The new Wolfram Art Gallery at The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod International Center in St. Louis opened its doors in May. The name of the gallery honors William Wolfram, emeritus professor and former art department chair at Concordia. The new gallery reflects a partnership between the LCMS and the Center for Liturgical Art at Concordia.
The grand opening exhibit, "Regarding the Cross," features Wolfram artwork and demonstrates how visual arts can be used to celebrate God's creation and the redemption of humanity. The show will be on display at the International Center through November. To create the cross pieces on exhibit Wolfram used a computer to manipulate and rebuild images he took with a digital camera. He transformed everyday objects like battered industrial machines, worn surfaces, degraded materials, and old jackets into elaborate and beautiful cross images. With a selection from this exhibition, Wolfram won the top Honor Award in the 2007 International Religious Architecture and Art competition by The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture.
During his more than 45 years of service within Concordia's department of art, Wolfram helped the university's art program grow from a handful of students to almost 100 students currently pursuing art degrees. He now is actively involved with ecclesiastical art projects commissioned through Concordia's CLA.