The Margre H. Durham Center for Western Studies engages the past, present, and future of the American West through exhibitions, publications, scholarship, and public programs. Reflecting our region and collections, the Durham Center emphasizes the art, peoples, and landscapes of the Upper Missouri Basin and High Plains.

Durham Center

The Margre H. Durham Center for Western Studies was established in 1980 as a research institute at the Joslyn Art Museum to safeguard, interpret, and celebrate the Museum’s rich collections of Western and Native American Art. The foundation of the collection and programs of the Durham Center are the Maximilian-Bodmer and the Alfred J. Miller collections, two of the most valuable national resources for the study of the artistic and natural history of the nineteenth-century American West.

The Durham Center for Western Studies Committee

Ron Schaefer
Chair

Lynne Durham Boyer

Mary Daugherty

Mace Hack, PhD

Wendy Katz, PhD

Tracy Leavelle, PhD

Susan Strauss Lebens

Kirk Kellner, ex-officio

A serene watercolor painting depicts a mountainous landscape with gentle slopes and lush greenery. The mountains are bathed in soft light under a partially cloudy sky, while a calm body of water lies in the foreground, reflecting the tranquility of the scene.

The Natural Face of North America

A Public Portal to the Maximilian-Bodmer Collection at the Joslyn Art Museum

A partnership between the Joslyn Art Museum, Creighton University, and the Nebraska Indian Community College, The Natural Face of North America is a digital initiative supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities that increases public access, exposure, and interpretation of The Joslyn’s renowned Maximilian-Bodmer collection and archive. The portal is now accessible online and in the galleries.