Our Collections

The Center’s museum collections include items that span centuries and diverse media—from textiles, pottery, and basketry to contemporary art and historic objects. Together, they reflect the creativity, innovation, and cultural traditions of the Southwest. 

Highlights include: 

• The Durango Collection® & Southwest Textile Collection: An internationally renowned collection representing close to 1,000 years of weaving traditions, showcasing the artistry of Pueblo, Diné, Hispanic, and Latinx communities and the cultural exchanges that shaped their work. 

• The Bill & Sue Hensler Contemporary Native Art Collection: More than 1,500 works by contemporary Native American artists, assembled over decades with a focus on emerging talent in the Southwest.

The archives preserve more than 6,000 linear feet of documents, photographs, maps, and oral histories that capture the cultural and environmental history of the Southwest.

Highlights include:

• Cutter Collection of World Maps (1560–1814): Seventy-seven rare maps—among the Center’s oldest holdings—that reveal how people once imagined and represented the world.

• Environmental Reports and Records: Collections related to water and the region’s environmental history, including records from the Western Colorado Power Company, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Four Corners Environmental Research Institute.

The official repository of Fort Lewis College, the Center preserves records and ephemera related to the College. These archives provide lasting access to the institution's history across generations.

The Robert Delaney Southwest Special Collections Library has a diverse array of books on topics such as Native American history, railroads, mining, ranching, museum practice, and more. These resources, which are non-circulating but available for use in the library, deepen research and understanding of the Southwest.