Explore our Collections
Founded in 1936, the museum’s permanent collection of over 17,000 objects showcases the rich history and vibrant contemporary cultures of the Southwest and the Americas. Our robust exhibition program brings a wide variety of art experiences to Colorado Springs.
Our collection contains works of art from Native American (Pueblo, Plains, Plateau, and Great Basin cultures),
Hispanic and Spanish Colonial, and 20th Century American art.
Image above: Glenna Goodacre, The Basket Dance, 1987 (detail)
Agents of Care: A Collections Transparency Project
The museum transformed 1,500 square feet of gallery into a space designed to highlight the often unseen, behind-the-scenes collections-based work of the museum. Guests can engage with visible storage that house objects under our care, as well as artworks used for college coursework and other research projects. Talk with the museum team as they work on a series of projects including conservation, the physical care and storage of items, stewardship of cultural items including NAGPRA initiatives (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act), data management, digitization, collection-based research, and other topics.
This initiative, the first of its kind for the FAC, will radically increase access to the collection for Colorado College faculty, students, and the broader public. Through an ever-rotating series of presentations and programs—including hands-on workshops—Agents of Care provides a platform for critical conversations about museum practice while making transparent the Fine Arts Center Museum’s ongoing effort to enhance its stewardship of over 17,000 works.
Agents of Care: A Collections Transparency Project is supported by the Catharine and Bart Holaday Endowment for Interactive Art.
eMuseum
We’re taking our museum collection online!
Thanks to a major grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the FAC Museum is in the process of digitizing our renowned permanent collection to improve public access and foster research, teaching, and engagement with this wonderful collection of art.
Online Database
Since 1919 the collection has grown through gifts, bequests, and strategic purchases, with particular depth in art of the American Southwest and the Colorado Springs region. As an academic museum, we are committed to supporting teaching, learning, and active engagement with the collection. The museum launched this online database in December 2019, with the goal of making its collections widely accessible and available to the public. On this site visitors can search and explore the collection. Check back periodically to browse new entries in this ongoing project. Some data may change as a result of current research.
Mural Art at the Fine Arts Center
Sponsors
