Deep within the lore of the Panhandle lies the centrality of art and culture. As the early pioneers fought the hardscrabble emptiness of the Plains, they longed for beauty, entertainment and inspiration. And so when ranching success and petroleum money flowed into the Panhandle in the 1920s, those families began funding the arts. We’re still benefiting from their generosity. The year 2024 marks the Amarillo Symphony’s 100th year. Amarillo Little Theatre is edging closer and closer to the century mark. And other organizations—from Amarillo Museum of Art to Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum to The Citadelle in Canadian—are far more influential than most locals expect. That’s a credit to our creative culture and the incredible local generosity that sustains it. We’re delighted to highlight the local arts organizations that are so central to our quality of life.
Amarillo Youth Choirs
In 1989, after an overwhelming response to a summer camp hosted by Amarillo College and and with the help of Dr. Dale Roller, the Amarillo Boy Choir crescendoed into existence. Under the direction of Billy Talley—then the choir director at Tascosa High School—the organization thrived. A preparatory choir was added for younger boys. Then, in 2001, the organization introduced the Amarillo Girl Choir, followed by a prep choir for girls.
Today, the Amarillo Youth Choirs retain that four-choir format and have performed for thousands of concertgoers over the years. They’ve collaborated locally with Amarillo Symphony, the Amarillo Master Chorale, and West Texas A&M University They’ve sung across the United States and Europe, even performing alongside the Vienna Boy Choir in Austria. At its height, pre-pandemic, the choirs totaled nearly 250 members.
Most recently, the group performed in Greece, and in September, will sing the National Anthem prior to the Sod Poodles’ game on Sept. 14.
The organization has been rebuilding since COVID—“How can you sing with people when you cannot be around people?” asks artistic director Rod Zeman—but currently numbers 100 members as it enters its 35th season.
“While the original focus was for young men to have a place to sing, it soon became apparent that there was a need for young women as well as men,” says executive director Kate Freeman. Pre-pandemic, each of the choirs seldom sang together, apart from performances of the National Anthem. “Since then, we have increased our repertoire to include more pieces that can be sung together and the Concert choirs have also traveled together. This helps it feel more like a family, and less like individual groups.”
Like many nonprofits, AYC exists only with the help of grants and donor support. “Donors can sponsor a student, make a lump sum donation, help with music purchases, travel, uniforms and more,” Freeman says. The organization also welcomes opportunities to perform.
The impact on kids is worth it. “Seeing the students get lost in something they love to do, knowing we are a safe space for them to express themselves and be at ease is wonderful,” Freeman says. “Being able to collaborate with other arts organizations lets the students see how far their love of singing and music will take them.”
“We have several choir members whose parents were members in AYC when it was still a very new organization,” says Freeman. In the coming months the students will perform at WT’s Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall for a fall concert Oct. 27, as well as the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts for the annual “Sounds of the Season” concert Dec. 15. That winter event also includes the choirs’ Alumni Concert, led by director emeritus Jerry Perales.
Amarillo Little Theatre
Established in 1927, Amarillo Little Theatre is just a few years away from turning 100, making it one of the oldest continuously operating community theaters in the country. It was guided for 38 years by the late Allen Shankles before the actor and director handed the reins to Jason Crespin in late 2020.
Today, ALT operates out of two locations: The Allen Shankles Mainstage Facility (2019 Civic Circle), which includes a 453-seat auditorium and administrative offices, and the ALT Adventure Space (2751 Civic Circle), which seats 180 in a flexible, black box theater space.
Each season, more than 30,000 patrons visit the theater to enjoy Broadway-quality productions. “Every show is made up entirely of local community volunteers both on stage and off,” Crespin says. ALT now has a nine-member staff, having added three employees over the past year, including a new Academy director, marketing director, and community relations director.
It also continues evolving to reach more people. “In a community theater, it can be easy to get tunnel-vision with the same, dedicated pool of volunteers,” Crespin says of the talented actors and musicians that fill ALT’s two stages. “Our volunteers include doctors, teachers, bankers, small business owners, moms and others who come together for one common goal: to tell stories to a supportive community who deserves to hear them,” he continues. “The only thing ‘little’ about us is our name.”
This year, during its 97th season, those stories include five Broadway-style productions in the Mainstage facility and three contemporary, Off-Broadway plays and musicals at the more intimate and experimental Adventure Space. Upcoming productions include the hit musical Waitress by Grammy-award winning musician Sara Bareilles in September, followed by Arsenic and Old Lace in October.
