Arts, culture and music abound

Kerrville has become a hot spot for the entertainment industry. From artwork to live plays, we have it all.

Arcadia Live

Built in 1926, the Arcadia Theatre quickly became a cultural hub for generations in downtown Kerrville until the venue closed in 1989. Given a new life, Arcadia Live officially opened in October of 2020 bringing vitality, diverse live entertainment, and a boost to the Kerrville economy along the way. Notable performers such as Charley Crockett and Reckless Kelly have played live on stage since opening. Arcadia Live 2021 events also included a Summer Comedy Series, Yoga on Deck,

Special Holiday Events and our extremely popular Trivia Nights. As promised during Arcadia Live’s initial fundraising campaign, they delivered a premier venue featuring a sound and light system that is unmatched within a 200­mile radius. Unfortunately, the one­time capital expenses of tech equipment ran into delays caused by the COVID19 pandemic and forced them to obtain a loan to open the theater. Arcadia Live is excited to announce their Phase II Capital Campaign: Lights, Sound, Action. This campaign was created to help eliminate the theatre’s remaining debt. Donations can be made online at www.thearcadialive.org, or can be mailed to 717 Water St. Kerrville, TX 78028.

To learn more about the venue, purchase tickets, or how you can help to support Arcadia Live please visit our website at www.thearcadialive.org. Street, Kerrville, Texas.

Cailloux Performing Arts

The Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts has become the Hill Country’s destination for outstanding entertainment since opening in 2003. Located conveniently near downtown Kerrville, the Cailloux and VK Garage Theaters constantly surprise visitors from across the state with their sophistication that still maintains small­town Hill Country charm.

Managed and programmed on behalf of the City of Kerrville by independent theater company Playhouse 2000, the 800­seat Cailloux Theater hosts a wide variety of performance throughout the year, including The Cailloux Performances series of fine­arts events, resident company the Symphony of the Hills, and presentations of local, regional and national music, theater, and dance events.

The intimate VK Garage Theater is the home of Playhouse 2000, Kerrville’s Community Theater, presenting a full slate of plays and musicals of high quality and lasting value created by and for the people of the Hill Country. This flexible “black­box” space with modular seating can accommodate up to 120 guests in a variety of seating layouts.

Both the Cailloux and VK Garage spaces are available for rent, either as performance halls or for business presentations, with full staff and equipment support. The elegant surroundings of The Cailloux Theater are highly effective for large gatherings, and the more laid­back feel of the VK Garage Theater is perfect for small, informal meetings. Both are fully wi­fi enabled and capable of streaming and remote meeting access.

Information on all that’s available at The Cailloux City Center can be found online at CaillouxPerformingArts.com, or by phone at (830) 8969393.

Hill Country Arts Foundation

What started as a small group of people envisioning a place for education of the arts, visual art exhibitions, and theatrical performances in the mid­20th century, has now become The Hill Country Arts Foundation.

Today, the foundation lives up to its mission to provide a center for the arts that promotes education and community involvement in the arts, by offering community theatre, artist workshops, art exhibitions, and classes for all ages.

Part of HCAF is the Smith­Ritch Point Theatre, a 722­seat outdoor amphitheater with the Guadalupe River as the backdrop and the moon and stars as the ambient house lighting. Many actors, singers, directors, musicians, and technicians have enjoyed performing on this unique stage. When the season turns, theatre productions move indoors to the intimate Elizabeth Huth Coates Theatre which seats about 100 people.

The Duncan­McAshan Gallery, also on HCAF grounds, hosts exhibitions that range from classroom work to national juried shows. The 1,700­square­foot gallery consists of four art studios, a ceramic lab, and a press studio. The gallery exhibition schedule includes a full range of art in virtually all media. Exhibitions feature local as well as nationally and internationally recognized artists. Works of art are available for purchase at most of the shows, and admission to the gallery is always free.

For more information and to learn about what is happening at the Hill Country Arts Foundation, visit hcaf.com. Hill Country Arts Foundation: 120 Point Theatre Road, Ingram, Texas.

