News

Bigger in Texas:

Everything is bigger in Texas — and homecoming mums are no exception. When the Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) opens its doors at Frost Tower in early 2026, it’ll celebrate with a “Homecoming” of its own. The museum’s first visiting exhibition, “MUMENTOUS: The Upsizing of a Texas Tradition,” is a colorful, larger-than-life tribute to one of the state’s most creative traditions — the homecoming mum.

What’s New to Digital Collections: AV Edition

As a follow up from our previous post covering recently uploaded materials from our Manuscript Collections and rare books, I am happy to update you on the audiovisual materials that have recently been uploaded to the Digital Collections Website. Institute of Texan Cultures Audiovisual Production Department Records: This collection was digitized over the past two […]

What’s new to Digital Collections

The digital collections team is happy to share a list of some recently uploaded materials to the Digital Collections website. Today we’ll cover Manuscript Collections and Rare Book uploads, with a round-up of Audiovisual materials to come soon! Manuscript Collections United Farm Workers of Texas Photograph Collection: The United Farm Workers of Texas photograph collection […]

University co-father returns home: Sen. Bernal papers bestowed to Special Collections

UT San Antonio Special Collections received over 70 boxes of personal papers, photos, and writings from the late State Sen. Joe Bernal, a key advocate for bilingual education and co-founder of UTSA. The archive honors his legacy as an educator, civil rights leader, and champion for educational access.

Jimmie Rodgers: On Texas Time

Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933), the “Father of Country Music,” shaped generations of artists —from Ernest Tubb, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, and Bob Dylan to today’s Colter Wall and Charley Crockett. A member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rodgers even called Texas home for a few years, leaving his stamp on the Hill Country and San Antonio.

Special Collections announces recipients of the 2025–26 Faculty Teaching in the Archives grants

UT San Antonio Libraries awarded 2025–26 Faculty Teaching in the Archives grants to Dr. Liliana Saldana and Prof. Claudia Treviño García. Their projects integrate archival materials into courses on Fiesta San Antonio and bilingual education, fostering student engagement with local history through hands-on research and culturally responsive teaching tools.

University-owned artwork in your office? Here’s how to get help if you need to make a move

UT San Antonio’s art collection features over 3,000 works by renowned artists like Andy Warhol and celebrated local talents. Displayed across all four campuses, the collection includes paintings, sculptures, and more. A new piece by Bettie Ward at the Downtown Campus highlights UT San Antonio’s dedication to accessible, campus-wide artistic expression.

Stories in the Objects We Keep

What will you discover when the Institute of Texan Cultures reopens in early 2026? Perhaps a steamer trunk that carried a family’s hopes across the ocean, a guitar that brought Texas Blues to life, or a canoe carved from cottonwood that carried people along Texas rivers. Everyday objects become extraordinary when they connect us to the lives, memories, and people who built Texas. For more than 50 years, the Institute has cared for thousands of these treasures, each one a piece of the larger Texas story.

UTSA Libraries Guides Researchers Through New Federal Open Access Mandates

By the end of 2025, UTSA researchers must make federally funded research publicly accessible upon publication. UTSA Libraries, led by Emily Hayward and Rachel Davis, are guiding faculty and graduate students through compliance with new mandates. Through workshops, consultations, and partnerships, they help researchers navigate policy changes, publisher responses, and open access options to maintain funding eligibility.

Q&A with renowned chef and host of UTSA's Ven a Comer fundraiser

Renowned chef, author and TV show host Pati Jinich is bringing her passion for Mexican cuisine and borderlands storytelling to San Antonio.

UTSA Libraries Adds Archive of San Antonian and Veteran Journalist Oscar Garza

UTSA Libraries proudly unveils the archive of Oscar Garza, a trailblazing San Antonio journalist who championed Chicano and Latinx artists in the 1980s–90s. Packed with articles, research, and rare interviews, the collection offers a vivid look at cultural journalism’s evolution. Garza’s legacy helped reshape media narratives and amplify underrepresented voices. This exciting addition strengthens UTSA’s commitment to preserving South Texas’s rich artistic and cultural history.

A Sneak Peek

When the Institute of Texan Cultures reopens in early 2026 at Frost Tower, visitors will be welcomed by a treasured piece from the UTSA Art Collection: A Plaza in Texas in the 1930s by renowned Chicana narrative artist Carmen Lomas Garza.