Kerrville once again will become the center of the Texas Art Scene Memorial Weekend as a variety of arts events will take place throughout the city and the surrounding area.

The 13th Annual Texas Masters of Fine Art and Craft Invitational Show will be held Friday, May 27, through Sunday, May 29, as 25 award-winning Texas artists transform the ballrooms of the Y.O. Ranch Hotel into a breath-taking gallery of original artwork. This show has become an annual “Collectors’ Showcase” as art aficionados travel from all over the US for the chance to acquire new treasures.

.Exhibition organizer Dan Baker, who, with his wife, Linda, first displayed their handcrafted gold and silver jewelry at the Texas State Arts & Crafts Fair in 1977, states that, “After 39 years of showing in Kerrville we’ve developed a good clientele and wonderful friendships – in some cases even extending into the third generation of buyers from the same family. The YO is a great place for collectors to hang out with their favorite artists, so we all try to have new pieces to unveil at the show.”

The Y.O. Ranch Resort Hotel is located at 2033 Sidney Baker (Hwy 16), ½ mile from exit 508 of IH 10, on the southwest corner of Sidney Baker and Hwy 534. The show hours will be Friday, 10 a.m. -7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information about the show and its artists and to view photographs of their work, go to http://texasmasters.com/

Downtown Kerrville will become a free festival from the county courthouse to the Guadalupe River with the 3rd annual edition of the Kerrville Festival of the Arts on Saturday and Sunday, May 28th and 29th. This juried fine arts and crafts event will take place in the 700-800 blocks of Water Street and the 200 block of Earl Garrett St. About a hundred artists and craftspeople will exhibit their original creations from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday. There will be street performances and lots of other opportunities for family fun. Admission to the festival is free of charge with ample parking in the nearby city garage. For more information about the festival, call 830-895-7962 or go to www.kvartfest.com.

The Kerr Arts & Cultural Center is adjacent to the Festival of the Arts and will be presenting the Southwest Gourd Fine Art Show, along with other activities, May 26 – June 26, 2016. A reception and presentation of awards will occur on Saturday May 28th, from 2-4 p.m. This show will amaze you with the inventiveness of the artists. Also there will be special hands-on art projects for younger visitors – they can weave, print, glue, bead, paint and be painted at the Creative Area for Kids at KACC. Some projects are free and others are $2 each or 3 for $5. For more information go to http://kacckerrville.com/

Kerrville’s Historic Downtown area offers visitors not only a Fine Art experience but also the opportunity to visit our fine restaurants and shops. You will find a little bit of everything – antiques, collectibles, rare and collectible books, home décor and fine clothing.

One of the great Texas traditions returning for its 45th edition is the Kerrville Folk Festival. This internationally acclaimed gathering of musicians is held annually at the Quiet Valley Ranch, 9 miles south of Kerrville on Texas Hwy 16. Starting on Thursday, May 26, the music continues until June 12, with performances by more than 100 singer-songwriters and their bands. For more information on the festival, call 830-257-3600 or go to http://www.kerrville-music.com/

In addition to the special events, Kerr County is home to many artists and craftspeople.15 galleries and museums, representing a diversity of styles and media, have formed the Art in the Hills Association to create the ”Hill Country Art Trail.” They can be accessed at http://www.artinthehills.com/.

The Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2108 Sidney Baker, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-792-3535 has information about these and other happenings in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Their website is http://www.kerrvilletexascvb.com/