Autry National Center

Women of the West

In 2002 the Women of the West Museum merged with the Autry National Center creating a gathering place for programs, exhibitions, collections, research and education dedicated to diverse women's experiences in the American West. Our goal is to gain a new understanding, not simply of what women have done, but why it matters for the West, past, present, and future.

Founded in 1991 in Boulder, Colorado, the Women of the West Museum was the first museum in the nation dedicated to the history of women of all cultures in the American West.  The Women of the West Museum, committed to education outside traditional museum walls, broke new ground with innovative use of online exhibitions [link to past exhibitions page], community partnerships, women's history trails, and art-based humanities programs. The merger with the Autry reflected a continuation of its original spirit, while providing a physical home in Los Angeles to continue its vision through new exhibitions and programs integrated into an over-all vision of the West.

Virginia Scharff
Chair, Women of the West
Professor of History, and Director, Center for the Southwest, at the University of New Mexico

Dr. Scharff has written numerous works about the history of women in the United States. At the Autry she works with Dr. Carolyn Brucken, Assistant Curator for Western Women's History, to develop exhibitions and programs about women and gender, including Home Lands: How Women Made the West [link to exhibition page]

To contact a curator about donating an object, click This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Link to Convergence articles by Virginia and Carolyn
Example: Carolyn Brucken and Virginia Scharff, "The Cosmopolitan World of Owl Woman and William Bent," Convergence, Fall 2007.

Butcher Scholar Award
The Women of the West Museum established the Butcher Scholar Award in 2001 to honor the vision, leadership, and generosity of Jane and Charlie Butcher. Each year, this award supports the work of a promising scholar or artist whose project demonstrates innovation and creativity in the field of western women's history. The award carries a stipend of up to $5,000.

Past online exhibitions:

This Shall be the Land for Women
In 1893 when Colorado won a stunning victory for women's voting rights, western journalist Caroline Nichols Churchill cheered, "This Shall be the Land for Women!"  Women of the American West led the nation in the struggle for female voting rights, known as the "suffrage movement." This remarkable story began in 1869, when Wyoming Territory approved full and equal suffrage for scarcely one thousand women.

Visit the exhibition to learn more about state-by-state victories, biographies of suffrage leaders, and more.

There are No Renters Here – Homesteading in a Sod House
In 1862, The United States government passed the Homestead Act, which opened up much of the West for settlement by U.S. Citizens. Land taken from American Indians – by means of war, treaties, and trading – was declared "public domain." Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln, The Homestead Act made it possible for many people to own land for the first time in their lives.

Visit the exhibition to view historical documents and to learn about the story of Mattie Oblinger, a Nebraska homesteader, and her family's life in a sod house.

Collaborations: Drawn Together
While the most famous woman artist in the West is unquestionably Georgia O'Keeffe--known for her solitary and independent nature--many other women have chosen to work together to produce art. In this exhibition, the Women of the West Museum presents six examples of just a few ways in which women have come together for the purpose of creating art: as mentors and disciples; mothers, sisters, and daughters; teachers and students; and friends and associates.

Drawn Together: Women Make Art in the American West was first produced by the Women of the West Museum with support from Xcel Energy Foundation.

Lodo Mural Project
This exhibition was a part of a larger public program that took place from January through September 2000 at 16 Market Street, in downtown Denver, Colorado. Across from a central bus station, along a busy corridor in an area known as LoDo, or Lower Downtown, a 250-foot long mural introduced passers-by to some of the many women who have contributed to Colorado history.