Past Events

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum

Free and open to the public. Light breakfast provided. 

Join us for breakfast and a conversation with Dr. Elena Carrara, Associate Research Curator with The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s (The Met’s) Department of Scientific Research. Her talk explores how scientific analysis deepens our understanding of museum collections, revealing hidden histories and shaping new narratives. An open discussion will follow.

This public event kicks off a multi-day collaboration between The Met’s Department of Scientific Research, the Center of Southwest Studies, and Fort Lewis College’s Chemistry Department as part of The Met’s Scientific Research Partnerships program. Funded by generous grants from the Mellon Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this initiative was designed to explore materials and techniques used in art across cultures and time to deepen understanding, appreciation, and preservation of museum collections. From June 30-July 2, we will conduct non-invasive XRF analysis on textiles from the Center’s collections, laying the groundwork for future student research and ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration.

Location: Durango Public Library - Community Room #1

Lunch provided thanks to a generous grant from the Denver Foundation.

Please join us for a listening session with Dr. Meranda Roberts, guest curator of an upcoming exhibition titled Cartographies of Belonging that will open in January 2026 at the Center of Southwest Studies.

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Gallery

Free and open to the public

Join us in celebrating the summer solstice on Saturday, June 21. At the dawn of the solstice, a spiral of sunlight from the Center's solstice window makes its way across the gallery walls. Arrive early to ensure you don't miss the impressive display. Light refreshments will be provided.

Center of Southwest Studies Exhibition Gallery 

Free and open to the public (early arrival is suggested to secure a seat).

The Department of Native American & Indigenous Studies (NAIS) at Fort Lewis College will hold its inaugural fashion showcase in the Center of Southwest Studies Exhibition Gallery, highlighting wearable creations made by students in the semester-long course Native American Art & Culture, co-taught by Esther Belin (Diné) and Dr. Majel Boxer (Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota, Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Reservation). 

Location: CSWS Lyceum

Free and open to the public

The Center of Southwest Studies will host a special presentation, 100 Years of Silence: The Aniknuche Incarceration, covering the so-called “Posey War” of 1923 that impacted and displaced Ute and Paiute communities across San Juan County, Utah.  Special guests, Shaun Ketchum, Jr. (Paiute and Ute Mountain Ute), director of the 100 Years of Silence project and direct descendent of William Posey, along with author and environmental and public historian Jedidiah Rogers, PhD, will explore this powerful, largely untold chapter of American history—one that forces us to rethink what we know about “the Last Indian War” and the resilience of a people who refused to disappear. In this centennial year, voices silenced for too long are finally being heard.

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum

Light Refreshments Provided

Join us for an evening of reflection and storytelling as we honor the remarkable legacy of Dr. Duane Smith at Fort Lewis College.

A beloved professor, historian, and prolific author, Duane Smith left an indelible mark on students, colleagues, and the broader community. His passion for history, quick wit, and dedication to teaching shaped generations of students and brought Colorado’s past to life through more than 50 books and countless lectures.

This special event will feature a panel of colleagues and friends sharing personal remembrances, followed by an open forum where attendees are invited to share their own stories. We welcome all who knew Duane or were touched by his work to join us in celebrating his life and contributions.

This event was made possible through a generous gift from Al Harper.

Location: Art Hall 156 (Printmaking Lab), Art & Design Building

The Center of Southwest Studies is pleased to bring to campus innovative Diné textile weaver and Fort Lewis College alum, Venancio Aragon, for a demonstration of natural wool dyeing using native and invasive plants. Venancio will share the same process he uses to create the wool skeins for his incredible polychromatic textiles. This opportunity is free and open to the community. Drop in and meet Venancio and learn about his studio practice as a dynamic Navajo textile artist, made even more fascinating with his background in anthropology and his experiences as a Fort Lewis College alum of the Native American and Indigenous Studies program.

Location: CSWS Rm #271 (upstairs conference room)

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FLC FACULTY AND LOCAL EDUCATORS! 

Bring your lunch and join us at the Center of Southwest Studies for an overview of Object-Based Learning and ways you can integrate the Center’s dynamic collections into your teaching practice. This hourlong session will also include brief presentations by the Center’s 2023-’24 Teaching Fellows, Paige Belinte (Diné), MEd, and Candace Nadon, PhD, who will share how they worked with the Center’s collections to enhance their students’ learning experiences.

Location: CSWS Gallery, Free

The producers of Native Braids will perform an excerpt of an upcoming episode--a story exploring the backstory and enduring success of professional speed skier Ross Anderson (Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Mescalero-Chiricahua Apache). Following the performance, we'll have a Q&A with Ross Anderson, who holds numerous national and world titles, and is currently still the fastest American on skis at 154.06 miles per hour. Anderson was raised in Durango and grew up skiing runs at Purgatory Resort before finding a passion for speed skiing at the age of 22. Following an impressive career as a professional athlete, Anderson made history once again in 2024 when he became the first Native American to be inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

Native Braids is an audio storytelling project created by independent producer Adam Burke in collaboration with KSUT Tribal Radio. The project brings together an array of Native American voices from across the Southwest through conversations and storytelling. Learn more about Native Braids.

Location: CSWS Lyceum, Free 

The Center of Southwest Studies will host a free screening of the recently released documentary, Navajo Solar Sunrise, which tells the story of the Navajo Nation’s transition to clean energy through a community solar project. A panel discussion will follow the screening with the film’s director, Angelo Baca (Diné/Hopi), along with Dr. Laurie Williams (Professor of Physics and Engineering and founder of the FLC Navajo Nation Solar Initiative) and Camille Keith (Diné), Engineering ‘22 (FLC Marathon Solar Fellow).