Hard to believe, but back in the 1950s, when my grandparents opened Callaway-Jones, the Brazos Valley was not the vibrant site of the arts in our region that it is today. As we approach this fall’s entertainment opportunities, we have much to be thankful for, particularly the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, founded in 1970.

Many early College Station residents were professors at Texas A&M College (until 1963, when it became a University), and we had occasional concerts in town, but they were not regular events. Several professor’s spouses (virtually all faculty were men) had degrees in music from northeast schools, and they set about bringing classical music to town. It was common in Houston and Dallas, why not here?

Currently we are celebrating the 60 ^th
year of the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, and our two newest museums are the African-American Museum of the Arts (15 ^th
anniversary) and the Museum of the American GI (now in 7 ^th
year of operation).

In 1990, ten community leaders were interviewed and shared several unique pathways by which a symphony group became reality, how arts programming began on the Texas A&M campus, and how a community choral program would start.

Later on, printed arts, painted arts, and arts productions on stage were added as member groups to this overall umbrella of what is known and thriving today as the Arts Council of Brazos Valley. Down the road, the TAMU MSC OPAS group found strong community support. They staged their own annual galas; later, the BVSO and BV Chorale conducted special fund-raising performances to supplement ticket sales. Many music performances are free today thanks to endowments and gifts left in trust.

The prestige our ACBV member groups have attained is strong. Community volunteers, of which I’m proud to be one, oversee the operations of the ACBV, so the arts can flourish.

This fall, we have an amazing series of performances that are listed in my blog across several of the member groups. Chelsea and I hope you’ll take time to include some of these and explore others in your upcoming schedule. The arts are the heart of the Brazos Valley!

60 ^th
Year of the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History
, Now through January 2022, Vintage photos, artifacts, and specimens for only a $5 ticket price for adults. Visit https://www.brazosvalleymuseum.org/

Voices from Vietnam: Stories from Those Who Served, Now through September 30, 2021, at the Museum of the American GI
, $6 ticket price for adults

40th Season of Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra
(BVSO)  http://bvso.org 
This is the 25th year of Music Director Marcelo Bussiki leading the BVSO, another reason to celebrate.

49 ^th
Season of MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society
(OPAS) with the season theme: “Let’s Get Together” http://www.mscopas.org 

New Dawn, New Day, New Life Season, the theme of the season of the Brazos Valley Chorale
https://bvchorale.org/

October 11, 2021       BVSO Golf Tournament presented by BMW of College Station

October 17, 2021       BVSO Summer Nights, starring international opera star and College Station native, Sasha Cooke, Rudder Auditorium

October 20, 2921      OPAS with Michael Cavanaugh, described as the “new voice of the American Rock & Roll Songbook” and Broadway star of Piano Man

October 24, 2021      BVC  Fall — The Spheres — Kyrie, First Presbyterian Church

November 9,10, 2021   OPAS-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Rudder Auditorium

November 16, 2021  BVSO Wind Serenades, Rudder Theatre

November 16, 2021  OPAS 7000 Miles to Broadway

November 30, 2021  OPAS The Kingdom Choir

December 3-4 2021  BVSO Premiere Market for the Holidays

December 6, 2021     BVC    Christmas — Sunrise —Gloria, First Baptist Bryan

December 12, 2021   BVSO The Holiday Pops Concert, Christ United Methodist Church

January 30, 2022      BVSO The Music of Queen, Rudder Auditorium

February 4,5, 2022   OPAS- Beautiful, The Carole King Musical

February 16,17, 2022 OPAS, Rent

February 27, 2022     BVSO Romantic Piano, Rudder Auditorium, sponsored by the Ham Family Trust

March 6, 2022            BVC — Winter — The City — Credo, First Presbyterian

March 8,9, 2022        OPAS – An Officer and a Gentleman

TBA  2022                   BVC — Spring — Identity & The Ground, Sanctus & Agnus Dei

March 28,29, 2022    OPAS – Fiddler on the Roof

March 27, 2022          BVSO Latin Flavor, Rudder Auditorium, sponsored by The Clearfield Family

April 26, 2022            BVSO ABBA The Concert, Rudder Auditorium

May 7, 2022                BVSO Derby Day Gala Fundraisers

May 8, 2022                BVC  Identity & The Ground — Sanctus & Agnus Dei, TBD

Just scanning this list quickly, we can quickly conclude that our community is truly blessed to enjoy a full sampling of the very best of the arts across the Brazos Valley. Our deep thanks to all those who worked relentlessly to provide the funding, leadership, and guidance so that we may enjoy all of the wonderful opportunities we have today.

Cody ‘02 and Chelsea ’11 Jones