If the “be quiet, no touching” rules at a typical museum make you tense, then the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum is for you. The bronze sculptures that dot the xeriscape garden are coated with a special wax that makes touching perfectly okay — in fact, visitors are encouraged to experience the works of art with their hands as well as their eyes.

The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum opened in 1991 to showcase the art of Charles Umlauf, an artist and sculptor who made his home in Austin. Umlauf was also a faculty member of the University of Texas’ art school for more than 40 years, so it makes perfect sense that the the garden and museum has an educational component, too — offers classes and workshops centered around sculpture. Yoga and meditation classes are also held here, usually in the garden, if weather permits. Make the one-mile drive from Lamar Union to see everything this place has to offer.

Umlaf Sculpture Garden and Museum
605 Robert E. Lee Road
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 445-5582
www.umlaufsculpture.org
www.yelp.com/biz/umlauf-sculpture-garden-and-museum-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr skveerkamp

Brunch is a beautiful thing, especially if you had a particularly fun night before. It's a time to stave off a hangover with greasy food or, if you had a quiet night, just fuel up for your day. There's only one problem: you have to wake up first. Plan B Brunch at Austin's Historic Scoot Inn takes care of that problem by holding brunch after hours.

From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Sunday night in May, the Historic Scoot Inn hosts a late-night brunch that proves mimosas taste even better after dinner. Unfolding less than 3 miles from your home at Lamar Union, just a quick 10-minute drive, Plan B Brunch is a fun option if you're older than 21 and couldn't drag yourself out of bed earlier in the day. Local musician Flavor Raid will be laying down fast-paced electronic beats while you dance and dig into tacos, barbecue, and burgers provided by the Scoot Inn and popular local food truck Hot Mess. Of course, mimosas will also be flowing freely.

Plan B Brunch
Historic Scoot Inn
10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays through May 31
1308 E. 4th Street
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 394-5486
scootinnaustin.com

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr star5112

Have you ever wondered about an artist’s creative process? This weekend and next weekend, May 9-10 and 16-17, you’ll get a chance to visit artists’ studios, see their works in progress, and learn about how they approach their projects through the West Austin Studio Tour.

During this free, self-guided tour, artists will host open houses at their creative spaces and allow the public to get a peek at where the magic happens. And since Lamar Union is just a few minutes from the boundaries of the tour, it would make for a convenient and fun thing to do!

One of the highlights of the West Austin Studio Tour is West Group Exhibition located at 3300 N. Interstate 35, which features the work of nearly 200 artists who are taking part in the tour. Essentially, it’s a way to preview art that you can then delve into deeper by visiting the artist’s studio. Breakfast will be served at the West Group Exhibition from 9:30-11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, which is a great way to kick off a day of going from studio to studio. Visit the tour’s website for a studio guide and map.

West Austin Studio Tour
Various locations, May 9-10 and 16-17
West Group Exhibition
3300 N. Interstate 35
Austin, TX 78722
(512) 939-6665
west.bigmedium.org

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Joybot