Center volunteer Esther Greenfield cements history in clay

   For fourteen years, Center volunteer and avid hiker, Esther Greenfield, has been finding and drawing historic aspen carvings, recording them in a journal during her outings. Her friend and neighbor, ceramicist Mary Kay Harrell, approached Esther two months ago asking if she would like to collaborate on a new pottery project.

    Mary Kay uses special Raku clay that can withstand extreme changes in temperature. After creating the pot, while the clay is at the right state of dryness, between wet and dry, called leather-hard clay, Esther chooses an arborglyph from her journal to carve on the pot.
   After the pots have dried thoroughly, up to a week, they are bisque fired so that they can be handled without breaking. It is at this stage that the glazing is done. The white crackle glaze is applied with a brush, using three coats to get the right thickness and coverage. The pots are then placed into the cold kiln, the door is shut tight, and the burners are lit, one by one, letting the temperature rise gradually to about 1700 degrees. 
   When the pots are smooth, shiny and glistening, the kiln is turned off letting the temperature drop slightly. Only when they are completely cooled can they be taken out to reveal the results.
   “We hope for the best,” says Esther, “you never know how they are going to turn out.”
   Each one is unique and different depending on the glaze application, and the action of the firing and the cooling process, trying to achieve the "crackle effect" that is associated with Raku pottery.
   Furthermore, Esther explains why this pottery is more than just pots. They have stories to tell. "This collection of hand-made pottery tells a story of those long-ago days of herders and cowboys who left their messages in the trees. Each pot is absolutely unique and each has carvings that reflect messages from one man to another, love and longing in the woods, wild things in the woods, poignant ‘remember me’ messages, brands and boundary markers. Many are quite old, and sadly, many will never be seen again as the trees, with their messages, are now gone."

   These pots are selling quickly, even before the price tags can be placed. To purchase these unique ceramics, please visit Dietz’s Market, the Durango Arts Center or the San Juan Mountains Association bookstore at the Public Lands Center.

CSWS volunteer and author Esther Greenfield publishes article "A powerful look at power"

Please visit this link to view Ms. Greenfield's article, originally published in the Durango Herald on November 24, 2012:

http://durangoherald.com/article/20121124/LIFESTYLE01/121129801/A-powerful-look-at-power---

Center Holiday hours and closures

Holiday hours and closures for the Center of Southwest Studies are as follows:

December 10 - 21, 2012
Delaney Library, Mon-Fri from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Museum/ Gallery open, Mon-Fri from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

December 24 – January 1, 2013: CLOSED

January 2 - 4, 2013

Delaney Library, Mon-Fri from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Museum/ Gallery open, Mon-Fri from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

We will resume normal hours January 7, 2013.

Delaney Library, Mon-Fri from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Thursdays 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Museum/ Gallery open, Mon-Fri from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, and Thursdays 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Director's Colloquium: What is the Southwest?

How do we understand the Southwest and its history? Join the Center’s director, Dr. Jay Harrison, for a discussion of the various ways peoples have defined the American Southwest from early times to the present. This talk will address popular and scholarly views that defined the region via its peoples and cultures, geographies, geology, natural and human histories, and will include perspectives which still prevail today. Rather than identifying one cohesive view of the region, Dr. Harrison will address core ideas the Center’s staff and collaborators embrace to study the Southwest in its many facets.

Jay Harrison, Ph. D. began serving as the director of the Center of Southwest Studies in August. Dr. Harrison is a working historian of the early Southwest whose research considers colonial and early national transformations of peoples and places in the greater region. His experience includes nearly seventeen years in private and public business concerns, most recently as the director of federal programs at a Washington D. C. area technology and policy firm, and has held several university and collegiate faculty appointments. This is a first of a series of conversations with Dr. Harrison about the Southwest, its peoples and cultures, and various perspectives on its study.

Refreshments will be offered beginning at 5:30 pm, with the program to begin at 6:00 pm in the Center's Lyceum. This event is free and open to the public.

Former Office of Community Services Director Honored by Palmer Land Trust

The Center of Southwest Studies is pleased to share news of former Office of Community Services director Ken Francis’ recognition in October for his extensive efforts in developing the San Juan Skyway National Scenic Byway here in southwestern Colorado. On October 3^rd the Palmer Land Trust Honor presented Mr. Francis with its Friends of Open Space Award at a dinner in Colorado Springs. Based on nominations from the public, a blue ribbon committee chose to honor Mr. Francis for work performed since the early 1990s in the development of the San Juan Skyway Corridor Management Plan (1995), and for his continuing role through the recent year as the executive director of the San Juan Skyway. Ken served as director of the Office of Community Services from 2004-2012, and as the Center's interim director from 2010, until his retirement in July 2012. We congratulate Ken on this particular honor, and for his years of dedicated service here and at large in the greater Four Corners community.

