Pepperdine University Receives $2.49 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for Passages Project at Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine University has received a $2.49 million grant from Lilly
Endowment Inc. to support a five-year project at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art. The project, called Passages, comprises a series of exhibitions, programs, and scholarly publications that explore
religious identity and belonging through contemporary art about the rites of passage
rooted in diverse religious traditions.
Pepperdine received the grant through Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions
Initiative, a national initiative encouraging museums and other cultural organizations
as they strengthen their capacity to provide fair, accurate and balanced portrayals
of the role religion has played and continues to play in the United States and around
the world.
Focusing on birth, coming of age, marriage, and death, Passages will feature entirely newly commissioned works by living artists from diverse religious
backgrounds and experiences, with at least one component of each exhibition sited
at a partner institution in greater Los Angeles. The grant also provides robust support
for public programming and K-12 curriculum development, including a long-term fellowship
in K-12, Community, and Church Outreach aimed at cultivating relationships with community
partners that will help the museum to extend the reach and impact of the project.
“This extraordinary grant will allow the Weisman to develop not only an ambitious
series of exhibitions exploring religious identity and belonging through contemporary
art, but also broader engagement with cultural institutions, K-12 schools, and houses
of worship across greater Los Angeles,” said Museum Director Andrea Gyorody. “We are
thrilled to be entering a period of transformational growth, anchored by open-hearted
interfaith dialogue and a core belief in the power of art to bring people of all backgrounds
together.”
Passages will provide insights into the commonalities and unique practices that define religious
and cultural traditions. By highlighting these rituals, the project aims to deepen
understanding of the role of religion in contemporary life and encourage connections
both within and between communities. Rites of passage serve as unifying experiences
for religious communities while offering opportunities for those outside these traditions
to learn and engage.
This project supports Pepperdine’s mission to connect more deeply with students, faculty,
and staff of all religious backgrounds and to position the university’s museum as
a resource for interfaith dialogue. Passages will also engage new audiences, including K-12 schools, cultural institutions, and
houses of worship, fostering broader appreciation for religion’s role in society.
It will highlight artists who address themes of religious identity and belonging,
creating opportunities for critical reflection and expanding understanding of faith
and culture.
Pepperdine University is one of 33 organizations from across the United States—and
the only one on the West Coast— receiving grants through the latest round of Lilly
Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.
“The United States is widely considered to be one of the most religiously diverse
nations today,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion.
“Many individuals and families trust museums and other cultural institutions and visit
them to learn about their communities and the world. We are excited to support these
organizations as they embark on projects to help visitors understand and appreciate
the diverse religious beliefs, practices and perspectives of their neighbors and others
in communities around the globe.”
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About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and
his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business,
Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the
Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board,
staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the
causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment maintains
a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana,
it also funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion.
A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the
lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting
efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and
lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public
understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals
of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.
About the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
Dedicated in September 1992, the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art is sited at the
heart of Seaver College on Pepperdine University’s oceanside campus. For more than
thirty years, the Weisman has showcased modern and contemporary art by internationally
recognized artists, with a focus on art made in California. The sole art museum located
in Malibu, the Weisman is part of the larger Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts,
serving thousands of residents from Los Angeles and Ventura Counties each year, in
addition to visitors from around the country and the world. The museum's student-centered
program aims to empower every visitor to look, listen, and learn from works of art
and from one another.
Notable past exhibitions include The Cultivators: Highlights from the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection; numerous thematic shows drawn from the collection of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation; and solo shows of work by Lita Albuquerque, Larry Bell, Squeak Carnwath, Dale Chihuly, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson, Roy Lichtenstein, Mercedes Matter, Gwynn Murrill, Claes Oldenburg, and Andy Warhol.
About Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located
30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University
enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the College of Health Science, and four graduate schools—the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian
values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.
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