Established in 1988, The Kooyumjian Gallery is a nonprofit gallery dedicated to photography
and media arts. The gallery exhibits a wide range of photographic works by student,
local, national and international photographers.
Newly remodeled and expanded as part of the School of Communications Sverdrup west
wing renovations, the newly designed gallery space re-opened in the fall of 2022.
The Kooyumjian Gallery provides a formal gallery space for presenting exhibitions,
fostering young photographers and showcasing professional and student works.
The gallery and gallery events are free and open to the public.
Now on Exhibit:
The FUSE 2026
May 8 – June 10
Jonathan Pence
Professor Natalia Kaniasty
Haruto Fujimoto
Eden Rolves
Professor Trevor Junger
Ella Adam
The FUSE is a collaborative exhibit of the Barrett Faculty Exhibit, the 39th Annual
Juried Undergraduate Exhibit with a highlight on the achievements of the 2026 Seniors.
Featuring the work of Film, Photography and Animation students, this exhibition illuminates
standout students' works and will deliver a vibrant experience alongside the works
of their mentors, the faculty.
Join Us! Reception and the FUSE Awards: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Friday, May 8, 2026
The Friday, May 8 opening celebration will toast the Senior Exhibitors and culminate
in the FUSE Awards for Motion Image (Film and Animation) and Still Image (Photos,
Animation/Illustration, CG, Film Stills) Award with a screening of the award-winning
student works.
Special Exhibition
9/11 Terrorist: A 25th Anniversary Photography Exhibition of the Terrorist Attacks
in New York City
July 1- Dec. 31
The Kooyumjian Gallery and the University Library will host a photography exhibition by Jane Martin, spanning the first floor of the Sverdrup Building and the Emerson Library Exhibition Space (Conference Room 120).
Martin and anthropologist Eric Rothenbuhler, PhD, witnessed the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. They spent the day and subsequent months
documenting the tragedy, its aftermath and the community’s response.
A lecture will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, in SVER 123, followed by a reception
in the Emerson Library Exhibition Space.
Noppadol Paothong is a conservation photographer and associate fellow with the International
League of Conservation Photographers. A staff wildlife photographer for the Missouri Department of Conservation, his work regularly appears in national publications including Audubon, Nature Conservancy
and National Wildlife. For more than 20 years, Paothong has documented rare and endangered
species, primarily grassland grouse. He has published two award-winning books on the
subject: “Save the Last Dance” (2012) and “Sage Grouse, Icon of the West” (2017).
Join us for a Lecture and Special Reception with Noppadol Paothong and Juno Musonda: 4:30-7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4
Local photographer and filmmaker Juno Musonda uses natural light and vibrant colors
to reflect his childhood in Lusaka, Zambia, and South City St. Louis. In 2020, he
founded Ope Outdoors, a brand that celebrates Missouri and Illinois landscapes through
graphic design, group hikes and community cleanups. “It just dawned on me that we
could appreciate those places here in Missouri,” Musonda said. “We do have vibrant
outdoor culture here, and it was just odd to me that we didn’t have a brand celebrating
these parks and places.”
This exhibition is a collaboration between the Kooyumjian Gallery, the Webster University
Film Series and the David Clewell Visiting Writers Series.
Sky Hopinka: Languages — Poetry, Film and Photography
Sky Hopinka, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians,
is a filmmaker, photographer and writer whose work centers on Indigenous homeland,
landscape and language. Hopinka, who previously taught the Indigenous language Chinuk
Wawa in Portland, Oregon, has screened his media work at the Sundance, Toronto and
New York film festivals. A MacArthur and Guggenheim fellow, Hopinka has also received
the Alpert Award for Film/Video and the International Center of Photography’s Infinity
Award in Art.
Join us for Poetry, Photography and Film Screenings from Sky Hopinka: 5-8:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2
5 p.m. Lecture, poetry and exhibition opening reception with Sky Hopinka in Kooyumjian
Gallery. Poetry reading in partnership with the David Clewell Visiting Writers Series.
7-8:30 p.m. Film screening of “Powwow People” with Sky Hopinka in Winifred Moore Auditorium
in partnership with the Webster University Film Series.
Sideshow Exhibit — Lisa Melching: You Are Here
St. Louis photographer Lisa Halley Melching uses her work to explore the natural world,
capturing images layered with light and motion to interpret a world in flux. “Nature
does not just endure change; it embodies it,” Melching said. “The camera enables me
to seek order in this chaos and to frame a single moment that freezes the frenzy but
acknowledges the blurs of my perception. Ultimately, this collection is a meditation
on the rhythms of nature as our constant companion.”
Beginnings 2026: Juried High School Exhibition
This exhibit showcases the artistry of high school student photographers. The choice
of subject, creativity and composition shares the immense talent of these students
and shines a spotlight on the imagination of these teens.
Interested in having your high school participate? Email us at kgallery@webster.edu
Submission Deadline: Nov. 3, 2026
Matt Kindt and Sharlene Kindt: New Works
Missouri-based comic book writer, illustrator and graphic designer Matt Kindt is a
New York Times bestselling author whose career began with critically acclaimed spy
fiction. Known for his hand-crafted visual style, Kindt's work includes “MIND MGMT,”
“Bang!” and “BRZRKR” (co-written with Keanu Reeves), the latter becoming the highest-selling
single comic issue of the 21st century. A nominee for four Eisner Awards and three
Harvey Awards, Kindt frequently collaborates with his wife, colorist and artist Sharlene
Kindt, on projects that span genres and blend inventive design with layered, emotional
storytelling.
Sideshow Exhibit — Ryan Paluczak
Missouri-based photographer and studio artist Ryan Paluczak explores mixed media including
print, sound, sculpture and photography. He holds a BFA in Printmaking from Southeast
Missouri State University, a MA in Studio Art from Eastern Illinois University and
a MFA in Sculpture and Expanded Media from Illinois State University. His current
research interests include portraiture, landscape photography, jiu-jitsu and Eastern
philosophy.
FUSE 2027: Faculty, Undergraduate and Senior Exhibition
The FUSE is a dynamic collaborative exhibit of the Barrett Faculty Exhibit, the 39th
Annual Juried Undergraduate Exhibit with a highlight on the achievements of the 2026
Seniors. Featuring the work of Film, Photography, Anthropology, Science and Animation
students, this exhibition illuminates standout students' works and will deliver a
vibrant experience alongside the works of their mentors, the faculty.
Want to submit to FUSE? Get all the details on submitting to the FUSE Awards by emailing
us at kgallery@webster.edu
Join us for FUSE Reception, Senior Exhibitors Toast and FUSE Awards and Screening: 5:30-8 p.m., Friday, May. 7
FUSE Awards will be announced for Still Image (Photography & Illustration/Animation)
and Motion Image (FIlm & Animation) works.
