s. It was a very glamorous, yet strict profession. As Bernard, the Parisian bachelor states, “Apart from being beautiful, they have to be healthy, good at cooking, nursing, witty, wise and friendly.” Having said all of that, I feel strongly that it took a strong, independent woman to pursue any career back in those days when housewives were more the norm. The fact that all three air hostesses in this play have strength and personality supports my point of view. However, that does not discount the fact that this play is on the chauvinistic side—be warned that this is the 1960s script! Nevertheless, the show gets by with it because it makes fun and light of that very fact and is so fast paced.

Did I say three airline hostesses? Yes, three! This play features Bernard (played by Jared Strange) who has French, German (familiar face—KTXS news anchor, Laura Madison) and American fiancées (Jessica Delgado), each lovely airline hostesses with frequent “layovers.” He keeps “one up, one down and one pending…until unexpected schedule changes brings all three of us to Paris—better yet—to his apartment at the same time! Robert (Robert Hatcher), an old college friend of Bernard, comes in from the Provinces and becomes a vital character as he tries to smooth out this harem!

The journey of the show from beginning to end can best be described during a hilarious line by ‘Bertha’…Bernard’s housekeeper (Kim Bachmann Baker), “Drink up…we’re in for a bumpy night!” Tis true, this fast paced farce is a bit like going through some crazy turbulence.

Overall, I have had a ton of fun working with both the cast and crew of Boeing-Boeing. I truly love getting into the mind, body, and spirit—oh…and not to mention…hair and makeup—of Miss Jacqueline each night. Enjoy the show and have a ‘great flight’!

Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. each night at the Abilene Community Theatre, 801 S. Mockingbird Lane. June 17-19, June 25-26. Tickets range from $8-10. Reservations are strongly recommended. Info: 325-673-6271.

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

Planning a trip to Abilene? Personalized and professional travel advice is just a tweet away. The Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau officially launched their Twisitor Center back in December ’09 and hasn’t stopped tweeting since! The Twisitor Center — a completely virtual visitor center via the Twitter portal — allows the ACVB to connect with potential and real-time visitors and answer questions about all things Abilene!

To find out more about Abilene, users simply post their travel question and include the hashtag, or special identifier, #abilenevisitors to the end of their tweet. Tweets tagged with the hash tag will then receive a prompt reply with suggestions from ACVB staff members.

I’m an employee of the Abilene CVB, and the Twisitor Center has been highly useful because it allows us to bring visitors the insight on our favorite things to do in Abilene and how to make the most out of their stay in our city. It allows us to connect and be more interactive with our visitors.

If you are planning on visiting Abilene within the near future or just looking for neat places and events around town, follow the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau on Twitter. To follow us, visit www.twitter.com/AbileneCVB.
Our staff also posted a video on YouTube to explain the concept. To view the video, visit www.youtube.com/user/AbileneCVB. Enjoy!

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

Frontier Texas! is an educational and entertaining 14,000 square-foot multimedia museum on 6.4 acres in downtown Abilene that showcases the history of the region from 1780-1880 — not to mention it comes in at No. 1 on the Top 10 Things Ya Gotta Do in Abilene list. It is the perfect first stop in Abilene, Texas!

There’s no better way to relive those early days on the Texas frontier than to visit Frontier Texas! and thanks to modern technology, it’s easy to do so. At Frontier Texas! visitors meet (at least figuratively) some of the real men, women and children who lived and died on the Texas Frontier.

Holographic “spirit guides” tell their tales first-hand in an interactive audio-visual Century of Adventure theater. Frontier Texas! delivers history lessons in the form of movie-like clippings projected onto screens. As you stand in front of the screens and listen to the characters narrate their life stories, you will swear that you are listening to real people. The life-like quality will leave you in awe , and some of the characters are so real that you’ll find yourself completely immersed in their stories!

The grand finale to any visit to Frontier Texas! is to feel the thrills and hardships of frontier life in the multimedia Frontier Experience Theatre. This theater-in-the-round puts visitors smack dab in the middle of Indian raids, wolf attacks, buffalo stampedes, saloon shootouts, prairie thunderstorms and even a lovely spring evening filled with fireflies. Something to note before you begin your adventure: All scripts and exhibits were created with a commitment to historical accuracy, making Frontier Texas! a truly enriching, educational experience with the past.

This complex also houses the Texas Forts Trail Visitors Center, full of additional information about Abilene and the region. Furthermore, there is a great gift shop that sells lots of Texas-themed gifts, t-shirts and books published by Texas writers. From the young to the young-at-heart — everyone will learn a lot and have a lot of fun while doing so.

Frontier Texas! is located at 625 N. 1st St. in downtown Abilene. Open daily from Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun., 1-5 p.m. Admission: $8 for adults, $6 for 60 and older and military, $5 for students and teachers with ID, $4 for ages 3 through 12, and free for children younger than age 3. For more information, call 325-437-2800 or visit www.frontiertexas.com.