By Trish Dressen

By Trish Dressen

By Trish Dressen

The Grace Museum will host “Tot Spot” this Thursday at 10 am and this Friday at 9:30 and 11 am. This popular Abilene program is for parents with children aged 3-5, features interactive activities and fun, entertaining gallery games. Cost is $5 for non-members and free for members. Visit thegracemuseum.org for more information.

Also on Friday, the National Center for Children’s Literature (NCCIL) will hold their “Art Adventure” at 10:30 am. Moms and tots are invited to this preschool program to explore the works in the gallery through visual art and verbal literacy. Can’t make the Art Adventure Friday morning? No worries because Family Fun Saturday is back from 1-4 p.m. NCCIL art educators help you and your little ones create works of art using the style and medium of the featured artist in the gallery, Dan Yaccarino. Yaccarion’s work is currently on display at the National Center for Children’s Literature in downtown Abilene. Children from all over the world know and love his works such as Unlovable, The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau, Five Little Pumpkins and more. Admission is free for both programs. For more information visit: nccil.org. Play time with your kiddos has never required less planning than it will with these events this weekend.

Get in the spirit for the Seuss-inspired Children’s Art and Literacy Festival to be held in Abilene June 14-17 by attending the “Dr. Seuss Retrospective Exhibit Opening” this Friday night at the Center for Contemporary Arts. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, a street dance with Zach Harmon and spirits. Call Darla Harmon at the Center at 325-677-8389 or visit center-arts.com for more information.

And take this as an opportunity to mark your calendars for this special event! Remember, this year’s festival will feature the works of Dr. Seuss. The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) and The Center for Contemporary Arts will exhibit more than 200 of Dr. Seuss’ paintings, sketches and sculptures. The Art of Dr. Seuss – A Retrospective Exhibition organized by Chase Art Companies and curator, William W. Deyer, celebrates the art and life of Theodor Seuss Geisel. During the festival, downtown Abilene will be transformed into the imaginative world of Dr. Seuss. Children will enjoy dramatic presentations from seven Dr. Seuss books throughout the weekend with art activities held after certain readings. They can meet the characters, see the movies and explore the art works while visiting the landmarks of Abilene. Six bronze sculptures of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved characters will be displayed throughout downtown. At the Abilene Zoo, visitors can board the Dr. Seuss inspired Safari Express Train to see animals, birds and reptiles. This is a must attend event. Tell your family, tell your friends to come and stay in Abilene this June to see our town transformed!

By Trish Dressen

By Trish Dressen

By Trish Dressen

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good." - Dr. Seuss 

 

By Trish Dressen 

Take a cue from Dr. Seuss and explore Abilene differently this weekend. You never know what adventures await you or what fun could be had.

Check out the amazing exhibits at the Grace Museum in downtown Abilene. Missing family, friends or home? Why not pop into the Grace to see the Sedrick Huckaby exhibit entitled, “Faith and Family.” Huckaby uses everyday aspects of his own personal life and takes inspiration from simple things: family members, homes and more, to create multifaceted paintings. These complex works of art draw you in and make you feel at home — making them a must-see exhibit. Interested in photography or an avid people watcher? The exhibit, “Friends & Neighbors: The Art of Photographing People” will surely give you a thrill. The exhibition is a study in varying approaches to photographing people including formal portraiture, documentary, fine art and avant-garde photography. Whether the locale is the war torn Middle East or a bunk house in rural West Texas, the photographs in this exhibition viewed together remind us of the power of the camera as a tool in the hands of a dedicated and talented photographer to transform a moment in time into a meaningful, expressive and profound statement about the human experience. The Grace Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Need more info? Contact Emerald Cardenas at 325-673-4587.

House full of kiddos this weekend? Start your Friday off at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) for their April Art Adventure at 10:30 a.m.. Moms and tots are invited to this preschool program to explore the works in the gallery through visual art and verbal literacy. Can’t make the Art Adventure Friday morning?

No worries because Family Fun Saturday is back from 1-4 p.m. NCCIL art educators help you and your little ones create works of art using the style and medium of the featured artist in the gallery, Dan Yaccarino. Yaccarion’s work is currently on display at the National Center for Children’s Literature in downtown Abilene. Children from all over the world know and love his works such as Unlovable, The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau, Five Little Pumpkins and more. Admission is free for both programs. For more information visit http://nccil.org/. Make memories with your little ones that will last a lifetime.

Speaking of making memories, have you marked your calendars for the Children’s Art and Literacy Festival (CALF) June 14-17, 2012?