Richard B. Williams to speak at CSWS

Lynell Schalk to speak on her forthcoming book "Plunder on the Plateau: A Ranger's Fight to Save the Past"

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College will host a program by Lynell Schalk, “Plunder on the Plateau: A Ranger’s Fight to Save the Past”, on Wednesday, October 24th.

Lynell Schalk worked for the Department of the Interior for 28 years, spending all but one of those years with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). She was the only woman in the first group of 13 uniformed rangers who were delegated with federal law enforcement authority within the BLM. She later became the Special Agent-in-Charge, administering a federal law enforcement program on 16.5 million acres in Oregon and Washington. Her investigations across the Western U.S. included timber theft, archaeological theft and trafficking, and instances of wild lands arson, among other crimes. Lynell is finishing her book, “Plunder on the Plateau: A Ranger’s Fight to Save the Past”

Refreshments will be offered beginning at 5:30pm, with the program to begin at 6:00pm. This event is free and open to the public. 

Dr. Emmons to speak October 18th at Center of Southwest Studies

Mountain Lion exhibit travels to The Museum of Northern Arizona

Mountain Lion!, opened at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff on Saturday, September 15, 2012 and will run through Sunday, August 4, 2013.

Known by many names—mountain lion, cougar, puma, panther, ghost cat, and catamount, depending on the region—these cats are solitary hunters at the top of the food chain, who rely on their camouflage, superb eyesight, and speed to survive. Like other predators, they play a critical role in the balance of nature and contribute to biological diversity and a healthy environment.

Mountain Lion! was developed by the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College, in partnership with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, to address the need for greater public awareness. The Museum of Northern Arizona is able to host the exhibit with support from Arizona Commission on the Arts, BBB Revenues from the City of Flagstaff, and Flagstaff Cultural Partners.

The Museum of Northern Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the tallest mountain range in Arizona. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, and is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180, scenic route to the Grand Canyon. Admission is $10 adults, $9 seniors (65+), $7 students (with student ID), $6 American Indians (10+), and $6 youths (10–17).

For further information, call 928.774.5213 or go to musnaz.org. 

Center to host program on ranching legend Marie Scott

The Center of Southwest Studies will host a program by local author Ginny Harrington, “Marie Scott, Ranching Matriarch of the San Juans”, on Wednesday, September 19^th.

Born in Ridgway in 1896, Marie Scott spent a good portion of her life amassing land and water for her vast ranch holdings. In her prime, it was estimated that Marie’s holdings reached 100,000 acres stretching from Ridgway, Colorado to La Sal, Utah. To this day she remains a legend in western and southwestern Colorado and was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2010.

Ginny Harrington served as Executive Director of the Ouray County Historical Society from 2004 to 2006, and as a past board member of Colorado Preservation, Inc. Ginny is a founding member of the Ranching History of Ouray County project writing several stories for the two published volumes, and aided in the foundation of the Ouray County Ranch History Museum.

Refreshments will be offered beginning at 5:30pm, with the program to begin at 6:00pm. This event is free and open to the public. 

John Ninnemann to give talk on "Ancient Skywatchers of the Southwest" on Thursday, June 21st

As a perfect companion to celebrating the summer solstice, John Ninnemann takes us on an evening tour of the Ancestral Puebloan skywatching sites featured in his current photography exhibit at the Center, Ancient Skywatchers of the Southwest. In his lecture on Thursday, June 21st Ninnemann will explain the tradition of the skywatcher in historic Pueblos and how it helps to understand the significance of astronomy in ancient Soutwestern cultures. Reception begins at 5:30PM with the talk starting at 6:00PM in the Center's Lyceum.

Summer Solstice Window Viewing Wednesday, June 20

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College celebrates the Summer Solstice on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Doors will open at 5:45AM.

At the dawn of the summer solstice, a spiral of sunlight makes its way across the gallery walls making for a dazzling display. In our annual celebration of summer, the Center of Southwest Studies will provide a light breakfast and drumming from Ignacio musicians. Admission and parking are free. This event is open to the public.

