Just Try One Bite

Camila Alves McConaughey leads H-E-B's state-wide celebration of literacy

Texas resident, healthy eating advocate, and New York Times best selling author Camila Alves McConaughey is joining forces with H-E-B for a state-wide celebration of literacy.

Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey

Texas' favorite grocery store and the state's unofficial first lady are joining forces to promote literacy and a love of reading. Scheduled for September 30, H-E-B and New York Times best selling author Camila Alves McConaughey will host the Read 3 Big Texas Read-in both virtually and in-person at select locations.

Committed to literacy in the Lone Star State, H-E-B's Read 3 program encourages caretakers to read to children at least three times per week. This year’s Read3 Read In event invites Texans to participate in a state-wide reading event either in person at the Long Center in Austin, through local libraries, Texas Education Agency public schools, or virtually online at heb.com/read3.

“Since our humble beginnings in 1905, H-E-B has put a focus on supporting our community and making a positive impact. Our Read3 program is a passion project aimed to foster a love of reading and help every Texan child excel,” Christa Aldrich, H-E-B program manager, said in a release. “Our team at H-E-B is focused on empowering Texans to embrace furthering education and fostering literacy in order to help both communities and residents thrive in childhood and beyond.”

As part of the event, Camila Alves McConaughey will host a live reading of her best-selling book Just Try One Bite, a fun story of role reversal in which children attempt to get their picky-eating parents to try healthy, whole foods.

“As a mother, I wrote Just Try One Bite with children and their parents in mind. I wanted to create something that would tell a story but also foster a connection and strengthen family bonds through a shared activity,” said Camila Alves McConaughey in the release. “I’m honored to partner with H-E-B to emphasize how important reading with children is for both literacy and help enable that connection for families in Texas and around the country.”

Some of the events taking place as part of the Read3 Read In event on September 30 include:

In-Person Reading Experience with Camila Alves McConaughey: Thousands of Texans will join the author from 9 am to 11am at the Long Center for the Performing Arts for a live reading from her book, Just Try One Bite.
Virtual Reading Event Across Texas: The read-along will be livestreamed virtually on YouTube, Facebook and heb.com for participants across the country to read along.
School Reading Events: Select public and private schools across Texas will join together to read.
Laura Bush Foundation Grant Recipient Librarians: Texas school librarians will also host reading sessions at select school libraries across the state.

To learn more about the event or to take part in the H-E-B Read 3 Big Texas Read In, please visit heb.com.

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New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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