It’s #FilmFriday and we are talking about MOVEMENT! Take a look at the beautiful and magical photographs of Robert Langham III whose work was not only featured in his solo exhibition at the Grace, Magic & Logic, but who is also well represented in the Grace permanent art collection. Langham’s proprietary process shown in several of the included images captures motion in a way like no other.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century many women did not have access to higher education nor were they permitted to participate publicly in leadership roles. The solution was to band together in a socially accepted format to educate each other and make contributions to their community as a group.

Get out your watercolors and crayons for this fun double feature art activity! For #ArchitectureWeek you will learn how to create a city using a wax resist technique as well as a bonus oceanscape activity using your same materials.

As one of the most significant and prominent architects in Abilene and the Big Country in the early to mid-1900s, David S. Castle designed and built hundreds of schools, residential buildings, hotels, medical buildings, municipal buildings, churches, recreational buildings, and courthouses. Learn about Castle’s role in the history of architecture in Abilene and the surrounding areas, concentrating on Castle’s contributions to the evolution and growth of Abilene. The buildings he designed are a reflection of the development of Abilene as a trade route and important hub in the oil industry throughout the early twentieth century.

It’s #WayBackWednesday and #STEAMweek here at the Grace and today we are sharing some important tools from the history collection! There was a time when hi-tech was low-tech and the history vault at The Grace is full of reminders that maybe those weren’t necessarily simpler times. Judging from the treasures in the history collection, the residents of Abilene have been on the cutting edge of modern convenience since the 1880s.

Families – it’s virtual Tot Spot Time and today we are learning about mobiles and center of gravity and artist Mark Messersmith! You will learn about the artist as well as how to create your own yarn-wrap nature mobile. This activity is scaleable for all ages!

Grab your best friend and some yarn and learn this simple Friendship Bracelet pattern with best friends (since diapers), Lily Kate and Diamond! Can’t see your friend today? Make them at home and mail them to each other!

It’s #FriendshipWeek and we are sharing with you, our friends, some very cheery #waybackwednesday friends from the History Collection. Imagine all of the friendly conversations that occurred in the Hotel Grace/Drake Coffee Shop over the years. And no two objects go together quite like a cup and a saucer! Who are your friends you share a cup of coffee with downtown today – maybe at Monks Coffee Shop or Front Porch Coffee Co. & Bakery?

It’s #FriendshipWeek and what better way to begin than with tie-dye friendship shirts! This is a fun project you can make with your friend – even if they are far away.

It’s TECHNOLOGY Tuesday for our #STEAMWeek and we are featuring some analog wonders that changed the world – now all completely contained in smartphones! Watch at the end for your own DIY analog activity!

Today is the #dayofthecowboy! This week we have been building to this point with glimpses into authentic ranch life in our unique area of the world. We are wrapping up with The Parramore Sketches by Dock Dilworth Parramore.

It’s time for the second photographer in our #FilmFriday double feature as part of our Week of the American Cowboy. It is safe to say that perhaps no one captures the spirit, depth, and authenticity of the Texas contemporary working cowboy than Robb Kendrick. Take a look at these beautiful tintypes from the Revealing Character monograph that were exhibited in 2014 as part of the Home on the Range exhibitions at The Grace Museum. All images are from the collection the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University.

It’s #FilmFriday during the Week of the American Cowboy and we are highlighting a double feature of photographers who capture ranch life and all it’s manifestations and in a beautiful and true way. First up is June Redford Van Cleef. Hear about her work in her own words – illustrated with the beautiful works from the photography collection of The Grace Museum. All works shown are gelatin silver prints and a Gift of the Artist – to the collection.

The Story of the Butterfield Stage and Smith’s Station on Chimney Creek Ranch in Taylor County, Texas. The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail ran from about 1858 to 1861 on a route that began in either Memphis or St. Louis and terminated in San Francisco carrying passengers and U. S. Mail. Learn more in this video, courtesy of Ted and Hank Paup.

Tom Perini, buffalo and Texas historian and owner of the famous Perini Ranch Steakhouse, discusses the Great Texas Buffalo Herd and the ultimate demise and the various contributing factors as well as the important role that Buffalo Gap has played in the history of Central West Texas.

Cattle ranching has been a major Texas industry for nearly three centuries. As early as the 1690s the Spaniards brought in stock with their entradas. Ranching as such dates from the 1730s, when herds were loosed along the San Antonio River to feed missionaries, soldiers, and civilians in the San Antonio and Goliad areas (Handbook of Texas). Meet the Nail, Kleberg, and Montgomery families as they share their family history of ranching in Texas.