Center of Southwest Studies

Founded in 1967 with a $10,000 donation from Durango Herald publisher Morley Ballantine and her husband Arthur, the Center of Southwest Studies serves as a vital research facility and cultural institution supporting Fort Lewis College. We occupy a 48,000-square-foot building that opened in 2001, housing the Delaney Research Library, exhibition galleries, and workrooms for our extensive collections. Our holdings include The Durango Collection® of Diné (Navajo), Puebloan, and Hispanic textiles; fine art featuring Native American paintings and works on paper; ethnographic materials; and historic documents, maps, and photographs. The center offers exhibitions, educational programming, and professional internships to students, faculty, and the general public. Our staff, including Collections Manager Amy Cao and Curator of Exhibitions Cristie Scott, ensures our archives remain accessible for undergraduate research and experiential learning. We play a crucial role in the academic mission of Fort Lewis College, which transitioned to four-year status in 1964 and became independent of the Colorado State University system in 2002, a status recognized by noting our valuable regional and national resources. We are open Monday through Friday.