2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. What does this document and the formation of the United States mean for us who live and work in the American West?
From public lands to citizenship and sovereignty, this programmatic series will explore the legacies of the 250th in the American West.
Spring events begin on March 12.
Spring 2026 Events
THURSDAY, MARCH 12
Back East
With Flannery Burke, Ph.D., Saint Louis University
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Presentation begins at 6:30 pm
How have Western writers and scholars imagined and shaped the American East? In her book Back East, historian Flannery Burke flips the script on American regional narratives by centering the west in the cultural landscape. Join us for a discussion of how Westerners have influenced the development of the United States.
$8, members receive 20% discount
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
Public Lands
With Leisl Carr Childers, Colorado State University
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Presentation begins at 6:30 pm
Public lands are a tangible aspect of life in the American West. What are the origins of public lands and how have debates over their use shaped the West? Historian, author and associate professor at Colorado State University Leisl Carr Childers will discuss the history of public lands from the American Revolution to today.
$8, members receive 20% discount
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
Citizenship
With Susan Kamei, author, When Can We Go Back To America?
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Presentation begins at 6:30 pm
Susan Kamei’s family members were among the over 120,000 Japanese Americans forcibly detained during World War II. Her book, When Can We Go Back to America?, grapples with contradictions between the ideas this country was founded on and the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. Kamei will explore the constitutional, historical, and political ramifications for citizenship and what it means to be an American today.
$12, members receive 20% discount
Reception with no-host bar and light appetizers included.
