History

Larry Heller, an artist hailing from a wealthy family from the Main Line area west of Philadelphia, studied art first at what is now Carnegie Mellon University and later at Yale University Art School. He worked as an advertising illustrator in Paris in the 1930s. 

In Colorado Springs, Heller was associated with the Broadmoor Art Academy and the Bemis School of Art. Larry's artistic media were varied; he painted in oils and watercolor, made ceramics and metal sculptures, and was involved in local theater and TV advertising. He also began designing sets and acting for the Alexander Film Company which made advertisements aired before movies in theaters.

After Larry Heller's death, Dot Heller continued to live at the home until her own passing. She willed the land, the house and other structures, and the art collections to the Regents of the University of Colorado, with the intention of creating a humanities center and of preserving the natural landscape of the high plains.

In 2005, the Heller property underwent a historical structure assessment of the remaining structures on the property, funded by a grant from the Colorado Historical Society's State Historical Fund. Now called the UCCS Heller Center for Arts & Humanities, the property has been renovated and has become a significant part of the UCCS campus, hosting classes, public talks and events, and art exhibitions as well as housing scholars-in-residence while they engage in on-campus projects.