Dive into a world of color and come see abstract paintings by niece/aunt duo Casey La Rue-Chavez and La Rue.

The Center for Contemporary Arts is proud to present the 14th Annual juried Intercollegiate Student Art Competition for area college and university students!

The competition is open to students of Abilene Christian University, Cisco College, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University, Texas State Technical College, Angelo State University, Howard Payne University, Midwestern State University, South Plains College, and Tarleton State University. Entries may be submitted in any medium as long as the finished piece meets the size and weight restrictions of the category.

From the fall of 2019 to the spring of 2022 I lived in Spain working as an English language teacher in elementary schools. Six months into my experience the COVID-19 pandemic hit and choosing not to return to the U.S. meant the rest of my time on the Iberian Peninsula would have an added layer of complexity. Along with the expected challenges brought on by linguistic, cultural and bureaucratic differences, the pandemic and all the restrictions put in place by the Spanish government to help curb it opened me up to a deeper level of solitude than I was already in as an expat.

As a career medical illustrator, I have always been a technical, representational artist yet over the years, have developed eclectic tastes in painting subjects and how we traditionally view them. I am drawn to detail and how light and shadow visually affects objects and color within a still life, no matter what angle. I try to create depth and excitement in a painting by balancing the lights and darks within the colors and the overall composition. My goal is to draw the viewer into a painting and to spend time enjoying that painting.

Four up-and-coming artists will exhibit art that portrays the feelings and experiences of young queer individuals. Artworks will not follow a central theme but instead aesthetically align.

“In the last few years, I have spent a lot of time at Lake Kirby photographing birds. My exhibit will feature Birds of Lake Kirby, highlighting the variety and beauty of winged wildlife that can be seen around the shoreline.

While showing bird photos to people in Abilene they often respond with something like, “That was at Kirby? I had no idea those birds were out there!” I want to use this exhibit to promote Lake Kirby Nature Park and raise awareness of the wildlife, especially birds, that can be see there “

Abilene Creative Art Club was formed in April 1933 and actively plays a vital role in the Abilene creative community, supporting artists and enhancing the fine arts in Abilene and surrounding communities. The club’s mission is to unite and foster the creative artists in the Abilene area, present stimulating programs at monthly meetings, and sponsor artistic events that further public interest in the creative arts.

After a 40 year break, Terry Browder returned to the studio in 2018. This Spring, a new exhibition of his work, Art in Context, is on-view for the first time, at the Center for Contemporary Arts. By partnering paintings with furniture and accessories, the artist creates vignettes that will help transition the viewer’s concept of him. By relating the paintings to furniture pieces and other interior design elements, a viewer will envision the piece of art in their home or business. Thus, “Art in Context”.