Situated in the upper northeast corner of the exhibit gallery, the Solstice Window is recessed into the wall. Created by Denver artist Scott Parsons as a part of Colorado’s Art in Public Places Program, the window was integrated into the building’s architecture. Parsons designed the window in tribute to the solstice markers of the Ancestral Puebloans of Southwest Colorado. The spiral cast by the Solstice Window is visible for several weeks before and after the summer solstice, but it is sharpest on solstice morning. Moving with the motion of the earth and sun, the spiral makes its journey across the gallery wall, fading as the sun rises higher in the sky.

CSWS to host talk on Durango prehistoric population

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College continues its program series, “Celebrating the Preservation of our Natural and Cultural Heritage”, on Tuesday, May 22nd, with a program on the prehistory of the Durango Basketmaker II population.

May is Colorado’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, and in celebration the Center is pleased to present 10 years of Fort Lewis College Archaeology Field School excavation and research at the Dark Mold site. Located just north of Durango in the Animas Valley and near the Falls Creek Rock Shelters, the Dark Mold site thrived from 700 B.C. until A.D. 450. Speakers Mona Charles and Dawn Mulhern will address the questions of: where did these people come from, what was their culture like, what hardships did they face, and what happened to the population.

Refreshments will be offered beginning at 5:30pm, with the program to begin at 6:00pm. This event is free and open to the public. Please visit http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu or call 970-247-7456 for further information.

Center of Southwest Studies to honor local achievements in archaeology and historic preservation

    The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College continues its program series, “Celebrating the Preservation of our Natural and Cultural Heritage”, on Tuesday, May 8th, with an awards presentation celebrating local achievements in archaeology and historic preservation.

   May is Colorado’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, and in celebration the Center is pleased to recognize the significant accomplishments of people and organizations in the region. Honorees include Julie Coleman for the Public Lands Award, Jim Judge for Life Time Achievement in Archaeology, the Durango Railroad Historical Society for The Little Engine That Could Award, and the Durango Discovery Museum for the Adaptive Reuse and Education Award.

   Awards presentation will begin at 5:30pm, with a reception immediately to follow.

Southwest Colorado Spring Creek Basin Wild Horse Management Program

The Center of Southwest Studies continues its program series, “Celebrating the Preservation of our Natural and Cultural Heritage”, on Tuesday, April 24th with a presentation on the southwest Colorado Spring Creek Basin wild horse management program. A reception will begin at 5:30pm, with the program starting at 6:00pm in the Center’s Lyceum. This presentation will discuss herd management, the wild horse adoption program, and volunteer efforts surrounding the Spring Creek Basin wild horse herd. Informational materials will be provided by the Bureau of Land Management, the Disappointment Wild Bunch Partners, San Juan Mountains Association, Mesa Verde Back Country Horsemen, Four Corners Back Country Horsemen and the National Mustang Association, Spring Creek Basin Chapter.

Photo credit: TJ Holmes

Rhythms of the Red Willow: Traditional Drums by Phillip C. Martinez now on display in Delaney Library

Miss Indian World visits the Center of Southwest Studies

Miss Indian World, Marjorie Tahbone and
Delaney Librarian Elayne Silversmith



Miss Indian World, Marjorie Linne Tungwenuk Tahbone

Park County program scheduled for April 10th has cancelled

We are sorry to announce that the Park County Resource Protection program has cancelled. Gary Nichols was to present on April 10th in the Center's Lyceum. We hope to reschedule this program at another time. Below is further information on Gary's good work.

Gary Nichols has served as the director of Tourism & Community Development in Park County since 1988. During this time he has secured nearly $25 million in grants for community projects and published several articles and guidebooks of public interest. Both of Gary’s parents were descendants of Colorado pioneers and his grandfather worked for the historic Colorado & Southern Railway that served South Park. Gary holds a master’s degree in environmental quality engineering from the University of Alaska, and worked as a consulting engineer in Fairbanks prior to returning to Colorado.

His accomplishments include numerous projects designed to conserve the natural, cultural, and recreational resources upon which the Park County economy depends. In addition to establishing a fee-based ranch recreation program, Gary has been instrumental in rehabilitating several miles of riparian habitat and securing conservation easements on 20 local cattle ranches. Current projects include creating new economic uses for ten protected ranches, two railroad depots, and a 19th Century gold processing mill.

