2018
This annual report explores how Frontier Texas balanced preservation, education, and tourism while preparing for its future. Rather than simply reporting financial performance, the publication tells the story of a museum strengthening its role as a regional cultural institution through new exhibits, educational programming, strategic planning, and community engagement.
The 2018 Frontier Texas Annual Report was designed as an editorial publication that demonstrates how a museum can communicate far more than annual statistics. Built around long-form storytelling, historical photography, custom typography, and magazine-style layouts, the publication presents Frontier Texas as both a steward of history and an active driver of tourism, education, and economic development across Central West Texas.
Feature stories examine the creation of a new interactive holographic exhibit featuring Brigadier General Ranald S. Mackenzie, expanding the museum's immersive storytelling experience while connecting visitors to one of the defining figures of the Texas frontier. Additional articles explore the evolving role of museums as community gathering places, the importance of preserving history for future generations, and the educational programs that introduce thousands of students each year to Texas history through tours, summer camps, teacher workshops, and living history events.
The report also documents the museum's long-term sustainability strategy, including the history of the Abilene-Taylor County Venue Tax that helped establish Frontier Texas, plans for a future operating endowment, continued investment in exhibit development, and a strategic vision extending through 2024. Throughout the publication, financial information is presented alongside compelling narratives that illustrate how public investment, private support, and community partnerships work together to preserve the stories of the Texas frontier.
Rather than functioning as a traditional nonprofit report, the publication positions Frontier Texas as an organization that educates, inspires, and strengthens the communities it serves while encouraging visitors to explore the broader Texas Forts Trail region.