ST. LOUIS, MO.- The Sheldon Art Galleries presents Wonderful Winds: Musical Instruments from The Sheldon’s Hartenberger World Music Collection, August 13, 2015 – December 13, 2015 at the Lambert Gallery at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. An opening celebration will be held on Thursday, August 20 from 5-7 p.m. at the Lambert Gallery, located in Terminal 1 Baggage Claim at the Concourse C Exit. The event will feature music by Samba Bom. Paid parking is available at the Terminal 1 garage.

The exhibit features a selection of beautiful and exotic wind instruments from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, South America, and Central and North America, which are a part of The Sheldon’s Hartenberger World Music Collection, a major donation of over 2,500 historic and contemporary world musical instruments made to the Sheldon Art Galleries in 2014 by Dr. Aurelia and Jeff Hartenberger and their family members.

Inspired by the growing interest in world music, aided by the ease of world travel and communication, the exhibit includes a figural Mpiru tribal flute of the Bwa culture of Burkina Faso, a beautifully carved janus head divination whistle from the Sundi People of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a spectacular jeweled conch shell trumpet from Tibet, and a sheng (or mouth) organ from China made of bamboo. Also features are a flute in the shape of a crocodile which represents the spirit Nashut from Papua New Guinea, and a “Bull Roarer” from the Asmat People from the Region of Irian Jaya, Papua Province, Indonesia.

Several pieces in the exhibit represent Latin American countries, including a double-chamber water flute from Peru, and a Mayan whistle from 500 to 800 B.C.E. Also on view will be a selection of European folk instruments like a German button accordion, a pair of early crumhorns, a dvojnice whistle-flute from Bosnia and a kaval flute from Bulgaria.

Our nation’s military is also honored with a display of historic musical instruments dating from the Civil War, World War I and World War II. These include a Civil War clairon bugle and fife, a “triple twist” bugle from World War I and a U.S. Regulation field trumpet (bugle), used by the U.S. Army Cavalry in World War II. This type of trumpet was also used later by the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, and was popular in many drum and bugle corps.

The Hartenberger World Music Collection at the Sheldon Art Galleries pays tribute to the wide range of cultures that are enriched by music. Included are collections of classical music instruments, American jazz instruments, African instruments, Asian instruments, Oceanic instruments, Native American instruments of North America, and Latin American instruments of Central and South America, from around 500 B.C.E. to the present day.

The exhibition is guest curated and text panels are written by Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger. The exhibition is organized by The Sheldon Art Galleries, St. Louis, Missouri . Exhibits at the Lambert Gallery are selected by the Airport’s seven-member Art Advisory Committee as part of the Lambert Art & Culture Program. The gallery features works from local and regional arts organizations. Previous exhibitors include the Missouri Fiber Artists, Photography Hall of Fame & Museum, Missouri State Museum, Foundry Art Centre, Craft Alliance and the Griot Museum of Black History.