UM Western Fine Arts Gallery

MISSOULA, Mont. — The University of Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery is honoring the life and legacy of the late Jim Corr with a special exhibition, “The Series of Christ.”

The show opens Thursday, Oct. 30, and will feature a gallery reception from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Gallery, located in Main Hall.

The first painting in the series, The Appearance (1975, oil on canvas), came to Corr during a time of deep personal sorrow. After his son Mick suffered a serious motorcycle accident, Corr turned to painting as a way to process his grief.

What started as a simple airbrushed background evolved into an unplanned image — Christ’s face emerging from the canvas. That moment sparked what Corr described as a spiritual journey.

Each piece in “The Series of Christ” reflects the emotions he experienced through his son’s recovery — hope, sorrow, anger, forgiveness, and acceptance. The collection reveals the deeply human side of Christ, mirroring Corr’s empathy as a father and believer. The paintings were, as Corr once said, both a prayer and a healing process to the sorrow.

Corr was a 1954 graduate of Western Montana College of Education, now the University of Montana Western. He earned degrees in English and fine arts, with a minor in physical education, and later completed a master’s in education in 1961.

As a student, Corr was a three-sport letterman and captain of the baseball team. He also served as president of Kappa Pi and contributed to the Chinook yearbook staff.

His legacy extended far beyond his time as a student. Corr spent 16 years teaching and coaching in Montana public schools before returning to Montana Western as an art instructor, gallery director, art club advisor, and coach.

Corr’s impact on the university community is lasting. He was inducted into the UMW Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, received the Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1994, and was honored in the UMW Education Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jim “Lefty” Corr passed away on Sept. 19, 2017, doing what he loved — walking down the ninth hole after a great drive at the Beaverhead Golf Course.

The exhibition was made possible through a generous donation of “The Series of Christ” from the Corr family to the University of Montana Western. The Corr Gallery, located within the Fine Arts Gallery, bears his name — a fitting tribute to a man whose life and art continue to inspire generations of Bulldogs.

“The Series of Christ” will be on display from Oct. 30 to Nov. 21. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The Oct. 30 gallery reception is open to all and will feature light refreshments.

For more information, contact Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery Coordinator Jennifer Boysen at jennifer.boysen@umwestern.edu.