The GTU Collection of Sacred World Art

The GTU is grateful to Lanier Graham, a professional curator, professor of museum studies and world religions, and president of the Institute for Aesthetic Development, for his generous gift of the sacred that makes up the GTU Collection of Sacred World Art. Comprised of more than 300 objects that relate in some way to the sacred, this collection is currently undergoing study and curation so it can be displayed and used as an educational resource for GTU faculty, students, and others.

Sacred art can be defined as artwork that uses religious imagery, symbols, or motifs to point to the divine or transcendent and that can be used devotionally or as a way to uplift the spirit. The GTU Collection of Sacred World Art has been donated to increase the GTU's focus on interreligious dialogue and study. The objects illustrate the material culture of a large number of the world’s religious traditions.

High quality photographs of items in the collection have been taken by Edward Klyce, a Masters of Divinity student at Pacific School of Religion. Cataloging and long-term, visible storage solutions are being explored by Lydia Webster, a recent graduate of the University of San Francisco’s Masters in Museum Studies program.

The slide show below presents just a small sample of the more than 300 works in the GTU Collection of Sacred World Art.