Webster Art Galleries Receive $50,000 in Grants from the Missouri Arts Council
July 21, 2026
A visitor enjoys art in the Hunt Gallery during a 2025 exhibition.
Webster University's Kooyumjian Gallery and Hunt Gallery were awarded more than $50,000 in grants from the Missouri Arts Council in recognition of the University's historic support for visual and performing arts in the region.
The Kooyumjian Gallery, the University's photography gallery, received $25,306 and the Hunt Gallery, Webster's physical art gallery, received $24,484. Both spaces are among the many at Webster that give the public access photography, paintings, sculptures, live music, stage performances and film.
"These are challenging times for all arts organizations, as funding for the arts has been slashed at the local, regional and national level," said Jeff Hughes, director of the Hunt Gallery. "It is heartening that we can still rely on organizations such as the Missouri Arts Council who show a true passion for the arts and recognize that art is a necessary component to our culture, our understanding of who we are, and a starting point for honest dialogue about the challenges of the day. At the Hunt Gallery, we exhibit cutting edge contemporary art from regional, national, and international artists and artists groups, including many pieces that normally would not be easily accessible to the St. Louis community. I greatly appreciate the Council's professionalism as well as the hard work of my Webster colleagues in securing this grant."
Earlier this year, the Missouri Arts Council had its budget reduced by one-third by the State of Missouri.
"That makes these grants even more significant, as it shows that the Missouri Arts Council recognized the impact that Webster's galleries are having on the communities they serve and chose to give us impactful gifts despite the cuts in funding," said Kristina Richards, director of the Kooyumjian Gallery. "Here at the Kooyumjian, we offer numerous programs that enhance the experience of our communities, from free docent tours, school field trip engagement activities, our annual high school photography exhibit that gives local students a chance to display their works, to our lectures that bring in nationally recognized artists from around the world and these opportunities are free to the public! We have a deep commitment to the arts at Webster University, and we have a great team. With the help of this grant, I am excited to bring another season of engaging programming to Webster University and connect it with the greater community."
Besides the galleries, Webster also offers access to the arts in other ways:
- The Webster Film Series, which for nearly three decades has shown classic, foreign and significant films to the Webster Groves campus nearly every week for the community to enjoy.
- Live stage performances by Webster's talented students in the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts’ Sergent Conservatory of Theatre Arts.
- Live musical performances by music students, faculty, and visiting guests in the Leigh Gerdine College of the Fine Arts and the Community Music School.
- Hosting performances by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, two organizations that were founded by Webster faculty and staff more than 50 years ago.
- Displaying numerous arts works and sculptures across its campus.
Webster University's events calendar has more information about upcoming shows and events at the University. Most of the events are free and open to the public.