Summer of sippin'

The Briscoe Museum cues older country hits for a sculpture garden dance party

The grounds of the Briscoe Western Art Museum will welcome guests for a Wild Western party.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum

There's an unwritten rule that there's always something going on at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, and this August is no exception. This is good news for people trying to impress someone — a date or a cool new friend, perhaps. With art and music in the backdrop at "Sips and Sounds of the West," it'll be a piece of cake.

"Sips and Sounds," on August 4, has a little something for everyone: live music from The Texases, a locally based classic country tunes cover band; food and award-winning margaritas from La Gloria's food truck; the beautiful surroundings of the Briscoe; and more.

The annual event celebrates what's unique about Texas — or a few places nearby — through country music and Western aesthetics. These are two common themes for the museum, which just turned 10 years old and welcomed a new president and CEO.

Past events have called attention to Hispanic influence on the region, and this event in particular pairs these intentions with music from a specific few eras of country music when it was still largely distinct from pop: 1966 to 1996.

It'll all go down outdoors at the Jack Guenther Pavilion. It features the McNutt Sculpture Garden, a display of historic art pieces that'll make you feel like you've visited the museum without even stepping foot indoors — although guests can head inside to bask in some air conditioning.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, with the Texases providing live music for dancing and sipping La Gloria margs from 7-8:30 pm. The truck stays open for a while after the music stops, until 9 pm when the event closes.

Tickets ($20 for non-members) for the 18+ event are available via briscoemuseum.org, along with additional information about the museum's musical programming. This is a popular one-night only event at the Briscoe, so buying tickets ahead of the event is encouraged. However, there will be an attendant selling tickets at the door if any remain.

Members will save five dollars and enjoy discounted rates for other events at the museum. It also includes free, unlimited access to the museum for a whole year, in addition to other perks. Sign up for the various membership tiers here.

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Drop the Debt

Students of families making under $100,000 will get free tuition to UT

University of Texas at San Antonio/Instagram

This is an extension of a previous program with a lower income eligibility.

Beginning next fall, some students accepted into schools within the University of Texas system will receive free tuition and have all fees waived, the board of regents announced on Wednesday.

In order to qualify, families of undergraduates must make less than $100,000 a year.

The board gave preliminary approval to the plan on Wednesday. After the full board’s consideration and vote on Thursday, the plan will include a new, immediate infusion of $35 million directly to campuses to offer the financial aid benefit. The plan also directs additional investment in endowments supporting financial aid to ensure a commitment for tuition relief.

In 2019, the regents established a $167 million endowment at UT Austin to completely cover tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students from families with an income of up to $65,000. In 2022, the regents approved a second endowment of almost $300 million called “Promise Plus” to extend the program to all UT academic institutions.

“To be in a position to make sure our students can attend a UT institution without accruing more debt is very important to all of us [...]” Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the board of regents, said.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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