Wimberley Valley Art League 2007 Artists' Studio Tour

The Wimberley Valley Art League (WVAL) is offering its annual artists’ studio tour this fall on September 21st and 22nd. This year visitors can view a wide variety of art ranging from painting, photography, fiber arts, glass sculpture, jewelry, & music. Six local artists representing these creative endeavors will be featured, making this showing an unusual cross section of artistic activity in this area.

Residents & tourists will have the opportunity of visiting workplaces not normally open to the public. Studios of the following artists will be shown: Sandra Doak & Sue Ellen Stavrand, fiber arts; Lilli Pell, paintings; Bob Cook, paintings & photography; Zanna James, jewelry; Bill Meek, glass sculpture; & Dodee & Billy Crockett, music production. Profiles & photos of the artists and their studios will be featured in area newspapers as the tour dates approach. Several artists have websites where further information is available.

Tickets benefit the WVAL, a non-profit organization, & its art education projects. For this special fund-raising event, tickets will be priced the same as last years: $12 for adults and $6 for students. Purchases of artworks may be available at various studios & a percentage of the sale will also benefit WVAL projects. Tickets will be available mid-August at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. A “photo loop” orienting this year’s tour with photographs of the artists & their studios can be seen at the Visitor’s Center sometime in early September.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see what makes Wimberley an artist colony truly unique to the Texas Hill County!

For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center at 512-847-2201.

From Granbury Live to Fredericksburg

Rockbox Theater, located at 109 N. Llano just one block off Main Street, is the only professionally cast live-music show in the Texas Hill Country that guarantees family-friendly entertainment.


The indoor theater opened June 2007 and features a resident cast of professional entertainers who performed together for seven years at Granbury Live, a live-music theater on the square in Granbury, before moving to Fredericksburg.


On stage together in Granbury from December 1999 - April 2007 for over 1500 concerts where sold-out houses were the norm, this ensemble amassed a wide repertoire of songs and comedy that entertains, uplifts, and inspires.


"We are blessed to be in our new theater in Fredericksburg and 'funtabulous' entertainment is what you will discover every weekend at Rockbox," said Creative Director Russ Hearn. "At the core, we are a professional variety live-music show that guarantees family-friendly entertainment. The foundation of our playlist will come from ‘the golden era of rock n roll’; but, there will always be plenty of variety as well, taken from ‘the great American pop song catalogue’, often referred to as the ‘standards’. At times, we’ll also pay tribute to great Texas musicians (from Stevie Ray Vaughn and ZZ Top to Bob Wills and Buddy Holly) and to the distinctive cultural music of Texas, including roots and folk music, country, Texas swing, blues, and the ethnic music of our Texas history, including, of course, the German musical heritage found in Fredericksburg.


Rockbox provides a stage for professional entertainers who are willing to put their talents on display and give the glory to God. "Our goal is to attract and keep great talent who bring authenticity and energy to the performance," continues Hearn. The 390-seat indoor theater features state-of-the-art light design by Texas Scenic out of San Antonio and audio design by Big Ear Sound from Acton, Texas. For tickets and info, call (830)997-ROCK(7625) or toll-free (866)349-6688.

On the Road - August 2007

by Kathleen Hudson

The news that Terry Penney, his wife Sarah, and his friend Eddie Andrada were killed in a car wreck returning from a music gig in Ulvalde not only saddened me, but also provoked a long walk down memory lane. Loss does that.

Terry was one of the first musicians I met upon moving to Kerrville in 1984. I was coming to town with a new Ph.D, a new divorce, and a new job - development director for Rod Kennedy’s Kerrville Music Foundation. Within a year I moved into part-time then full-time work at Schreiner University. That’s another story. I fell in love with the music Terry played immediately. I had always loved strong guitar work and blues was my doorway into the music world. Terry rocked when he played blues. I began managing a trio he called The Franklin Brothers. Why? Well, I had no experience in music except to experience my own passionate love of music as a fan. I wanted to help out these people I had already grown to love. I discovered that my primary role in life is to share what I love with others. That’s the driving force behind all my projects, both musically and academically (I have been teaching English for 40 years now!).

