The relationship we have with man’s best friend is a two-way street. But in art, our canine companions are usually included as an accessory for their owners or as a symbolic reference. Images of dogs can be found in prehistoric cave art and on ancient Egyptian monuments. Today, dogs are so much a part of our lives that they are … Best Friends II: The Dog as Subject in Fine Art Photography

Creating images of animals is as old as art itself; from the earliest cave paintings to today’s cutting-edge installation art, artists have created thousands of ways to depict our furred and feathered friends. Whether animals are portrayed as companions, entertainers, specimens, prey or beasts of burden they continue to inspire depiction in a wide variety of media. In an age … Menagerie

Janet Elizabeth Turner (1914-1988), was a master printmaker, naturalist and art educator. The large body of work brought together for this exhibition is a testament to her legacy as an important American artist and technician with a keen eye to the endless beauty and bounty of the natural world. Turner’s work also reflects her work as an environmentalist and close … Janet Turner: Second Nature

co-curated by Judy Tedford Deaton and Katie Robinson-Edwards Before Abstract Expressionism of New York City was canonized as American postwar modernism, the United States was filled with localized manifestations of modern art. One such place where considerable modernist activity occurred was Texas, where artists absorbed and interpreted the latest, most radical formal lessons from Mexico, Taos, the East Coast, and … The Abstract Impulse

This selection of original designs by Ray and Charles Eames, courtesy of Collage 20th Century Classics owners Abby and Wlodek Malowanczky of Dallas is a rare opportunity to view original Eames furniture designs from the 1950s, Charles Eames and Ray Kaiser Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy and optimism at the heart of mid-century modern American design, and … Ray and Charles Eames: Masters of 20th Century Design

co-curated by Judy Tedford Deaton and Katie Robinson-Edwards Seymour Fogel (1911-1983) was a founding father of Texas Modernism. This long overdue solo exhibition of Fogel’s paintings during the 14 years Fogel lived and worked in Texas between 1946 and 1960 is curated as a reintroduction to his distinctive stylistic experimentations and his mastery of color and complex architectonic compositions on … Seymour Fogel: On the Wall and Beyond

Abilene has always been ambitious but for many locals, the 1950s and 1960s were the golden years of record breaking accomplishments in commerce, culture and high school football. If you remember the Sandy Chapel Show and the Slim Willet Show, Gandy’s Big Buy, the Abilene Astronomical Society meetings at the Dixie Pig, cruise night, the Zoo in Fair Park, Mack … Flashback to Midcentury Abilene

Spanish Legacy in Abilene The growth of Mexicans/Mexican-Americans/Hispanics in Abilene, especially after the early 1900s, can be attributed to the need for workers to build the Texas & Pacific Railroad, migrant workers in the cotton fields and nearby farms, and construction and street workers for the growing town of Abilene.  Many Hispanic families moved to California during the Dust Bowl … Spanish Legacy in Abilene

Selected paintings and works on paper from The Grace Museum’s permanent collection will be featured in the second floor galleries. The old adage, home is where the heart is, is evident in the rural scenes created by American Regionalists, Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood who created optimistic views of the American heartland during the Great Depression. In the 1970s, … Home Coming

Artists Roger Colombik & Jerolyn Bahm-Colombik, in collaboration with International Rescue Committee of Abilene, created an installation featuring photography, sculpture and oral history dialogues personalizing the experiences of people from around the globe who are currently making their home in Abilene, Texas. A site-specific visual environment created in the first floor gallery incorporates the personal narratives of recent emigres from … More Life in a Time without Boundaries

The art of photographing people in their own environment can be more difficult than a formal portrait. Available light, language barriers, discretion and suspicion are among the variables at work. More than a casual snap shot, the photographs selected for this exhibition reveal a narrative composed of a particular person, place and moment in time as well as the unseen … Home Work

Explore the history of Texas as a unique blend of Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American traditions through Spanish Texas: Legend & Legacy exhibitions at The Grace Museum.  Trace Spanish exploration and colonization (1527-1690) of Texas through early maps, art and artifacts on loan from prestigious museums and collections from across the state.  Santos, retablos, art, vestments and artifacts from several of the state’s … Spanish Texas: Legend & Legacy

The Grace Museum celebrates its 25th Anniversary in this beautifully restored historic building that sits in the heart of Downtown Abilene. This exhibition highlights the renovation and restoration efforts through photographs, newspapers, and the actual model created in 1986. In 1985, members of the Abilene Preservation League sat with the Abilene Fine Arts Museum to discuss the fate of the … Downtown Revitalization Beginnings: The Grace 25 Years

Roy Helen Herndon Mingus Ackers was not only the “Life of the Party”, she was a businesswoman, a columnist, a mother, a wife, and a supporter of many of the charitable organizations in town. Her legacy will make a lasting impression on the community. This memorial to Roy Helen not only celebrates her colorful life, but also reveals a woman … Remembering Roy Helen

Children’s clothing trends transformed over time similarly to fashion trends for adults. However, the clothing tended to be a little more practical than adult clothing throughout history. The current exhibition, At Play: Children’s Clothing and Toys in the History Gallery at The Grace, highlights a few of these early clothing styles and changes during the early twentieth century. Visitors can also … At Play: Children’s Clothing and Toys

February’s cultural heritage exhibition celebrates Black History Month. The exhibition will discuss various issues that Blacks have faced within the Abilene community such as segregation and desegregation, constant hardships, black leaders who have persevered, and the push for success within their own community.