The Center for Contemporary Arts has been Abilene’s creative heart for 40 years. In 2026, the CCA is reconnecting with its roots and reestablishing itself as a pillar of Abilene’s art community.
The mission of the Center is to encourage, empower and inspire artists, children and the community through the arts.
The Center has its roots in an artists’ collective that was called The Artists League of Texas. The brainchild of international photographer Bill Wright and local arts leader Lynn Barnett, the League began in 1984 and provided a place in Abilene where artists could work, commune, inspire and present their original works.
In 1989, with a desire to expand their space and their influence, the group formed the not-for-profit corporation, The Center for Contemporary Arts.
About the same time, an Abilene native who had made it big in the New York art world came back home.
Clint Hamilton (born James Clinton Hamilton in 1928) was a charismatic and influential artist whose career bridged his hometown of Abilene, and the vibrant New York art scene of the 1950s and 60s. After studying at SMU, he moved to New York in 1951, where his talent caught the attention of Tiffany & Co.’s Gene Moore. Through this connection, he created window displays for Tiffany & Co. and Bonwit Teller, showcasing both his own work and that of emerging artists such as Andy Warhol and Nathan Gluck. His commitment to uplifting fellow artists became a defining aspect of his career, and he moved in creative circles that included many of the 20th century’s most prominent figures.
Following health challenges, Hamilton returned to Abilene in the late 1960s and served for years as curator at the CCA, where his influence remains central to the organization’s values of inclusivity and artistic support.
Contributed By Center for Contemporary Arts
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