I walked the streets of Austin, promo kit in hand. I called club managers. I looked for venues and gigs for The Franklin Brother, three white boys playing the blues. And rocking James Harris played bass (and he now teaches with me at Schreiner University Art Department), and a fellow named Mike played drums. They switched drummers from time to time. Terry said, “I want a drummer that can blow my skirt up!” I figured out that he wanted to feel that drummer behind him!

Terry also had a day job. He worked on hair, and I spent years under the razor with him, as I said, “I want rock and roll hair.” We always had fun; we shared several lives together. I showcased his band (now with Ronnie Leatherman) at a Schreiner University freshman orientation at Mo Ranch one year. The students were impressed with his guitar leads. Many of us danced on the concrete pavilion.

As he moved through various music transformations, he seemed to always come back to his first love, blues. Oh, he played country and Christian music, writing songs in many genres. He and Sarah sang and performed together, and a new CD is in the works. He had joined the Texas Heritage Music Foundation and was part of our roster of musicians to send into schools. The entire music community misses Terry and Sarah.

I'm in Ft. Worth this month staying with my dad. My mother had her pacemaker replaced at age 83 and is working on some rehabilitation I am taking a walk down memory lane as I listen to the family stories in the family home. All four of my siblings are close by. Memory is a wonderful part of being human. We share our memories by sharing out stories and songs. The mission statement of the Texas Heritage Music Foundation, an organization I started 20 years ago, out of this same commitment and vision. Funny how time weaves our stories together and patterns start showing up.

Rod Kennedy is now producing a music series in Plano, Texas. The August 9th concert is an evening with Jimmy LaFave and Gary P. Nunn. Now that’s a pair to draw to. (Thank Guy Clark for all of you who recognize the allusion.) Jimmy played at my 60th birthday, thanks to sister Carolyn Pillow and Rod Kennedy. Gary P. Nunn is an advisory director of the THMF. I plan on attending this concert if I’m still in the metroplex area. And I might be.

Dalis Allen has put together an exciting lineup for the annual Kerrville Wine and Music Festival. Check out their website for details around this Labor Day Party weekend. She is weaving together the music of local performers with touring performers Glad to see Jay Boy Adams on the bill again. And we will be rocking to a close the first night with a Tex/Mex rocking blues band. Los TexManiacs. Then Guy Forsythe and his eclectic brilliant performance of music ends the second night. And the entire event ends with Jay Boy Adams. Important to stay until the fat lady sings, so to speak.

Put these September dates on your calendar for THMF: September 5, Wednesday, is the first coffeehouse at Schreiner University featuring Rodney Hayden and a birthday tribute to The Father of Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers. He built his dream home at 617 West Main in Kerrville and lived here from 1929-1931, crucial recording years for him as well. His birthday is September 8. The THMF annual Living History Event is Friday, September 28. With over 50 performers on the Schreiner University campus, this event showcases another way of learning using stories and songs. We are also working with the Texas Folklore Society on a panel from 4-6 p.m., and we’ll have an evening of the music of the West with Duke Davis. Wow, what a day!
October 5 is the second coffeehouse and the booksigning for my second book, an oral history of the women in Texas music. See kathleenhudson.net for a photo of the book! It’s a gorgeous production of the University of Texas Press, and it’s for sale online now. I have invited Rosie Flores, a woman in the book, to be our featured artist for the month. Other women in the book include Terri Hendrix, Pauline Reese, Bobbie Nelson, Emily Robison, Ruthie Foster, Cyd Cassone, Barb Donavon, Wanda King, Marcia Ball, Sara Hickman, Karen Abrahams and many more! I had a great time collecting their stories. Each story served as an inspiration to my own life. And my book is dedicated to my mother and all the women in my life. I have one daughter and four granddaughters! Jessica, age 15, spent her 9th grade year living with me. What a joy, what an experience, what a learning opportunity for me.

Yes, the Texas Hill Country is rich with stories and songs, opportunities for musicians and songwriters, open mikes and new venues. Bandera is hopping with opportunity as is Fredericksburg. Two strong radio stations, both online, KFAN and KRVL, capture the history in the making. Down the road and ils sont partis. KH

Click here to email Kathleen

Schreiner University