Museum and Fine Arts Collections

The Luther Seminary Archives program includes responsibility for a 3,800 item museum collection called the Mission Heritage Collection. These artifacts represent missionary gifts from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Madagascar, South Africa and Tanzania. The collection also includes early 20^th century Inuit materials from Alaska. 

At any given time approximately 20 percent of the collection is on view in cases around the Luther Seminary campus. The artifact collections are supported by large photographic holdings in the ELCA Region 3 Archives global mission files.

Along side the Mission Heritage Collection is Luther Seminary’s permanent collection of fine art pieces. At present, more than paintings, sculptures, textile items and photographs constitute this growing collection, including the approximately 250 piece Prodigal Son Collection, gifted by Jerry Evenrud. 

Pieces from the permanent collection rotate on a regular basis through public areas on campus. Archivist and curator Paul Daniels and the seminary Fine Arts Committee have responsibility for this collection.

Click to enlarge.

Turn Home - November Orville M. Running American Artist born 1910 Woodblock Print  - Subject:  Landscape – “Months of the Year” series Image: 12-l/2 x 20-1/4”  Framed:  21-3/4 x 28-3/8” Given in memory of Pastor Olav Winther by friends 1988 Black, blue, red, white colors predominate.  Farm, three silos, trees, setting sun and red sky in image.  Plexiglas with walnut frame.  Acid-free mat.  Wire hanging device threaded through two eyes screwed into frame. Evaluated by the artist at $200 in 1992.  Turn Home – November is illustrated on page 50 of the Luther Alumni magazine (Winter 2001). At home in Decorah, Iowa, Orville Running recently celebrated his 90th birthday and is still printing and selling woodcuts. Go Back   Next Image