Successes in Land Conservation program- Tuesday, March 27th

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College continues its program series, “Celebrating the Preservation of our Natural and Cultural Heritage”, on Tuesday, March 16th with a talk on “Successes in Land Conservancy”. Speakers will include Kathy Roser and Scott Perez of La Plata Open Space Conservancy, and Nina Williams formerly of Montezuma Land Conservancy.

The La Plata Open Space Conservancy and Montezuma Land Conservancy have successfully worked with dozens of private property owners to conserve in excess of 54,000 acres of land, water and a way of life in southwest Colorado. These land owners have chosen to restrict development on their private property in order to protect agricultural lands, water, wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, and historic and archaeological resources that make our region special to both our community and visitors.

A reception honoring Kathy Roser's retirement from LPOSC will begin at 5:00pm in the Center of Southwest Studies’ lobby. The program will start at 6:00pm in the Center’s Lyceum classroom. This event is free and open to the public.

Photo credit: Redburn Ranch, Montezuma Land Conservancy

CSWS to host History Colorado talk

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College continues its program series, “Celebrating the Preservation of our Natural and Cultural Heritage”, on Wednesday, March 14th with a talk from Steve Turner, Vice President of History Colorado, formerly the Colorado Historical Society. A reception will begin at 5:30pm, with the program starting at 6:00pm in the Center’s Lyceum.

Mr. Turner manages both the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and the very popular State Historical Fund grant program. On March 14, he will discuss the preservation programs of History Colorado and provide an overview of State Historical fund preservation projects in southwest Colorado. This event is free and open to the public. Please call 970-247-7456 for further information.

Photo of hanging flume by Tom Carr.

Center of Southwest Studies to host talk on Mesa Verde’s new visitor center

The Center's new program series, “Celebrating the Preservation of our Natural and Cultural Heritage”, continues on Tuesday, February 21st. Carol Sperling, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services at Mesa Verde National Park, will present a program on the park’s new Visitor and Research Center that is under construction. A reception will begin at 5:30pm, with the program starting at 6:00pm in the Center of Southwest Studies’ Lyceum.

The new visitor center is located at the junction of the park entrance road and Highway 160, and has been a goal of the park for many years. It will replace Far View Visitor Center as the primary location for visitor orientation, information, and ticket sales. Far View Visitor Center is located 15 miles inside the park, and has operated only during summer months. The new Visitor and Research Center, located close to the highway and open year round, will provide information and visitor services to travelers at the beginning their drive into Mesa Verde. In addition, the new building will also house the park’s research collection, archives and research library, greatly improving public access and stewardship of more than 3 million artifacts, archives and library collections.

Park staff, partners, and twenty-four Native American Tribes associated with Mesa Verde have worked together for the planning and design of the new facility. Designed using the standards of the US Green Building Council, it is expected to be LEEDS certified at the platinum level. Initial completion of the building is expected in spring, with expectations to open the building for public use in late fall 2012, followed by events to celebrate its completion in spring 2013.

Opening Reception for 'Ancient Skywatchers of the Southwest' on Thursday, February 9th

The Center is pleased to open a new photography exhibit by John Ninnemann, Ancient Skywatchers of the Southwest. A reception will be held at the Center of Southwest Studies Museum/ Gallery on Thursday, February 9th from 4:00-6:00 pm.

The Ancestral Puebloan people on the Colorado Plateau were sky watchers with a sophisticated knowledge of solar and lunar events. This collection of photographs exhibits the sun, moon and shadows in significant alignments occurring only on specific dates. Ninnemann is a photographer, scientist and Fort Lewis College Dean Emeritus.

Preservation Series continues with "Red Mountain Project: A Lesson in Extreme Historic Preservation Construction with Chris George"

Preservation Series kicks off 2012 with program on The Red Mountain Project

The Center of Southwest Studies is pleased to kick off our new program series, Celebrating the Preservation of our Natural and Cultural Heritage, on Wednesday January 25th with a talk on the Red Mountain Project. The Red Mountain Project protected 9000 acres of natural resources, landscapes, and historic structures and transportation features in the Ouray, Silverton and Telluride region. Speakers include Jason Corzine with The Trust for Public Land, current Mayor of Ouray Bob Risch, and Bev Rich with San Juan County Historical Society.
A reception will begin at 5:30pm, with the program starting at 6:00pm in the Center’s Lyceum.
This program is free and open to the public.