Meanwhile, the ALT Academy nurtures the next generation of performers and theater-goers, offering more than 600 children and adults comprehensive training in the disciplines of theater, dance, voice, playwriting, improv and even sewing. ALT’s Dance Academy provides instruction in tap, ballet, lyrical, jazz, hip-hop and musical theater to students from age 3 to adult. “The Academy has grown significantly through the years,” says Crespin, a former Academy student himself. He estimates the past 15 years alone have increased Academy programs and students by as much as 450 percent.
Along with training, the Academy gives its students opportunities to perform throughout the year, including the heartwarming play Charlotte’s Web in November.
“Our focus moving forward will be to continue to reach out as well as listen to the needs of the Amarillo community with regard to the arts,” Crespin says. “We are so grateful that the Amarillo community believes in ALT and our mission to produce highquality theater with local talent right here in our city.”
Amarillo Symphony
With a history that dates back to 1924, the Amarillo Symphony has now reached a milestone a century in the making, and as it enters its second century, has no plans to slow down. It remains the largest and most active performing arts organization in the Texas Panhandle. Now in his third year, London-based Music Director George Jackson has injected fresh energy into the organization and is planning a robust season built upon seven subscription concerts, three festive Holiday Pops performances, an outdoor community concert at Hodgetown, six intimate Chamber Music Amarillo programs, and exciting collaborations like The Nutcracker with the Lone Star Ballet.
In fact, ticket sales for Amarillo Symphony concerts are up 25 percent over the past two years. “By prioritizing meaningful collaborations with diverse partners across artistic, economic and educational sectors, the Symphony has successfully engaged new audiences and deepened its connection with existing patrons,” says Executive Director Larry Lang.
The Symphony began as a humble 12-member ensemble as Amarillo grew rapidly in the years following the discovery of oil in the Panhandle. One hundred years later, it’s a 65-member professional orchestra renowned for its innovative programming. And having recently brought the iconic Greater Southwest Music Festival under its auspices, this growing arts organization will impact the lives of more than 25,000 people over the next year.
And it continues to evolve.
Nationally, trends indicate attendance is declining at live performing arts events. The Amarillo Symphony has risen to the challenge by forging innovative and accessible programs that resonate with its community. “The annual concert at Hodgetown emerged during the pandemic as a safe outdoor haven for music lovers,” Lang says. This season’s Hodgetown Celebrate America! concert is scheduled for Sept. 7.
New concerts this year include a special 100th anniversary concert Oct. 11-12, In Dreams Awake at AmTech Career Academy Oct. 19, and the family-friendly Spooktacular Halloween concert Oct. 25. That concert features the combined talents of the West Texas A&M University Symphony Orchestra and choruses from WT and Canyon High School playing Halloween musical favorites.
Lang says the Symphony remains a critical part of a strong local arts community. “Despite its relatively small size and isolation, Amarillo boasts a vibrant arts scene fueled by the quintessential Panhandle spirit of self-reliance and creativity,” he says. “This cando attitude has given rise to world-class institutions, such as the Amarillo Little Theatre, the Amarillo Opera, the Lone Star Ballet, and numerous other cultural gems—not to mention the Amarillo Symphony.”
The best way to support that scene is to become a season subscriber to the Symphony or Chamber Music Amarillo, and support the Symphony during the Panhandle Gives via the Amarillo Area Foundation in November.
The Citadelle Art Museum
The location of one of the Texas Panhandle’s most influential art museums may come as something of a surprise to local residents: It’s The Citadelle, housed in a former Baptist church building in the charming town of Canadian, a community of 2,300 northeast of Amarillo.
Dr. Malouf and Therese Abraham have been civic and cultural leaders in Canadian for decades, and in 1977, bought the historic First Baptist Church building, which had been slated for demolition. They transformed the 8,000-square-foot landmark into their family’s home, then filled it with dozens and dozens of fine pieces of art.
In 2007, the Abrahams announced a $5 million project to transform their home into a public art gallery, now known as The Citadelle. The facility now features breathtaking gardens and an eclectic blend of more than 150 art pieces from famous American illustrators to 18th-century European painters. “Art enriches people’s thought process,” Dr. Abraham has said. “Art encourages people to do more in their lifetimes. Art enhances the quality of life.”