Hill Country Youth Orchestra

Hill County Youth Orchestras, Inc. began in 1987 and was incorporated as an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization in 1999. With a mission to “bring the joy of the orchestra experience to the youth of the Texas Hill Country,” this organization has grown in numbers since then.

Its vision is to nurture, encourage and assist young musicians (ages 618) by sharing the love and joy of music through quality instruction, concert performances, and community service. The core HCYO belief is unlimited and early exposure to music fosters lifelong recognition of its value and instills life skills, development of leadership, teamwork, responsibility, and discipline.

Since its inception, HCYO has been tuition­free for all students and has grown to have three campuses serving over 150 students annually, and has trained over 2,000 musicians.

For more information on this organization and how to get involved, visit hcyo.org. Hill Country Youth Orchestras: 321 Thompson Drive, Kerrville, Texas.

KERR ARTS & CULTURAL CENTER

Founded in 1995, the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center attracts over 20,000 visitors annually and is comprised of 16 affiliated groups representing over 500 artists.

Located in the old Kerrville Post Office, KACC spent 10 years of renovations to get to where it is today — a beautiful functional art gallery, complete with adapted educational facilities. Art of all mediums can be found on display in any of the three galleries that house as many as 40 exhibits each year.

The gift shop offers local artists a place to showcase and market their art.

With a vision of being the arts and culture anchor of a vibrant down­ town area, the cultural hub of the Hill Country, and a nationally recognized arts destination, KACC continues to grow and expand its programs and services for local arts, artisans, and patrons of the arts. For more information and to learn of upcoming shows at the center, visit kacckerrville.com. Kerrville Arts & Cultural Center: 228 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, Texas.

Museum Of Western Art

Opening in April 1983, this museum was first known as the Cowboy Artists of America Museum. Since then, thousands of visitors have visited the galleries and seen the West brought to life through multiple mediums at the Museum of Western Art.

Serving as a bridge between the past and present, the Museum of Western Art is dedicated to excellence in the collection, preservation, and promotion of Western Heritage and the education and cultural enrichment of its diverse audiences.

Exhibits range from the hardworking cowboys, Native Americans, women of the West, settlers, mountain men, and others. The museum is committed to exhibiting the finest artwork to preserve and promote the heritage of the American West, including art created by well­known Western artists through temporary exhibits.

The Griff Carnes Research Center is available to educators, students, writers, and the public to learn from the museum’s 6,000 volume Western art and history library.

For more information and to see the museum’s latest collections, visit museumofwesternart.com. The Museum of Western Art, 1500 Bandera Highway, Kerrville, Texas.

Sculpture And Prayer Garden

The Coming King Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)3, was established in 2004 to create beautiful Sculpture Prayer Gardens across the United States. This foundation established the free 24.5­acre Sculpture Prayer Garden located off of Interstate 10.

The 1,930­foot­high garden is home to “The Empty Cross,” a 77’, 7’ cross overlooking Kerrville. The cross can be seen from miles around and provides a breathtaking view of the city of Kerrville and beyond.

The garden includes many other sculptures for the public to view, and admission to the garden is free.

For more information, visit thecomingkingfoundation.org. The Sculpture Prayer Gardens, 520 Benson Drive, Kerrville, Texas.

Symphony Of The Hills

Symphony of the Hills’ mission is to provide live performances of symphonic music in the Texas Hill Country, with special attention to fostering an appreciation of a variety of symphonic music among the youth of this area.

To achieve this mission, its professional orchestra of 75 musicians presents a five­concert season of classical and pop music in Kerrville’s extraordinary Cailloux Theater annually.

The Symphony provides professional, highquality symphonic music promoting both classical and non­classical music in the Hill Country. Concerts range from classical, pops, and holiday­oriented to garner to all ages and varied tastes.

To expand music appreciation and development of musical tastes in young people, the Symphony offers Children’s Adventures in Music, a program providing approximately 1,700 area students the opportunity to hear the orchestra through an interactive, in­school presentation.

To learn more about Symphony of the Hills and its upcoming shows and events, visit symphonyofthehills.org.