Nonprofit Celebrates Anniversary, New Education Building, and Special Events
By P.A. Geddie
The small town of Winnsboro, Texas, is one of the first communities in the state designated as a Texas Cultural District by the Texas Commission on the Arts. That is due in large part to the Winnsboro Center for the Arts (WCA), which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with special events and the opening of a new Creative Learning Center.
In the heart of the community’s downtown district, WCA engages residents and visitors in the arts through educational programming, cultural experiences, and entertainment. Its wide array of activities is remarkable in a town with a population of about 3,500.
Monthly concerts feature an impressive roster of singer-songwriters and musicians whose tour schedules often include much larger cities and venues. WCA’s Bowery Stage is popular among top performers in Texas and beyond. Theatre productions rival big stage plays, giving audiences intimate storytelling experiences. Art exhibitions are second to none, with a continuous rotation throughout the year of extraordinary original works by local and regional artists.
Education opportunities for children and adults include lessons in piano, voice, and guitar; summer camps; painting; drawing; ceramics and pottery; stained glass; crochet and fiber arts; and body movement, including yoga, qigong, and tai chi.
WCA has a gift shop stocked full of locally made art, books, and supplies.
The organization hosts a community choir with regular performances, as well as music and spoken word open mic nights, and popular special events including a spring community-wide floral event, book fair, cowboy music and poetry gathering, and art and wine festival.
Winnsboro Center for the Arts is an art mecca in the middle of rural Northeast Texas, treasured by those who find superior offerings for education and entertainment conveniently located away from crowded big cities.
Making all the magic happen is a long list of dedicated artists, employees, volunteers, members, donors, and a supportive and grateful community.
Celebrating 25 Years
The nonprofit organization began with visionaries Al and Myrna Stillman. Incorporated on September 18, 2001, as Trails Country Center for the Arts, they set up shop at 200 Market Street in downtown Winnsboro, where the center continues today.
Their efforts quickly set the stage for many talented artists, musicians, writers, actors, and art lovers to come together, and over the next few years music, theatre productions, visual arts, literature, and classes helped build the art center into a creative resource for the region.
In 2009, the organization’s name changed to Winnsboro Center for the Arts.
The art center building underwent much-needed renovations in 2014, including the addition of a performance platform called The Bowery Stage in reference to the town’s history. With that improvement, WCA began increasing the number of performances by national and regional musicians, which helped to support the center.
Over the next few years, it experienced steady growth. In 2016, Mary White — who returned to her hometown of Winnsboro after a career in biotechnology — became president of the WCA board. With her focus on securing grants and other fundraising, and the continued contributions of staff and volunteers, the organization grew to an operating budget of just under $400,000, two full-time and two part-time staff, and more than 10,000 people coming through its doors in 2025 — and that’s not counting the many thousands who attend its outdoor festivals.
In 2020, WCA developed a master plan for its expansion on Market Street. It rented a building a few doors down at 212 Market Street for its arts education program, and the City of Winnsboro donated property at 206 and 208 Market Street for the construction of additional art center space. With the steady growth of its arts education program, phase one is an education building. Phase two is an adjacent new performance hall that may coincide with a Texas Department of Emergency Management/FEMA grant for the building to also serve as a community storm shelter. Phase three of the master plan is a renovation of the current building.
“Winnsboro Center for the Arts has truly become a multidisciplinary arts center,” White says. “We are perhaps best known for our concerts, theatre, and our rotating art exhibits, which feature a number of really outstanding artists. But what some people don’t realize is that we also have a variety of other activities going on here on a daily basis. Even on those days when the gallery and the gift shop aren’t open, there are classes and workshops taking place. In the summer, our camps are usually fully subscribed, with some eight to 10 different art, music, and theatre camps taking place. Sponsorships enable us to provide financial assistance so that any child wanting to attend a camp is able to do so.”
Creative Learning Center
As with most construction and fundraising efforts, it took longer than hoped to see the Creative Learning Center emerge, but it is finally set for a ribbon cutting on April 24 this year.
“It has been long in coming, but we are so excited to see the new Creative Learning Center become a reality,” White says. “It will provide much-needed space for our ceramics classes, as well as independent study. Additional teaching studios will accommodate more music students. At last, the choir will have space to rehearse and perhaps even perform in the large, multipurpose space on the second floor.”
The two-story building adds 10,000 square feet to the art center. The first floor has a children’s art room and gift shop, and ceramics and glassworks studios. On the second floor are music teaching studios, visual arts classrooms, and a large multipurpose room.
Increased numbers of classes, lessons, and workshops in both art and music are planned for all ages and skill levels.
With more than 50 percent of Winnsboro students facing low income and other barriers, providing educational opportunities for local youth is a high priority. Financial assistance is available for those in need. The Creative Learning Center will serve the entire region as well with continued and expanded programs, including the High School Art Competition and Exhibition for 15 area school districts.