This year’s festival will feature the works of Dr. Seuss. The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) and The Center for Contemporary Arts will exhibit more than 200 of Dr. Seuss’ paintings, sketches and sculptures. The Art of Dr. Seuss — A Retrospective Exhibition organized by Chase Art Companies and curator, William W. Deyer, celebrates the art and life of Theodor Seuss Geisel. During the festival, downtown Abilene will be transformed into the imaginative world of Dr. Seuss. Children will enjoy dramatic presentations from seven Dr. Seuss books throughout the weekend with art activities held after certain readings. They can meet the characters, see the movies and explore the art works while visiting the landmarks of Abilene. Six bronze sculptures of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved characters will be displayed throughout downtown. At the Abilene Zoo, visitors can board the Dr. Seuss inspired Safari Express Train to see animals, birds and reptiles. The weekend is not just for children! Theodore Geisel began his career as a cartoonist and was a prolific artist whose works span 65 years. His early works include his art as a cartoonist for children’s books, drawings featured in Life magazine and book illustrations. On display will be original and reproduced memorabilia spanning Geisel’s editorial, advertising, military and book careers, along with estate authorized reproductions of his “Secret Art” collection.

CALF is sponsored by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, an affiliate of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce. Its mission is to promote, encourage and support the arts, and to enhance the image of Abilene as a center for the arts. The annual festival will feature a new artist next year.

Remember what Dr. Seuss says and have fun this weekend!Type your content here...

The 28th Annual Business Expo is back in the Abilene Civic center this Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. This Abilene Chamber of Commerce sponsored event will have more than 200 exhibitors showcasing the best of their business. Come to learn and network. Call the chamber at 325-677-7241 to get a ticket for free admission.

Pregnancy Resources of Abilene presents “Life in Bloom Featuring Michael W. Smith” for their 2012 benefit March 29th. Smith is a 3-time Grammy award-winning contemporary Christian musician whose hits include “Place in This World,” “This is Your Time” and “Kentucky Rose.” Attend this uplifting, spiritual event at the Abilene Civic Center auditorium at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday. Cost is $25-$55 per person. Call Robyn Flores at 325-672-6415 with any questions or visit itickets.com to purchase tickets.

Crystal Rae Productions in the Abilene Christian University Cullen Auditorium will present the award-winning Lorraine Hansberry play, “A Raisin in the Sun,” this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. This critically acclaimed film showcases the Youngers, an African-American family residing on the south side of Chicago sometime between World War II and the 1950s; watch this inspiring story unfold. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for students and children 12 and younger. Call 708-508-2181 for tickets.

Have you caught an Abilene Ruff Riders game yet? If you haven’t, trust me: run, don’t walk, to the Taylor County Expo Center this Saturday at 7 p.m. to see our very own Abilene Ruff Riders open the 2012 season against the Corpus Christi Hammerheads. I have been to several games over the past few years and enjoy them tremendously. Whether you are an adult or a kiddo, these games are so much fun to watch. You may even recognize some of the players as several of the team members are local. Support Abilene; support our Ruff Riders; and make a memory with the whole family. Visit abileneruffriders.com for more information.

Spring is in the air and us fisherman (and ladies) “are itchin’ to get to catchin’.” Today is the last day to register for the Fishing Future Family Fish Camp. Take your six to 16-year-olds to this special fishing camp at Nelson Park Lake this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Help them learn the basic skills necessary to go fishing. All equipment will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you like. A hotdog lunch will be provided to all junior anglers and their families who register. Visit fishingsfuture.org for more information.

The Texas Gun and Knife Show will also be returning to the Abilene Civic Center this weekend. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. For more information call 325-676-6211 or visit texasgunandknifeshows.com

By Trish Dressen

West Texas Barrel Racing Association Extravaganza gallops into the Taylor County Expo Center horse barn this Friday through Sunday. Watch a true Texan sport and enjoy participants of all ages. Office will open at 11:00 a.m. Friday with exhibitions starting from noon to 6:30 p.m. Racers 8 p.m. and under start at 7 p.m., followed by Open 4D, Youth 4D, Senior 3D who all run in the same draw. For a full schedule of events, visit here. Call the Expo Center with any questions: 325-677-4376.

 

The 20th annual Steam-N-Wheels Bike Race and Fun Ride zips back into the Big Country this Saturday at 10 a.m.. The City of Abilene Recreation Division and Abilene Bicycling Club sponsored event at Nelson Park gives you the opportunity to choose from three distances: a 48-mile race/tour, a 32-mile or a 12-mile fun ride course. Make this a family fun event as the race is open to all ages. Entry forms are available here. Cost is $25 per person until March 23 — it’s $30 per person after that date. The first 200 entries receive a free t-shirt. Helmets are required for all riders. Call 325-734-5301 for more information.

 

See who will be crowned Miss Frontier Texas! this Saturday at 6 p.m. at our very own Frontier! Texas. The final 12 contestants have advanced through the competitions by demonstrating frontier knowhow and showing off their rugged skills in a variety of frontier inspired challenges. These ladies have worked hard and made every Big Country resident proud; see which true Texas lady will take home the prized scholarship. Congrats to the final 12 for making it this far. Call 325-437-2800 if you want to learn more or here.

By Trish Dressen