Center of Southwest Studies to Unveil Southwestern Treasures on June 17th

DURANGO, COLORADO - On June 17th the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College will open Treasures Unveiled, an exhibit of unique and rarely seen items from the Center’s collections. This exhibit will “explore for treasure” in a number of ways.
The word treasure can have many meanings. The Southwest holds national treasures, such as Canyonlands and Mesa Verde National Parks. People, too, are treasures. Artists like Stanton Englehart and RC Gorman are venerated for the beauty they create. Some treasures have more personal meaning: a family possession that survived the journey west, or perhaps a wedding photograph or an heirloom quilt. Some treasures are less tangible, such as a thoughtful word or stories of a different way of life.
This summer the Center of Southwest Studies invites you to joins us in a Southwestern treasure hunt!

The Center hosts the Treasures Unveiled opening reception at the Center of Southwest Studies gallery on Thursday, June 17th from 5:00-7:00PM. Please call the main office at 970-247-7456, or visit http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/ for further information.

Center hosts its Annual Summer Solstice Event on June 21st!

DURANGO, COLORADO- The Center of Southwest Studies hosts its ANNUAL SUMMER SOLSTICE event on Monday, June 21st! As the first rays of light rise over the horizon, the sun casts a spiral of light across our gallery's walls! Doors open at 5:45AM, viewing breakfast and music will continue until 7:30AM. Please call 970-247-7456 for more information.

Call for Old Fort artifacts and stories

We need your help with our 2011 Centennial exhibit!

The story of the Old Fort and the boarding school can only be told by those who lived it, and that is where the Center needs your help. Do you have any military memorabilia from the Old Fort, including china, silverware, tools, uniforms, furniture, or clothing for loan to the exhibit? Once the post was decommissioned, buildings were moved and large amounts of artifacts were disseminated throughout the region. You may have an Old Fort treasure sitting in your living room or basement! Please call us at 970-247-7456!

New summer hours offered

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College offers new summer hours, May - August. The Exhibit Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 1:00-4:00PM and Saturdays 12 noon-4:00PM. The Delaney Research Library is open Monday - Friday, 1:00-4:00PM, or by appointment. Exhibit admission is free, with free parking during summer sessions.

Mountain Lion! exhibit now open

The Center of Southwest Studies and Colorado Division of Wildlife present major new exhibit: Mountain Lion!

By Kevin Britz, Director of the Center of Southwest Studies

Photo by Robert Winslow

The Center of Southwest Studies and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, in partnership with the San Juan Mountains Association, the Southern Ute Tribe, Sorrell Sky Gallery, and Durango Nature Studies, present Mountain Lion! at the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

The exhibit was developed by the Center of Southwest Studies and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to address the pressing need for greater public awareness on the growing issue of human encounters with mountain lions. Over the last two decades, there has been a dramatic rise in cougar sightings and dangerous encounters on the urban fringes of numerous Western cities. In a few rare cases, there have been fatalities.

The goal of this exhibit is to create an understanding of the nature of these predators and their long, historic relation with people. The exhibit blends science, history and art to provide a comprehensive look at this mysterious predator. Mountain Lion! examines the history of cougars starting from the Ice Age when they roamed the continent along with fierce cats like the giant North American Lion and Smilodon, popularly known as saber-tooth tigers. Another exhibit section looks at the hunting techniques, habits, and physical features of modern mountain lions that have allowed them to survive for thousands of years. Mountain Lion! illustrates the different perspectives of Native Americans and early European settlers toward cougars, how opinions toward the animal changed, and the ways they continue to be portrayed in fine art and popular culture. Other sections teach visitors how to read cougar behavior, listen to cougar sounds, recognize tracks and scat, and offer practical tips on what to do if you encounter a mountain lion.

The exhibit features dioramas, fossil representations of extinct cougar relatives, and the work of leading wildlife photographers including Robert Winslow, Claude Steelman and John Ninneman.

An educational packet, designed by the San Juan Mountains Association, featuring mountain lions, can be accessed via the Center's website: http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/mtn_lion/education.shtml, and educational tours may be arranged through the Main Office, by please calling 970-247-7456.

After a year-long run in Durango, closing in the fall of 2010, the exhibit will travel to museums and nature centers throughout the greater Southwest including the states of Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona, and New Mexico.