WACO CULTURAL ARTS FEST

Thanks to a million dollar challenge grant, WCAF brings "Branding the Brazos" to Waco, a monumental sculpture depicting the Waco Chisholm Trail Heritage, Larger than life-sized sculptures of cattle and wranglers on a Chisholm Cattle Drive by Texas artist Robert Summers are being placed along the banks of the Brazos River in Waco. The project is a collaborative effort, begun in 2004 with a grant from the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Foundation, and further supported by the City of Waco Parks and Recreation Department and Board, Baylor University Professor of Sculpture Robbie Barber, and Patricia B. Meadows, Juror. Ms. Meadows was co-founder of Dallas Visual Art Center and has organized and curated hundreds of exhibits locally, regionally, and nationally.

A two acre site located in Bledsoe-Miller Park has been dedicated by the Waco City Council for the commission and installation of a major piece of public art to honor World War II hero, Doris Miller.  The placebased design is the product of a request for proposals conducted by Waco Cultural Arts Fest dba Cultural Arts of Waco that attracted 27 entries from across the United States and was selected by a diverse jury of 28 persons representing a cross section of the community. This piece will establish an appropriate and important local and national memorial to this prominent African American serviceman and commemorate his courageous actions during World War II, particularly during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the sacrifice of his life at sea during active duty. Even as Miller went beyond the call of duty, the permanent visual history that this project will bring to the community through public art will serve as an example a source of inspiration for our youth.

The proposed project site is located in a socio-economically challenged area of Waco commonly referred to as East Waco. A major emphasis of a recently completed Master Plan for Greater Downtown Waco, prepared by Fregonese and Associates Portland, Oregon stressed the importance of placemaking as a means of attracting private investment to the greater downtown area. This project will use a monumental work of art as the focal point for the creation of a special place on the edge of East Waco that fronts on the Brazos River and is highly visible from both banks. Because of its critical location, this special place will serve as both an anchor and a catalyst for further development of the area.

Art at The Arc 

Each Summer, since 2006, Cultural Arts of Waco has worked with the Arc of McLennan County to provide art classes for their summer camp for students with developmental disabilities . Cultural Arts of Waco started out as one program Waco Cultural Arts Fest, a huge outdoor event with music, artists and arts activities. We were approached by parents of children on the autism spectrum to talk about bringing the arts activities to students who might not be able to handle the sensory overload of the Fest and so Art at the Arc was born! Starting smaller, with two days a week for a few weeks, we now work with students age 5-19 for three days per week, for a full eight week program, culminating in the ART at the ARC Exhibition the first week of August. We normally exhibit 500 works of art annually - a kaleidoscope of color!
Cultural Arts of Waco recognizes the importance of the arts in the developmental and social needs for students on the Autism Spectrum, Down’s Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. Arts activities for children who are differently abled are not just “nice to have” - they are key components in the therapeutic interventions which have profound and lasting effects on cognitive, social and communication abilities. We fund all the art supplies and art teachers annually through donations and a matching grant for Art at the Arc.
Arts activities stimulate creativity, and cognitive skills and empower the students to communicate beyond the constraint of verbal communication.

The Yellow House Project evolved from our work in collaboration with the Arc of McLennan County with young adults on the autism spectrum at the Opportunity Center and their need to be valued assets within our community of Waco, TX..
A Problem Worth Solving
Companies seldom hire adults with Autism, so we are convinced that a social revolution for the independent living of autistic individuals needs to be made.
WE will not sit and wait for companies to change their hiring policies.

Instead, we dream of a solution.

We are true believers that hard work determines who we are as individuals in society and that every member of society—including adults with autism or other disabilities—should have the chance to excel and contribute.
The Yellow House will be a place where we can teach skills to become bakers,
packers, graphic designers, data entry clerk, customer services and culinary herb
propagation.

• Disability “a factor” in poverty

• Poverty tightens the grip on the poorest children, a disability decreases
the opportunity for meaningful employment

We have decided to take this employment challenge head on, and will open the
Yellow House as a vocational training site for adults with autism/disabilities in
Waco. The project will give students the opportunity for individualized training to earn multiple certifications.

New home for Waco Cultural Arts Fest dba Cultural Arts of Waco
-Transforming a derelict but historically significant building (built-in 1941), and eight empty lots into ArtPlace as a multicultural community arts hub focusing on youth arts education, community arts, and music and film workshops linked to public art space.