The WCA Creative Learning Center brings a resource to the region that fosters cultural and economic vitality. It helps drive tourism and improve local business revenue through in-creased foot traffic for retail and restaurants, and improves quality of life through accessible, diverse cultural experiences.
“The new Creative Learning Center will contribute to the vitality of our community as it nurtures creativity, encourages collaboration, and serves both as a resource and a gathering place for those interested in exploring creative pursuits or simply sharing some time with friends,” White says. “From children’s birthday parties to summer camps; Saturday work-shops to a semester of sculpting; music lessons to singing in the community choir, most should be able to find something of interest.”
Mark Your Calendars
The soft opening of the learning center takes place during the annual BLOOM celebration, returning to Winnsboro for its fourth year this spring with immersive floral art experiences. With the theme, “Bloom Big, Dream Bigger,” visitors are invited to celebrate the season with art, music, and nature-inspired activities during the month of April in and around the Bowery Pedestrian Plaza in historic downtown Winnsboro.
“We are proud of our town’s reputation as a flourishing arts destination,” White says. “This event is just one of many offered throughout the year by WCA that brings our community together, celebrates creative expression, and supports Texas artists.”
The seasonal event was created by Dallas/Winnsboro artist Chris Brown, an East Texas native recognized as Best Floral Designer by D Magazine in 2003. Brown, who owns a downtown Winnsboro art studio, envisioned BLOOM as a way to unite art and nature, celebrating renewal, creativity, and the beauty of the changing seasons.
This year’s event features art and heritage tours, art exhibitions, a pickleball tournament, colorful window displays, and a freestanding sculpture created by Brown as the central focal point of the Bowery Pedestrian Plaza throughout the season.
Get the full schedule for BLOOM on www.WinnsboroBLOOM.com.
WCA’s theatre troupe, The Bowery Players, is presenting a special Pulitzer Prize 2026 Season in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary to include: Proof, a Broadway Musical Revue, Picnic, and A Christmas Carol.
Special events for WCA’s 25th anniversary include Viva Las Vegas, an artists’ reception and fundraiser, April 11; Creative Learning Center ribbon cutting, April 24; Dinner and a Show, June 13; 25th Anniversary Celebration and Grand Opening of the Creative Learning Center on September 19; and closing out the year is a New Year’s Eve afternoon concert by Adler & Hearne.
Also performing on The Bowery Stage this year are Sean McConnell, Lee Roy Parnell, Bob Livingston, Bri Bagwell, Ward Davis, The Purple Hulls, Darrell Scott, Eve’s Road, and a Song Swap features Kevin Tinney, Chris Rasco, Cole Allen, and Zac Maberry.
Art exhibitions include Kaleidoscope Kingdom through March 21; BLOOM, March 25-June 13; High School Art Competition, April 15-May 9; Women in the Arts, June 17-September 19; Cowboy Tales, September 23-November 14; Dia De Los Muertos, October 31; and a special holiday show, November 18-January 23.
In addition to BLOOM, WCA hosts three festivals each year.
The first weekend of May is WCA’s Festival of Books, which continues to be a favorite among literary fans of all ages. Dynamic entertainer and poet, Michael Guinn, returns to emcee this year’s event, which features singer/songwriter/author Bob Livingston. Livingston performs on The Bowery Stage and signs copies of his new book, Gypsy Alibi: A Gonzo Memoir, on Friday evening. He will have books for sale at the festival on Saturday and is interviewed by Guinn on stage. Special activities are planned for the children, and parents can enroll young children from babies through age five to receive free books in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, another popular WCA-hosted program.
Cowboy Music & Poetry Gathering, now in its fifth consecutive year, takes place September 25-26. It has attracted considerable attention, with some 1,500 attending this past year. Nationally acclaimed headliners attract followers from all over the country, and regional musicians and poets enjoy opportunities to perform on both indoor and outdoor stages. Other activities during the event range from an evening of chili tasting and music to an outdoor Western camp and vendors on the Bowery.
The Winnsboro Art and Wine Festival is now in its 17th year, taking place on November 6-7. It’s a major attraction for Winnsboro, with thousands of visitors coming from all over Texas and surrounding states for fine art, regional wines, food, and entertainment.
Along with activities hosted by WCA, residents and visitors in Winnsboro enjoy numerous restaurants, boutiques, antique malls, and art galleries. A long-standing day spa invites weary travelers in for a bit of pampering and relaxation. An American pop-culture mini-golf experience is a popular destination for all ages. Throughout the year, special events fill the downtown streets. Annual gatherings include classic car shows, parades, concerts, and a month-long celebration of autumn.
“Over the past few years, so many people have stepped forward and worked tirelessly to make our community the wonderful place that it is,” White says.
Keep up with all the activities happening at Winnsboro Center for the Arts on www.WinnsboroCenterForTheArts.com or call (903) 342-0686. Offices, the art gallery, and gift shop are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
For lodging and more information, go to www.VisitWinnsboro.com.
