Stephen M. Jones grew up in Albany just 34 miles northeast of Abilene in a family active in the oil and gas and banking industries and active in giving back to their community. He spent 30 years working in Austin, where he fostered a love for the arts and helped lead an effort to renovate and expand a contemporary art space called Arthouse and merge it with the Austin Art Museum.
When Jones moved to Abilene with his wife, Michelle, in 2020, to help lead Clear Fork Bank, he immediately became involved in the art scene and joined the board of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and became familiar with the Children’s Art + Literacy Festival.
“The first time I saw a massive number of young children roaming the streets of downtown Abilene with their parents and teachers, it was so eye opening,” said Jones, who is currently the ACAC board president. “The children were going to experience science projects, art projects and reading sessions of children’s storybooks. I had never witnessed something that was so pure and full of goodness. I knew at that moment that we had to get involved.”
Clear Fork Bank (formerly First National Bank Albany/Breckenridge) became the first title sponsor for the festival and renewed that partnership in 2024. For this year’s festival, June 12- 15, the bank is taking its commitment to supporting projects that make a real difference in the lives of citizens to a whole new level – as the naming sponsor of the new Clear Fork Bank Storybook Garden.
Thank to many generous sponsors, Phase One will debut June 12 at the CALF Kick-Off party (which replaces the parade) and expands the footprint of the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden at the Abilene Convention Center, offering a whole new space to expand ACAC’s Storybook Sculpture Project and provide a place for visitors to celebrate reading and books and create memories together.
“The expansion of the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden presented an ideal opportunity to leave a lasting thank you to the citizens of Abilene and the Big Country,” Jones said. “The warm embrace that Clear Fork Bank has received since our arrival in the wonderful city of Abilene has been so special.”
His father, Jon Rex Jones, is also a sponsor of the new garden.
Jones said his family’s ethos toward giving back is perfectly captured in the Bible quote from Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much is expected.”
Phase One of the new garden includes a contemporary sculpture interpretation of Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” and new sculptures celebrating the work of the 2025 CALF honoree Matt Phelan, whose original artwork will go on exhibit festival weekend at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature. The new sculptures include Plum the peacock from Phelan’s book series and the four turtles from his picture book “Turtle Walk” that will be placed on a water wall.
Phase Two of the garden will debut in CALF 2026 with a celebration of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends. While sculptures of most of the major Winnie book characters have already been sponsored, donors are still needed for Eeyore, and personalized edging stones are available for $150.
Jones said the biggest surprise to him about CALF was the number of cities and states represented. Last year, CALF drew 5,400 people from 156 cities and 28 states. The festival has exciting new entertainment this year with juggler Bruce Manners, music by Mr. Will and the Excavators, The Singing Zoologist with animal encounters and peacock stilt walkers.
Register for CALF at abilenecalf.com. Thursday events are free. Passes for Friday and Saturday are $9 for children 3-12 (2 and under are free) and $14 for ages 13 and up through May 15. After May 15, passes are $12 for children and $17 for ages 13 and up. Wear your pass Sunday, and enter the zoo for free to experience more CALF readings and animal encounters.
By Sidney Schuhmann Levesque
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