This mansion-turned-museum has since seen more than half a million visitors from all over the world. “As one of only three fine art museums in 26 counties, the idea that a tiny rural community would boast such an impactful collection is a gem of the Panhandle,” says Executive Director Wendie Murfee Cook. Visitors can view 150plus works of American and European art, alongside a collection of around 250 antiques. The museum also hosts several annual rotating exhibits from both national and international collections every year.
The educational focus of The Citadelle isn’t confined to the former church property, however. In 2016, the museum launched The Citadelle RoadShow, with a mission of bringing the joy of art to local school children throughout the Panhandle. “With art programs being cut in many schools, kids are missing out on valuable artistic exposure,” Cook adds. “We provide hands-on art activities while teaching kids about artistic styles, concepts, vocabulary and cultural studies. We strive to bring art history to life.” This program is free to Region 16 schools.
Upcoming events at The Citadelle include its newest exhibition, Spirit of Our Ancestors: Historic Ledger Drawings of the Southern Plains Indians, which opens Sept. 7 in tandem with the Lyman’s Red River War Foundation 150th Memorial Celebration.
In October, Amarillo chef Ruthie Martinez will cater a traditional Cheyenne/Arapaho Bison dinner, with artists’ presentations and featured speaker Dr. Michael Jordan, associate professor of anthropology at Texas Tech. During the Canadian Fall Foliage Festival Oct. 19-20, the museum will host its annual Native American Art Sale.
Finally, Oct. 19 brings the Artists’ Walk and Talk with Southern Plains artists Brent Learned and George Levi, featuring work from George Levi, Brent Learned, Beau Tsatoke and other Southern Plains artists, along with guest presenters, Dr. Michael Jordan and Dr. Ross Frank, associate professor of ethnic studies at UC San Diego. Admission to The Citadelle is $10 for adults. Children under 18 are always free.
Amarillo Museum of Art
Established by community leaders in 1967, the Amarillo Museum of Art focuses on art exhibitions, education and community engagement as one of the Texas Panhandle’s most significant cultural resources. Its permanent collection contains more than 3,000 unique works, including pieces by Georgia O’Keeffe and Elaine de Kooning, photographs by Dorothea Lange, and works by Ed Ruscha. The Price Collection of Asian Art houses an expansive array of stone Buddha figures, Japanese woodblock prints and Southeast Asian sculpture. More than 35,000 people visit every year, along with around 7,000 students.
As the only fine arts museum in Amarillo, AMoA offers regularly changing curated collections that span cultures and centuries. Each year, AMoA presents approximately 12 exhibitions representing a variety of artworks in diverse media and processes. Alex Gregory, Curator of Art, researches artists’ collections and collaborates with museums across the nation to bring inspiring exhibitions to Amarillo. Each exhibition includes programming such as: artist lectures, tours, gallery talks, and educational outreach.
Over the next few months, new exhibits include Shades of Compassion, a traveling exhibition containing thought-provoking international photographs, and UNPACKED: Refugee Baggage, stories and sculpted recreations of war-torn locations, which open on Sept. 6. The annual Ladd Lecture on Oct. 3 is titled That 1870s Show: The Impressionist Revolution featuring a free lecture by guest speaker Dr. Nicole R. Myers of the Dallas Museum of Art. This fall will also bring After Da Vinci: Experiments and Expressions, an interactive ArtSpace exhibition exploring art works from AMoA’s permanent collection, from a range of artists whose work exemplifies the ethos of Leonardo da Vinci’s diverse body of work.
And the weekend of Nov. 1-3, don’t miss the AMoA Alliance fundraiser, Christmas Roundup: A Holiday Market, at the Amarillo Civic Center.
The AMoA Alliance supports the many educational programs offered by AMoA including outreach to senior citizen facilities and after school art classes. AMoA has recently partnered with AISD to bring art education into the classroom with a new program, Museum in Residence. Currently in place at two elementary schools, this initiative has goals of expansion to bring art education to more elementary students.
Other exhibitions throughout the year offer a local focus, including the Texas Panhandle Student Art Show, the Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University Student and Faculty Exhibition, the annual 20x20 Exhibition and Silent Auction, and the AMoA Biennial 600. “The museum makes a conscious effort to recognize and encourage local and regional artists of all ages,” Gregory says.
AMoA also takes every opportunity to collaborate with other cultural and educational organizations in the community. Recent collaborations include working with Amarillo College, Panhandle PBS, HOODOO Mural Festival, Chamber Music Amarillo, Amarillo Opera, and the Amarillo Public Library, among others. Collectively, these organizations contribute to a dynamic environment that celebrates the unique character of our city by building a sense of connection to our citizens and providing them a platform for creativity.
