“Power of Place” Initiative
The Power of Place Initiative explores, through conversations, exhibits, and student field camps, how geography, climate, and historic cultures have shaped our world in SW Colorado today. In turn, the initiative is about developing a better understanding of how we, as communities today, choose to move forward in shaping our future.
This initiative is reflected in projects and events of a number of leading regional institutions, including the Animas Museum, the Center of Southwest Studies, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, the Powerhouse Science Center, and Mountain Studies Institute. Further projects will be announced shortly. For now, visit or participate in this.
ONGOING Power of Place Events
At Fort Lewis College, Center for Southwest Studies
Constellations of Place
January 15, 2026-December 18, 2026
The Center of Southwest Studies (Center) at Fort Lewis College (FLC) has produced a visually stunning exhibition rooted in the landscapes and layered histories of Southwest Colorado. Constellations of Place features 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. The exhibition, running throughout 2026, was guest-curated by scholar, writer, and independent curator Dr. Meranda Roberts (Yerington Paiute, Chicana).
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. For more on this initiative
Constellations of Place opened on January 15 with a reception. It will run until December 18, 2026. Visitors viewed 60 works of art and mixed media.
At the Animas Museum
Following the Old Spanish Trail
The Animas Museum is highlighting one of the most consequential and arduous of all trade routes in the southwestern United States. The Old Spanish Trail was a vital trade route that traversed southwest Colorado, connecting Santa Fe to California in the early 19th century. Following the trails used by Native peoples and explorers, including Juan Rivera, Dominguez, and Escalante, the Old Spanish Trail served as a conduit for change in the Southwest. Learn more about this exhibition and other 250-150 related events at the museum in 2026.
