POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — The College of the Ozarks Art Department has selected 16 pieces to be exhibited in Ukraine at the Sacral Art Department located inside the Lviv National Academy of Arts. These pieces were completed by students, staff, and faculty of School of the Ozarks and College of the Ozarks in the Spring of 2024 as part of an exhibition entitled, We Are Together.

The We Are Together exhibit was comprised of two parts. The first part was an invitational exhibition titled We Are Together: Icons of Hope. This featured the work of prominent Christian artists. The art pieces were first exhibited in the Boger Art Gallery and then sent to Ukraine to be exhibited in the city of Lviv. There, they will be sold to raise money for a benevolence fund for the artist community in Lviv, Ukraine.

The second part of the exhibition, titled Called to Serve: We Are Together, invited students, staff, and faculty members at the College to create artwork in support of suffering brothers and sisters in Ukraine. The following community members will be donating pieces to the exhibit in Ukraine:

• Emma Thorpe, senior graphic design major
• Emma Gifford, junior graphic design major
• Monique Dinsmore, sophomore graphic design major
• Lydia Bullock, senior graphic design major
• Brock Thompson, senior ceramics major
• Hailey Koester, senior painting major
• Emily De Oliveira, senior ceramics major
• Murena Nelson, senior painting major
• Lydia Settles, senior painting major
• Benjamin Barry, class of 2024 graduate, graphic design major
• Dr. Richard Cummings, professor of art
• Dr. Emily Emery, assistant professor of business administration
• Cletus Johnson, adjunct professor of art
• Kiley Hutcheson, director of retail operations
• Sophie Osborne, School of the Ozarks graduate

Inspiration and Purpose 

The inspiration for the We Are Together exhibit comes from a previous art show that was hosted by College of the Ozarks in the fall of 2023. This exhibition, titled East Meets West: Art in Time of War, featured a collection of pieces done by believing artists from Western Ukraine.

Eric Bolger, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, explains the heart behind the We Are Together exhibit in light of the unique relationship the College has with these Ukrainian artists.

“We would like to create and share art with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, because it serves as a reminder that, in Christ, we are indeed together,” Bolger said.

This exhibition demonstrates the beautiful way in which the College’s Cultural and Christian Pillars intersect. Dr. Richard Cummings, professor of art, reflects on the significance of the We Are Together exhibition.

“We naturally feel for those who are innocent and suffer hardship, loss, and even death at the hands of the powerful and unjust,” Cummings said. “The fact that we are connected to this community of artists through a shared faith only deepens the empathy that we feel for their suffering and pain. I view our small gesture as both a hope-filled fortification of the body of Christ and as a proclamation of hope—the promised restoration that is to come when one day all things will be made new.”

About College of the Ozarks’ Cultural and Christian Goals

The College’s Christian goal is to foster the Christian faith through the integration of faith with learning, living and service. College of the Ozarks is a Christian college dedicated to helping students grow in their faith. The College offers a variety of opportunities for students, including ministry retreats, worship services, fellowship opportunities, mission trips, leadership development, and small group Bible study.

The College’s Cultural Goal is to cultivate an appreciation of the fine arts, an understanding of the world, and adherence to high personal standards. The College strives to instill the best of the Christian Western tradition of thought and practice into its students by encouraging them to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation through art, music, theater, and, even, architecture. By reflecting on these culture-making expressions in the midst of their liberal-arts-based curriculum, students are able to come to a greater love of God’s creativity in the world and the ways they can participate in it.

The above press release is from the College of the Ozarks.