Mark Gulsrud ’72, the artist behind the stained glass windows in California Lutheran University’s Samuelson Chapel, delivered this year’s Founders Day lecture, “Windows of Clarity and Intent,” on Thursday, Oct. 16.
Gulsrud worked as a self-employed artist and designer after graduating in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in art, according to the Cal Lutheran website. His creations can be found throughout the United States, British Columbia and Western Europe.
Gulsrud said he hopes viewers everywhere can find their own personal interpretations of his stained glass work.
“My hope is that as people see the windows, experience the space, over time will gain their own insight into the windows and their own meaning,” Gulsrud said.
Gulsrud began the lecture by sharing his family’s deep ties to the university, which predate its founding.
“Our father was involved in arranging the property that the university was built on. My sister Linda was part of the first graduating class, and my brother Paul and I are both alumni,” Gulsrud said.
Gulsrud then showed slides displaying some of his previous glass work, including a window he made for the Preus-Brandt Forum on Cal Lutheran’s campus.
“When they built [the Forum], the outside was very unpleasant, so this was built to bridge the gap visually,” Gulsrud said.
A majority of the lecture was spent discussing the windows inside Samuelson Chapel. Gulsrud explained his original vision for the window, section by section.
“There’s a symbol of light … spilling into the space, where the visual water becomes physical water,” Gulsrud said.
One common theme Gulsrud mentioned throughout his work was the “suggestion of figures.” He pointed them out in many of the slides he showed and in the windows of the chapel.
“In the purple there’s a suggestion of what I see as a mother—a woman—with several children … which suggests in my mind the importance of mothers and their families,” Gulsrud said.
Gulsrud’s presentation included works displayed in churches across Palm Springs, Orange County and Fort Lauderdale. The Fort Lauderdale piece displays the life of Jesus Christ, which Gulsrud called “special.”
“There’s these three large windows … one is the birth, one is the crucifixion, one is the resurrection … so that was very special to me,” Gulsrud said.
After discussing the chapel windows, Gulsrud concluded his speech and took questions before being granted a standing ovation from the audience.
Alumni and staff stayed after the event to mingle and congratulate Gulsrud on his accomplishments. One alumnus in attendance was Timothy Hengst, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
“It was beautiful. I mean, Mark’s work is amazing,” Hengst said. “I love the colors, the abstract quality [and] the freedom.”
Hengst, a fellow graduate of Cal Lutheran’s class of 1972, said the pair worked closely together during their time at the university.
“We were both art majors, so we spent most of our time in the art department. We did a lot of collaborative work,” Hengst said. “We did work on ceramics together, did some design work together, we just were really good friends throughout college.”
Gulsrud was honored with the 2025 Christus Award at the Founder’s Day Convocation, which took place the following day during Nunes’ inauguration ceremony in Gilbert Arena.
According to the Cal Lutheran website, the Christus Award is given annually to individuals who have contributed either to strengthening “the bridge between the church and the university” or who have made significant contributions to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
“What sets Mark apart is not only the beauty of his work, but the spirit behind it. A true collaborator, he listens deeply and transforms stories into art expressions of meaning and faith,” Nunes said.
Gulsrud said he was “truly grateful” for the award, and told the audience about a childhood memory of hiking to the top of Mount Clef, before Cal Lutheran existed, with his father.
“Years later, once the dreams had become a reality, my studies were instrumental to me as a person and as an artist,” Gulsrud said. “The nurturing and supportive environment I experienced here developed a strong foundation for my career as a liturgical artist.”
