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As the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College concludes a yearlong celebration of its 60th anniversary, it isn’t just reflecting on the past — it’s looking ahead with a renewed commitment to inclusive, experiential learning and meaningful community engagement.

For six decades, the center has served as a museum, archives, and library, a cultural gathering space, and a steward of stories — a place where history meets the future through research, art, and student-driven inquiry.

“It was something that President (John) Reed was very proud of and very pleased to have,” said Richard Ballantine, chair of Ballantine Communications and son of Durango Herald publisher Morley Ballantine. “There is something about a richness that comes from gathering items … and using those as a foundation for conversations about what went on before and what it might mean for the future.”

From vision to vital institution

The center’s roots trace back to 1964, the same year Fort Lewis College transitioned from a two-year to a four-year institution. That year, Morley Ballantine and her husband, Arthur, donated $10,000 — the equivalent of roughly $100,000 today — to help establish what they envisioned as a center of academic distinction and a repository for artifacts, books, and documents for studying the Southwest.

History professor Robert Delaney became the founding director, initially housing the center in Berndt Hall before moving it to the top floor of Reed Library in 1967. The Arthur Ballantine Reading Room soon became a scholarly destination, but space limitations spurred a new vision.

By 2001, a $4 million campaign supported by more than 300 donors had built the current 48,000-square-foot facility. Today, it houses exhibition galleries, archival and museum collections, the Robert Delaney Southwest Research Library & Archive, and academic departments such as Anthropology, Environmental Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies.

 

In 2002, the Colorado Legislature recognized the center’s role in House Bill 02-1419, citing it as a “valuable regional, national, and international resource” that complements the college’s Native American-serving mission.

The collections now number in the tens of thousands — from student theses and college records to Native art, textiles, photographs, oral histories, historic maps, tourism ephemera, area mining records, ethnographic objects, and archaeological artifacts.

A resource for students

Through the FLC Foundation, the center provides students with impactful, hands-on experiences, including internships, fellowships, research projects, and exhibits.

“One of the most exciting things that we get to do here at the center is working with students throughout their career at Fort Lewis College,” said Cory Pillen, director of the Center of Southwest Studies. “Students really shape most of what we do at the center, and they get hands-on professional experience that helps set them up as they move forward in their careers.”

Clean the htmal but maintain urls

For some students, that connection runs deep. Leah Pascarella, an anthropology and environmental conservation major, class of 2025, said her work there helped shape her future.

“I think this is definitely something that I can see myself doing for the rest of my life,” Pascarella said. “It’s definitely entered as one of my future career paths.”

Art, identity and innovation

Faculty from across disciplines rely on the center to enrich their teaching and inspire student engagement. Marnie Clay, assistant professor of health and human performance, uses it in her “Nutrition and Culture” course.

“Object-based learning allows students to learn about different cultures through an object,” Clay said. “Just this painting inspired them to do a lot of digging and research.”
That painting — The Nut Harvest by Jean Bales, an artist from the Iowa Tribe — leads students to explore Indigenous foodways, roles in food gathering and the nutritional properties of the foods depicted.

For Meg Alvarado-Saggese, assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous studies, the center fosters identity and belonging.

“The center has been a great way to think about Indigenous works, Indigenous art and Indigenous relationships to visual and artistic creation,” she said. “It’s exciting every time you bring students into the space, and they get to see themselves reflected in the art and in this gallery. I hope it’s one of the first of many times they get to be in a museum and see artists who look and have experiences like they do.”

Community connections

With two to three exhibitions annually, the center plays a key role in public engagement. The upcoming show, From the Fringes: Diné Textiles That Disrupt, opened May 29 and runs through Nov. 13. Curated by Diné weaver and educator Venancio Aragón, the exhibition juxtaposes historical and contemporary textiles to highlight innovation and cultural continuity.  Aragón earned his bachelor’s in Native American and Indigenous studies at Fort Lewis College and is currently pursuing a master's in education here as well.

“This exhibition focuses on a range of technical and aesthetic oddities that have been overlooked or understudied within the Diné weaving repertoire and seeks to honor the achievements of our ancestors,” says Aragón.

From the Fringes includes several textiles from the center’s collections that have never been exhibited, as well as weavings by Aragón, his mother Irveta Aragón and students from Diné College’s Navajo Cultural Arts Program where Venancio teaches full-time. A public reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 29.

A student’s reflection

For Kaicee Pablo, a Diné student now in her third year at FLC, the center offered an early and meaningful moment of connection. As a first-year student in 2022, she was heading to class on the second floor when she encountered a newly painted mural by fellow students.

“I remember seeing it for the first time and thinking, ‘Wow, that is so beautiful,’” Pablo said.

The mural depicted Dibé Nitsaa — Hesperus Peak — the Sacred Mountain of the North in Diné tradition. “Seeing Dibé Nitsaa reminded me of home, and that gave me a sense of comfort,” she said.

Pablo later reflected on the deeper symbolism. “The mural is a reminder from my father and family to stay focused and accountable,” she said. “Success isn’t handed to you — you have to work hard and make it happen.”

Looking ahead

As the anniversary year closes, the center is advancing its next chapter with a new strategic plan to sustain and expand its impact — through programs, preservation and greater public access.

“The center’s collections and programs are not just for the college — they’re a resource for the entire region,” said Cory Pillen, director of the Center of Southwest Studies. “We’re focused on building stronger connections between campus and community through exhibitions, events and access to the stories that shape the Southwest.”
“Looking ahead, it’s a time of real momentum,” she said. “We’re excited about where the center is headed.”

In honor of 60 years of giving to the Center of Southwest Studies and thanks to the pledged support of a generous donor, gifts to the CSWS will be matched until June 30. The contributions continue to fuel the center's efforts to promote research, scholarship, and community engagement—inspiring conversations about our region’s history and what it might mean for the future. To donate, visit the CSWS page.

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