Announcing a Virtual Gallery Opening for the GTU Sacred World Art Collection

The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is proud to announce the opening of a virtual exhibition of the GTU Collection of Sacred World Art, an extensive teaching collection of sacred objects donated by F. Lanier Graham. A gallery opening will be held via Zoom on March 4, 2021, at 4pm PT. 

Graham is widely known as a professional curator, professor of museum studies and world religions, and president of the Institute for Aesthetic Development. He began donating art pieces and sacred objects to the GTU in 2014 and continued through the present, building an impressive collection that expands the resources of the GTU library, adds a profound tool to teach religious material culture, and supports the GTU’s mission to promote the study of diverse religions and cultures. 

This virtual art exhibit, supported by the Jane Dillenberger Fine Arts Endowment Fund, features devotional and ritual objects from the collection that were chosen to help reveal stories, practices, and beliefs from the world’s religions. 

“These gifts of sacred art demonstrate the wonderful synergy that emerges when individuals and institutions with the same interests and passion for research and understanding join together to create a truly global resource that crosses over boundaries and engenders the opportunity to create understanding, mutual appreciation, and expanded learning,” said former GTU president Riess Potterveld. 

The virtual gallery opening will feature a video introduction from Graham as well as an opportunity for attendees to interact with GTU library staff to learn more about key pieces from the collection. Learn more about the event here.

Later this year, the virtual exhibition will be followed by the Spirit-Matter Exhibition, which will feature two catalogs that tell the story of Graham’s and his ancestors’ involvement with the sacred. The first catalog will focus on world spiritual art, and the second on spirituality in modern art, a work that provides a unique contribution to understanding art in the 20th century.