The Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, founded in 1988 by Gene Autry, explores the history, art, and cultures of the American West through exhibitions, performances, festivals, lectures, and educational programs. Based in Griffith Park with a resources center in Burbank, it grew under founding director Joanne Hale into a major collecting and research institution. Its scope broadened through mergers with the Women of the West Museum of Colorado in 2002 and the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in 2003, adding major collections and wider perspectives. Through later leadership, thematic galleries, Native-led interpretation, and programs such as Native Voices, it has become a leading Southern California institution for understanding the West’s complexity.

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