Looking for an enjoyable spot to add to your must-visit list this summer? Here at the American Heritage Center, located in the Centennial Complex on the campus of the University of Wyoming, we have just the spot you are looking for. From a 3D Immersive Triceratops model to classic works by painter Alfred Jacob Miller, there is sure to be an area of interest for everyone. Continue on to learn more about what to expect when you visit!

The Centennial Complex opened in 1993 and was designed by Antoine Predock. It’s home to the American Heritage Center and The University of Wyoming Art Museum. The building itself is known for its unique architecture emulating that of a mountain and plains at the base. Inside the mountain is where you will find the Loggia, complete with a cozy fireplace, cinderblock pillar forest, and sky at the canopy above. The space was designed to make visitors feel as though they were outside while indoors.

Along the walls and throughout the main floor of the Loggia are various exhibits and informational panels. Visitors can explore our current exhibits along the outer walls while based at the corners of the space are informational panels describing the collection areas that the American Heritage Center is home to. The areas the AHC collects include transportation, Wyoming and the West, the entertainment industry, conservation and the environment, and mining, petroleum, and energy and more. In addition to our collection areas, visitors are able to read more about what we do and the programs that take place at the AHC.

Currently on exhibit are: “More Pronghorn than People,” photographic works by Lora Webb Nichols, the Triceratops model, and many more. To learn more about these exhibits, and others, you can visit https://virmuze.com/m/uwyo-american-heritage-center/ or https://www.uwyo.edu/ahc/eduoutreach/exhibits/.

Adjacent to the Loggia are Gallery One and the Rentschler Room. Gallery One exhibits are comprised of works by Alfred Jacob Miller, Frederic Remington, and Richard Throssel. Recently renovated as a way to bring about more space to highlight artworks, Gallery One is furnished with seating for those to take in the artwork around the space. Originally built in the William Robertson Coe Library, The Rentschler Room was brought to the AHC when it opened in 1993. The space was designed as a replica office of the late George A. Rentschler after the donation of his works by his widow Rita Cushman. It houses 13 paintings by Henry Farny and one by Frederic Remington. 

Visiting the American Heritage Center this summer should be at the top of your list. With exhibits curated to give patrons a comprehensive view of what the AHC does and collects, and highlights classic western artworks, the Loggia is an enjoyable experience for all. To learn more about visiting the space and for hours of operation, please visit our website at https://www.uwyo.edu/ahc.

Post contributed by AHC docent Kenzie Venters Bowlby.

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