January 15–December 18, 2026
The Center of Southwest Studies (Center) at Fort Lewis College (FLC) is pleased to present Constellations of Place, a major exhibition rooted in the landscapes and layered histories of Southwest Colorado. Guest curated by scholar, writer, and independent curator, Dr. Meranda Roberts (Yerington Paiute, Chicana), Constellations of Place will feature a selection of over 60 textiles, pottery, beadwork, 2D works, and mixed media pieces from the Center’s permanent collections alongside the work of 13 invited contemporary Native American, Indigenous, and Latinx artists.
Exhibition Catalog
This exhibition is a collaborative project between the Center of Southwest Studies, Department of Reconciliation, and Four Corners Bridging Institute at Fort Lewis College, and the result of over a year of planning, listening sessions, and research. Constellations of Place is made possible with generous support from the Belonging Colorado initiative of The Denver Foundation and the Greater Good Science Center and is in partnership with the America 250-Colorado 150 Southwest regional “Power of Place” initiative.
Loaned works will span mediums of sculpture, tapestry, screenprint, video projection, digital collage, painting, photography, beadwork, and textiles from the artists:
ABOUT THE GUEST CURATOR
Dr. Meranda Roberts, a citizen of the Yerington Paiute Tribe of Nevada and Chicana, is a scholar, a writer, an educator, and an independent curator whose work sits at the intersection of Indigenous history, museum studies, and visual culture. Guided by Indigenous methodologies and anti-colonial pedagogy, Dr. Roberts is committed to reconnecting museum collections with descendant communities and reshaping the way institutions engage with Indigenous histories and futures.
Prior curatorial projects include serving as co-curator and guest curator for such major institutions as the Field Museum of Natural History (co-curator, Native Truths: Our Stories. Our Voices.); Idyllwild Arts’ Native American Arts Festival (guest curator, Still We Smile: Humor as Correction and Joy); the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College (guest curator Continuity: Cahuilla Basket Weavers and their Legacies); and The Church (Eternal Testament, co-curated with Shinnecock artist, Jeremy Dennis).
Dr. Roberts holds a Ph.D. in History and an M.A. in Public History from the University of California, Riverside, and she serves on the Scholarly Advisory Committee for the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum.
Learn more: https://merandawriteshistory.com/
PRESS
Since its opening, Constellations of Place has been getting some wonderful attention from across the region. We’re grateful for the thoughtful coverage and the many conversations the exhibition has sparked. Below is a link to the exhibition press release and a selection of recent features and reviews.
Center of Southwest Studies’ Exhibit Rooted in Landscape, People, and History of Southwest Colorado, Jamie Wanzek, Rocky Mountain Community Radio/KSUT (February 13, 2026)
New Art Exhibitions Offer Creative Interpretations of Native Survival and Endurance, hosted by Art Hughes, Native American Calling Podcast (February 6, 2026)
Review: FLC’s Center Southwest Studies Mounts Major Exhibition, Judith Reynolds, The Durango Herald (January 28, 2026)
Constellations of Place exhibition Invites Reflection on Belonging, History and Land at Fort Lewis College, FLC News (January 27, 2026)
Baker’s Art Featured in New FLC Exhibit, Divine Windy Boy, The Southern Ute Drum (January 23, 2026)
Constellations of Place, Paige Sparks, Durango Local News (January 19, 2026)
Layers of History: ‘Constellations of Place’ Honors Years of Statehood, as Well as People Who Came Before, Missy Votel, Durango Telegraph (January 15, 2026)
Center of Southwest Studies Presents ‘Constellations of Place’, Southern Ute Drum (December 24, 2025)
image slider caption: Kachina Song Blessings, Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa -"Walking in Harmony"), Hopi Pueblo, Center of Southwest Studies collection 1994:04010