2200 S. VAN BUREN ST. 806.371.5050 | AMOA.ORG
BERTHE MORISOT, PORT OF NICE, 1881-1882, OIL ON CANVAS, DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART, THE WENDY AND EMERY REVES COLLECTION, 1985.R.40
JON KOLKIN, NURTURED
Window on a Wider World
Based in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, the arts and education organization Window on a Wider World serves students and districts across the Texas Panhandle, providing arts and education programming for 48 schools through 65 partner organizations. That program includes ties to existing curriculum and TEKS objectives, but in an immersive, experiential learning environment outside the classroom.
These take place with the help of learning partners, including entities like Amarillo Police Department, Street Volkswagen, Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine or Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. For groups of schoolchildren, WOWW facilitates tours, conversations and nontraditional, project-based activities at a reasonable cost. Those partners also include local art organizations, of course, including the Globe-News Center itself, where children learn about acoustics, math and science in a space designed for musical performances.
In compelling, non-school settings, WOWW programs give a boost to in-class education. “No matter your ethnicity, income level, or knowledge of art, we all share the same passion to tell others how history, math, science, language arts and other core subjects learned in school are part of art,” says WOWW Executive Director Mary Bralley.
The organization also has a new career focus, with programs this year focusing on life beyond high school.
This year’s programs include several new opportunities, including a 2024 Science Collaborative at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (Sept. 30, Oct. 1, Oct. 7-8); A Day of Ag at WTAMU (Oct. 23); the organization’s 2024 Annual Youth Art Show at Arts in the Sunset for grades 4 to 12 (Nov. 11-16 with a dinner on Nov. 15 at Arts in the Sunset); Passport to Careers in Arts at Amarillo College (March 21), and Write On! at the Globe-News Center, featuring local authors (May 7).
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
What compelled the founders of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum to start a museum in 1929—as the Great Depression hit—and then ask the area’s citizens to give financially to help preserve the history of this area’s early settlers?
Driven by an appreciation for history and storytelling, the people of the Panhandle responded, giving whatever they could. The Museum opened to the public in 1933, and with more than two million artifacts in its collection, has become one of the largest history museums in Texas. Every year, 50,000 to 60,000 visitors explore its treasures.
Current exhibits, like the art exhibit Dali’s Wonderland, give the public insight into some of these artifacts. This exhibit features a limited-edition copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, illustrated by Salvador Dali and published in 1969. The spectacular and rare book comes from the personal library of Amarillo philanthropist Sybil B. Harrington.
Curator Deana Craighead will lead “Exploring Dali’s Wonderland” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m., offering a closer look at Dali’s edition in comparison to the original illustrations by John Tenniel. Reservations are required, and the event is free for PPHM members and West Texas A&M University faculty, staff and students.
Other upcoming events include Constitution Day (Sept. 24), the exhibition opening of the Regional Art Faculty Show (Oct. 4), the ever-popular Dino Day (Oct. 5), and on Oct. 10, a meet-the-author event with Timothy Egan, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and National Book Award-winning author of The Worst Hard Time and A Fever in the Heartland
Amarillo Art Institute
In 2004, the late philanthropist and artist Ann Crouch teamed up with other local artists to establish the Amarillo Art Institute, an organization designed to support local artists and enrich the surrounding community. The Institute’s original focus was to bring in Master Artist instructors to teach workshops. Since then, it has expanded far beyond that original vision, and now includes ongoing classes, workshops, camps and studio opportunities for all ages.
Today, the Institute oversees the 120,000 square feet of the newly renovated Arts in the Sunset facility, which now includes 20 resident artist studios, the Institute, a gift shop, galleries and a performance space. Last year, the facility served more than 15,000 people through classes, art walks and exhibitions.
“Arts in the Sunset is a one-stop place for all things art,” says Rachel Flores, executive director. “Because of the size of the building, visitors can come to one place to take classes, visit with artists, see traveling and local exhibitions, purchase art, watch music and performances, and more.”
It also serves as a community hub “for people who love to create,” Flores says, offering free or very low-cost programs for all ages with the goal of creating more access to the arts for community members.
This fall, in addition to the art featured in its tenant galleries, the National Geographic Society’s Greatest Wildlife Photographs exhibit is on display from September through December in the Ann Crouch Gallery. The public is always invited to the popular First Friday Art Walk on the first Friday of every month, 5 to 9 p.m.
