Provided by Texas Tech University
LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) – The Ranching Heritage Association has raised more than $22 million, reaching 75% of its $28 million construction fundraising goal for the Red Steagall Institute for Traditional Western Arts at Texas Tech University’s National Ranching Heritage Center, with groundbreaking planned for summer 2027. The initiative is now entering its public fundraising phase to support a new institute dedicated to preserving Western arts, ranching traditions and cultural heritage through hands-on instruction, educational programming and engagement with master artists and artisans.
Why This Matters:
• Preserving Heritage: The institute will safeguard traditional Western arts, craftsmanship and ranching values by passing skills and cultural knowledge from accomplished masters to future generations.
• Expanding Opportunities: The institute will significantly enhance the National Ranching Heritage Center’s educational offerings, providing students, visitors and the public with hands-on instruction in leatherwork, metalworking, painting, sculpture, songwriting and poetry.
• Strengthening Engagement: With more than $22 million raised from over 150 donors, the initiative demonstrates strong philanthropic support for Texas Tech while creating an opportunity for the broader community to help secure the remaining $6 million needed to begin construction.
The Ranching Heritage Association announced today that the initiative to build the Red Steagall Institute for Traditional Western Arts has reached 75% of its construction fundraising goal and is now opening fundraising to the public.
Donors have given more than $22 million toward the $28 million needed to begin construction. Groundbreaking is planned for summer 2027 at the National Ranching Heritage Center (NRHC) on the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock.
“We are grateful for the more than 150 donors who stepped forward to bring Red’s vision to life during the leadership phase of this effort,” said Jim Bret Campbell, executive director for the NRHC and the Ranching Heritage Association. “Their generosity has brought us more than three-quarters of the way there, and we’re excited about what comes next.”
Those gifts came from a committed group of donors who recognize the need to preserve and pass forward cow-country values and traditions.
“Their support for the Red Steagall Institute puts us in a strong position to reach our construction fundraising goal,” Campbell said. “We’re inviting others who share our commitment to Western heritage to join us and secure the remaining funding.”
The institute will significantly expand the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech. It will be a working institute where accomplished masters teach, practice and share their skills with the public, offering instruction and special programming in Western bit and spur making, leatherwork, painting, photography, sculpting, songwriting and poetry.
“Most importantly, it will be a place to pass on our knowledge of the heritage, traditions and values that we live by,” Red Steagall said.
Steagall, a famed cowboy poet, musician and storyteller, has spent nearly 50 years championing Western arts and the ranching way of life. In 2023, he helped launch the initiative by donating his life’s work, including song and poetry manuscripts and recordings of his radio and television programs, to the NRHC.
“No one has done more to keep ranching and the Western way of life in front of a mainstream audience than Red Steagall,” Campbell said. “This institute will build on that legacy by bringing master artists and artisans together with students and visitors, giving the next generation the opportunity to learn these skills firsthand.”
With more than three-quarters of its construction fundraising goal secured, the Red Steagall Institute for Traditional Western Arts enters its public fundraising phase with strong momentum. The Ranching Heritage Association invites all who value Western arts and tradition to join the effort.
“With the community’s help, we can pass along those values to future generations,” Steagall said.
To learn more and support the initiative, visit www.redsteagallinstitute.com .
About the National Ranching Heritage Center
The National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University is a museum and historical park dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history and heritage of ranching in North America. Located on the university’s Lubbock campus, the center spans over 30 acres and features an outdoor historical park with more than 55 authentic, restored ranch structures representing life on the ranch from the late 1700s through the mid-1900s, as well as indoor galleries, exhibits and educational programs that explore the evolution of ranching culture. Admission is free, and the center offers tours, demonstrations and special events that connect visitors with the stories and enduring legacy of the American ranching way of life. Learn more at ranchingheritage.org .
About ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University
Publicly launched in October 2024, ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University is a campaign for impact, propelling the university to new heights of excellence and global recognition while continuing to provide a world-class education for students in Texas and beyond. To date, the campaign has raised more than $1 billion thanks to the generosity of more than 95,000 donors, alumni and friends supporting the priorities of Transform Lives, Fuel Academic Excellence, Elevate Campus & Community and Build Champions. For more information or to support ON&ON, visit ttu.edu/campaign.
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