The University of Oklahoma is an ideal location for the Visual Wests institute. Few universities or cultural institutions can match its rich faculty, archival, and museum resources on the American West. Relevant OU facilities include:
Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center – Named for the native Oklahoman and Speaker of the House, the CAC promotes inquiries on Congress’s history, structure and leadership and holds papers of 61 members of Congress.
Charles M. Russell Center for the Study of the Art of the American West – Dedicated to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge about art of the U.S. West, including its namesake and his contemporaries, the center houses books, video and audio items, periodicals, dissertations, archival materials and artists’ papers.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art – One of the finest university art museums, its strengths include ancestral and contemporary Native American art, art of the Southwest, ceramics, photography, and contemporary art.
Jacobson House Native Art Center – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the former home of artist and OU Professor Oscar Jacobson on the OU campus showcases Native American art and culture through exhibits and lectures.
Sam Noble Museum of Natural History – The museum preserves and develops a greater understanding and appreciation of natural resources and human cultural heritage, while highlighting 4 billion years of Oklahoma’s natural history.
Western History Collections – The WHC is a premier special research collection within the OU Libraries that provides for the acquisition, preservation, and access of materials relating to the development of the Trans-Mississippi West and Native American cultures.
Your Work in the Institute
Each participant will pursue a research project during the institute. The projects may be continuations of work already begun and need not be completed during the institute. These projects may develop new teaching materials, promote the participant’s growth as a scholar, or both.
Use of materials from archives and centers at the University of Oklahoma will be expected in participants’ research, and meetings with faculty and library staff are strongly encouraged. The creation of web resources resulting from individual research projects will be welcomed.
In the opening days of the institute, participants will meet individually with the directors to discuss their projects and possible resources at OU that will support their research. The co-directors will hold regular office hours during the Institute.
During the final two days of the institute, each participant will present their work to the group more formally.
OU Library Privileges
Participants may apply in advance of, or during, the institute for privileges as “visiting scholars or researchers” in OU Libraries here.
We also ask participants to pre-register for the Western History Collections here.
Please also be aware of the scheduling form on the same page. The WHC staff will explain this form in more detail at the start of the institute, but please recognize that participants will use it to request materials a day in advance to insure their availability.
Visual Wests NEH Institute 