"The Risen Lord" by He Qi

When the artist He Qi visited the Concordia Seminary campus recently, he told the following story about the artwork above, “The Risen Lord.”

A church in China commissioned the work from He Qi for their sanctuary without any strings attached. He Qi went to work with a “blank canvas,” so to speak. When he showed the pastor what he had made, the pastor was speechless.

Two minutes of frozen silence passed. He finally spoke.

“Its too Chinese,” the pastor said.

He then asked He Qi if he could make a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

One of the interesting things about Dr. He Qi, though, is that he is also an art scholar. And he then proceeded to remind us that Leonardo’s models for “The Last Supper” were all his fellow citizens of Milan. We could just as easily say about it, “Its too Italian.”

Needless to say,…

Awhile back, I wrote here about the Chinese artist He Qi. Near the end I mentioned that “there’s a chance we may be bringing his work to campus for an exhibition in the fall.” Several commented that they hoped it would come to pass.

Well, after a few months of hard work, it has become a reality. “Look Toward the Heavens: The Art of He Qi,” an exhibition of 43 artist proof giclee works, is now open on the Concordia Seminary campus. The exhibition is housed in the gallery of Concordia Historical Institute, the first building on the left on the Seminary Drive entrance into campus from Clayton Road. It is the first (only?) time He Qi’s art has been exhibited in the St. Louis area.

Moreover, He Qi (pronounced huh chee) will be here “in the flesh” on Thursday and Friday. His exhibition is a stunning collection,…

Our thoughts and prayers once again turn to the lower Mississippi delta today as Hurricane Gustave slams into the coast. Too much water in the wrong place and at the wrong time has been the source of devastation throughout history. In 1927, the Mississippi River broke through 145 levees, flooding more land then the entire state of West Virginia. And of course, we only have to go back three years to remember the devastation caused by Katrina.

John Steuart Curry grew up in the Midwest, and witnessed the awesome power of these natural disasters. Painting what he saw, he produced The Mississippi in 1935. What is the worldview of The Mississippi? Even as it leaves some questions unanswered, it does affirm a biblical worldview of creation, fall, and redemption.

First, the painting depicts a recognizable world of water, trees, sky, and people. If this seems unremarkable, consider the time period in which…

Beginning with a reception this Friday, August 22, from 6:00-9:00, the Marianist Galleries in Kirkwood will be celebrating the art of Brother Mel Meyer. This year marks 40 years since he opened the gallery on the St. John Vianney campus, as well as his own 80 years of life. The retrospective exhibit will run through September 13.

If you don’t know Brother Mel (that’s his self-portrait to the right), you more than likely know his art. It’s all over St. Louis, including numerous churches, hotels, hospitals, and offices.

An article in the South County Times refers to his work as “universal icons.” That is apropos. His art carries the weight—the gravitas—of things (and people) made holy. But that isn’t necessarily because what is depicted is overtly religious. Many of his subjects are, for lack of a better word, “secular.”

These things are holy things because Brother Mel’s eye sees the holiness within them, not only…