ArtWalk - Second Thursday of Every Month

Click here to read more about this month's ArtWalk!

ArtWalk, a major program of the Center, was initiated in 1993. Held the second Thursday of each month, this celebration of visual and performing arts draws thousands of people each year to Abilene's historic downtown area. In 2009-10, the Center's ArtWalk Program enabled over 100 businesses and 12,000 visitors to enjoy the monthly mini-arts festival.

In April 2009, the Center opened up our "Earth Day ArtWalk" to international students at Abilene Christian University to allow the international students the opportunity to share their heritage and traditions with members of the Abilene Community. Over 25 students actively participated in the event that brought in 900 visitors to the Center that evening. Participants commented on the energy, talent, and variety of art available at the ArtWalk that evening. In 2010, the Center again collaborated with the students to present "International ArtWalk" where over 850 visitors celebrated the culture and customs of Abilene's talented international students.

This year, the boards of trustees and the staff at the Center have reconfigured our ArtWalk Program to allow a broader audience-base to become involved in the event. Due to this effort, the Center will collaborate with agencies/businesses such as the Abilene Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Abilene Christian University, Abilene Downtown Association, Abilene Performing Arts Company, the Alzheimer's Association, Arrow Ford, Dyess Air Force Base, Lawrence Hall Abilene, Rescue the Animals, STAR Dodge-Hyundai, The Park People, and many more to bring the community a wide variety of themed ArtWalks.

A new addition to the ArtWalk Program is the inclusion of monthly gallery talks. Exhibiting artist(s) present to ArtWalk visitors insight into their exhibits and lead public discussions containing topics such as art history, technique, and self-expression.

The gallery talks continue to be very popular among our visitors and the Center will continue to research how to better educate and reach our audience through the ArtWalk Program.

ArtWalk continues to serve as a model for other cities seeking revitalization through the arts, as evidenced by Odessa, Irving arts organizations, and the interest of San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in creating a similar program. It is through collaborations with such organizations as the Grace Museum, The NCCIL, and Frontier Texas that the Center, has become a critical stimulus for mutual support and promotion through ArtWalk.

To find out more about ArtWalk, or to have your event listed,
please contact Burgess (Bird) Thomas, Education Coordinator, at 325.677.8389 or
bird@center-arts.com