More than 3 million people have viewed the “Icons in Transformation” art exhibit in countries including Great Britain, the United States and Sweden. That exhibit is now on display at St. James Episcopal Church in Pullman through Nov. 6.
Admission is free, and viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Full details and upcoming events are available on the church’s website.
Kazakh- and Russian-born artist Ludmila Pawlowska is the visionary behind the exhibit. Touring the United States for many years with “Icons in Transformation,” she aims to inspire and spread a message of discovery and transformation, especially in a world facing conflict.
“It’s about the journey of searching, the journey of seeing, and finding your place in this life,” Pawlowska said.
Pawlowska’s passion for art began early. After studying at an art academy in Russia, she launched her career but said her work transformed after her mother’s death 27 years ago.
“Somehow, art is the mirror of your soul,” she said. “I knew I had art save me.”
This transformation now shapes her mission: to help others experience their own transformations through her art.
Pawlowska’s theme of “interpretation in art” encourages viewers to engage with the pieces through their own perspectives rather than just the artist’s.
“It’s not about a monologue,” she said. “It’s always dialogue.”
The collection features nearly 200 pieces in various forms and mediums, including limestone, metal, ceramic glass objects and plexiglass. Each material, Pawlowska said, comments on current issues and emotions, leaving interpretation up to the viewer.
She welcomes everyone, regardless of religious background, to explore the exhibit, emphasizing that it is about “spiritual life” rather than a specific faith.
St. James’ Reverend Linda Young also invites WSU students to visit and connect with their spirit and soul.
“I think they’ll find it very inspirational even if they’re not at all religious,” Young said.
The church has anticipated the exhibit for years, Young added, after its original scheduling was postponed due to pandemic restrictions.
“We’ve been looking forward to this for five or six years,” she said. “I remember it in Cincinnati and how people were really touched.”
Pawlowska hopes the exhibit encourages introspection and personal discovery.
“I’d like to take all views on this journey of searching and seeing and understanding who we are,” she said. “Come, listen, spend time and be transformed.”
