HCAF faces $1.2 million in flood damages, but the show will go on

The Hill Country Arts Foundation was founded in 1959 by a group of artists in West Kerr County, who transformed a former roller-skating rink at the confluence of Johnson Creek and the Guadalupe River into a creative hub for arts education, exhibition and performance.

Over the years, the HCAF campus has expanded to include the 520-seat Smith-Ritch outdoor theater, the Elizabeth Huth-Coates indoor theater, the Duncan-McAshan Visual Arts Gallery, creekside art studios, a new ceramics studio and Stonehenge II — a playful homage to the original Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England.

The foundation marked its 50th anniversary in 2009 and celebrated over 65 years of community-driven creativity and art in 2024.

The Fourth of July floodwaters caused significant damage to the theater lobby, black box theater, outdoor amphitheater, administrative offices and new ceramics studio.

“The water had never gotten into the buildings before,” HCAF Executive Director Sarah Tacey said. “They were catastrophically devastated. The water was up about 2 1/2 to 3 feet, and there was about 6 inches of mud on the floor.”

The outdoor amphitheater’s walls were intentionally designed to “blow out” during floods — which likely saved the structure from being washed away, Tacey said. However, a lot of technical production equipment was lost.

The estimated cost to repair the buildings, not including the replacement of lost equipment, is $1.2 million, according to Tacey.

The visual arts gallery, art studios and Stonehenge II remain largely untouched by damage.

Despite the devastation, volunteers and staff mobilized to shovel out mud, clear debris and salvage equipment.

“Since the day after the flood, we’ve just had wonderful volunteers showing up helping us clean out everything,” Tacey said. “We had people I didn’t even know and who had never been here before come help after they saw our call for volunteers on social media.”

Local theater groups and others across Texas have also pitched in to help.

Kerrville’s Playhouse 2000 hosted a Cocktails and Karaoke fundraiser for HCAF flood restoration efforts last weekend, and the foundation has also received donations from the Fort Stockton Community Theater in Fort Stockton and the Wonder Theatre in Balcones Heights.

HCAF was set to open Jimmy Buffet’s “Escape to Margaritaville” on July 11, but the catastrophic floods the week before halted opening night.

“We’re going to do one performance,” Tacey said. “We’re not sure where yet, but it might be in the parking lot. The cast worked really hard, and I think the community could really use some music and happiness.”

HCAF will share more information on the “Escape to Margaritaville” performance and future volunteer work calls on its Facebook page.

The Duncan-McAshan Gallery on the HCAF grounds will host an opening reception for “Counterpoint/Visual Narratives” from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 18, at 120 Point Theater Road in Ingram. The exhibit features work by the Johnson Creek Printmakers and photography by the Kerr County Clickers.

Artist David McCormick will have an exhibit titled “Pathways” open in the Creekside Gallery.

Both exhibits will be on display through Aug. 29.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.

To learn more about HCAF or to make a tax-deductible donation to the foundation’s flood relief efforts, visit www.hcaf.com.

This article was originally published in the July 17, 2025 edition of the Kerrville Daily Times.