Anthony Kriebel and Fred Bates, originally employees of the Gospel Trumpet Company (the early Warner Press in Anderson, IN), established a separate company in 1941 to become the exclusive publishers of Sallman's art. Both men remained with the Gospel Trumpet Company for a time, Bates leaving first to manage the production of Sallman projects in Indianapolis, IN. Yet, even after they left, their former employer remained one of the principal distributors of Sallman's images. Over 40 years later, Warner Press took ownership through the purchase of the collection.

A selection of sixteen of the most well-known works were exhibited in the Jessie C. Wilson galleries at Anderson University for the first time during June of 1986, prior to their purchase, in conjunction with the annual North American Convention of the Church of God, Anderson. An estimated 6,000 viewed the works during that week-long meeting. Since then, the original art of Warner Sallman has been on continual display at AU and showcased each summer.

During my first year as Director of the Galleries (1989-90), I was astonished by the number of requests from individuals and groups, sometimes prepared to travel great distances, who wished to see the collection or a single painting that might be on display. These requests were often phrased in the language of a pilgrimage. Many viewers of the works shared emotional narratives with me about the importance of the images at critical moments in their lives. As an artist trained under the influence of modernism and its intellectual moorings, I was unprepared for the responses and stunned by the nature and quality of their personal reports. With these personal interactions and subsequent scholarly collaboration as evidence, it is clear that the images of Warner Sallman have been woven into the American fabric and serve as an important resource in the study of American religious culture.

Anderson University is pleased to be the trustee of this collection. The university is also pleased to host and develop this web site along with Warner Press for the enjoyment of visitors who wish to review and study the collection virtually. Over the next year, this site will begin to expand and grow. We welcome your personal observations, comments and suggestions as we continue the conversation and share these images with a wider audience.

Jason Knapp, MFA
Director Wilson Galleries
Professor of Art, Department of Art and Design
Anderson University