{"id":120,"date":"2025-01-29T16:29:45","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T16:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/tcfb\/?p=120"},"modified":"2025-04-18T14:10:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:10:47","slug":"find-your-artistic-inspiration-at-the-wittliff-collections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/tcfb\/find-your-artistic-inspiration-at-the-wittliff-collections\/","title":{"rendered":"Find Your Artistic Inspiration at The Wittliff Collections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This is the first in a series of articles and videos showcasing exceptional libraries across Texas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Library name:<\/strong> The Wittliff Collections<\/a>, Texas State University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location:<\/strong> The 7th floor of the Albert B. Alkek Library on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hours:<\/strong> Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 12:30 p.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. Plan your visit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more:<\/strong> Watch our video<\/a> for an in-depth look at the Wittliff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes this library special:<\/strong> The Wittliff Collections are both an archive and a museum. The Collections celebrate the cultural heritage of Texas, the Southwest and Mexico, in nine galleries. It includes material related to literature, writing, photography, music, TV and film. Highlights include material from the King of the Hill<\/em> TV series, a music archive of Texas icon Willie Nelson, treasures of Mexican photography, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What to look for as a first-time visitor: <\/strong>People come from all over the world to view the Wittliff\u2019s Lonesome Dove Collection<\/a>. It\u2019s the production archives of the 1989 American Western epic TV miniseries, adapted from the 1985 novel by Larry McMurtry. You can view costumes, scripts, props and images, all in excellent condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe always have the Lonesome Dove<\/em> archive on display because it\u2019s so popular,\u201d said David Coleman, Director of The Wittliff Collections. \u201cWe have generations of people coming here for that, visitors who come from many different countries. Germans love their cowboys, Japanese love their cowboys, the myth of the cowboy is ever-present and popular.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Collections also include items from hundreds of musicians, including an iconic hat from Stevie Ray Vaughan. Notably, it is the home for the literary archive of Cormac McCarthy, who is widely regarded as one of the great American novelists (All the Pretty Horses<\/em>, No Country for Old Men<\/em>, Blood Meridian<\/em>, The Road<\/em> and more.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCormac McCarthy scholars from many countries come here to do research for books, articles, presentations and films,\u201d said Katie Salzmann, Lead Archivist for The Wittliff Collections. \u201cAnd the Willie Nelson series that was just done (the 2023 documentary Willie Nelson & Family<\/em>, on Paramount +) included a lot of our material from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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History of this library: <\/strong>The collections began as the Southwestern Writers Collection at Texas State University in 1986, when founders Bill and Sally Wittliff donated the papers from author and folklorist J. Frank Dobie, which included diaries, journals, manuscripts and memorabilia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were founded as a place where young creatives could get inspired,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cBill was a visionary, but he had also begun as a frustrated writer. He wanted to show young people that even great masters struggle with putting a paragraph together or putting a story together. It doesn\u2019t just pour out of the heavens, it takes work.\u201d The collections started off with writing, and then expanded into photography, music, TV and film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBill was an amazing person and would always tell young people, or even older people, who had the \u2018itch to create but not yet the courage,\u2019 to start creating. Just start. The more you do it, the better it will become,\u201d Coleman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you see these world-class writers coming from the places that you know, world-class music that comes out of your hometown, it\u2019s inspiring to see people make art from the place that you live.<\/p>– Steve Davis, literary curator (retired)<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Audience for this library: <\/strong>In addition to professional scholars conducting research, The Wittliff Collections are an oft-used resource for Texas State University faculty and students. The Wittliff has partnerships with The Center for Texas Music History<\/a>, the MFA in Creative Writing<\/a> program and The Center for the Study of the Southwest<\/a>, all located at Texas State. \u201cWe are very open to working with faculty, and getting students exposed to primary sources \u2013 someone\u2019s original letters or notes \u2013 can really be a cool experience for people,\u201d Coleman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worth noting:<\/strong> The Spirit of San Antonio<\/a> exhibit, on display at The Wittliff until May 16, 2025, celebrates the writers and musicians of San Antonio. \u201cWhen you see these world-class writers coming from the places that you know, world-class music that comes out of your hometown, it\u2019s inspiring to see people make art from the place that you live,\u201d said Steve Davis, the longtime Literary Curator at The Wittliff Collections who recently retired after 30+ years at the library. Items in the display include materials from author Sandra Cisneros (The House on Mango Street<\/em>, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories<\/em>), as well as items from Percy Jackson & the Olympians<\/em> series author Rick Riordan, and selections from the extraordinary Ramon Hern\u00e1ndez Tejano Music Collection. The latter includes photographs and recordings from Selena, Flaco Jim\u00e9nez and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And one last thing:<\/strong> \u201cI would say if you haven\u2019t been to the Wittliff, it can take a while to get here and park, but I tell you, it\u2019s worth it,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cOnce people walk through the doors, they are really overwhelmed by the beauty of our spaces – we have nine galleries – it\u2019s a beautiful, warm, inviting space where you can discover amazing treasures from the cultures of the Southwest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n