Skip to main content

Saint Louis University Museum of Art Opens Two New Exhibitions

by Maggie Rotermund on 09/11/2025
Media Inquiries

Maggie Rotermund
Senior Media Relations Specialist
maggie.rotermund@slu.edu
314-977-8018

Reserved for members of the media.

09/11/2025

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University Museum of Art (SLUMA) presents two new exhibitions this fall. 

“From War to Classroom: The Bosnian Student Project” opens Friday Sept. 19, and “Intersections: Memory, Identity, and Place” opens Friday, Sept. 12. 

From War to Classroom: The Bosnian Student Project

Bosnia and Herzegovina was rocked by war and genocide in the 1990s, resulting in a mass exodus from the Balkan region. During the 1992-1995 war, thousands of students saw their education interrupted by violence, displacement, and ethnic cleansing. In response, the Bosnian Student Project—an initiative of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR)— provided a lifeline to more than 160 Bosnian students of all ethnic and religious backgrounds.

The Bosnian Student Project allowed students to escape from the war zone and continue their education in the United States. Students were placed in universities around the country, including Saint Louis University.

Patrick McCarthy, associate dean of libraries and director of SLU’s Medical Center Library, brought the Project to SLU in 1994 after learning about it through the American Association of Colleges and Universities. 

McCarthy started a letter-writing campaign to then-University President Lawrence Biondi, seeking to have the University sponsor a student. He asked each SLU faculty and staff member who participated to let him know once they had sent a letter; he reached out once the number reached a critical mass.

“Governments weren’t doing enough and people wanted to do something to help,” McCarthy said. “This was an emergency effort to get academically qualified young people out of harm’s way so they could finish their education.” 

During his appeal, McCarthy noted SLU’s Jesuit mission to care for others and while the war raged in Bosnia with much of the hate and killing falling along religious lines, the University should show the true tenets of Christianity. One student was admitted and sponsored under the guise of an anonymous donor. Later, the University itself was revealed as the donor.

The exhibit highlights the Bosnian Student Project and celebrates a powerful message of solidarity, compassion, and interfaith cooperation. McCarthy noted the exhibit begins with an overview of the project, before narrowing to focus on individual student stories and experiences.  

Students attended universities across the United States, finishing undergraduate degrees and graduate work. 

This exhibit was developed with the Center for Bosnian Studies, which recently relocated to Saint Louis University.

The opening reception of “From War to Classroom: The Bosnian Student Project” will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art (SLUMA).

Opening Reception

Intersections: Memory, Identity, and Place


“Intersections: Memory, Identity, and Placet” will open Friday, Sept 12, and run through May 31, 2026.

Memory, identity, and place are integral to the human experience; this exhibit explores how contemporary Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australian artists engage with these interwoven themes. Curated with an emphasis on thematic inquiry, Intersections challenges the viewer to reconsider established narratives and develop their own interpretation of the central themes, expanding the scope of what contemporary Australian Art can represent.

This exhibit features audio narration. Bring headphones to access this experience.

This exhibit features a selection of Australian artworks gifted to SLUMA by Gerald and Mary Reid Brunstrom. From 1988 to 2000, St. Louis art lovers frequented the Austral Gallery in Lafayette Square. Guided by the vision of founder Mary Reid Brunstrom, Austral Gallery brought some of the most significant Australian voices in contemporary art to St. Louis and contributed to a growing awareness in North America of Australian Aboriginal art.

In 2024, Brunstrom donated a major body of works by both Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australian artists to SLUMA and the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA), greatly enhancing both museums’ collections. 

Opening Reception 

SLUMA is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, call 314-977-2666 or visit www.slu.edu/sluma.