FROM THE NEST | SPRING 2025 | 31 RESEARCH LEHIGH UNIVERSITY ART GALLERIES SELECTED FOR NATIONAL STUDY The Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) has been selected as a participant in the Museum Social Impact in Practice (MSIIP) cohort—a three-year initiative led by the American Alliance of Museums and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The initiative provides data collection strategies, technical training and collaborative learning opportunities to cohort members seeking to analyze their museums’ social contributions. The only museum in Pennsylvania selected to participate, LUAG is also among only five academic museums nationwide that will join the research cohort. “LUAG is at a pivotal time of growth, and the social impact study and cohort will be essential in helping us learn and develop best practices to analyze and prioritize our offerings so that we can best serve and engage our audiences,” said Stacie Brennan ’03, curator of education at LUAG. For LUAG, the fellowship represents an exciting opportunity to deepen its commitment to community engagement, impact and inclusivity, reinforcing its role as a significant cultural resource to both campus and the wider community. “Museums are vital community assets,” said William Crow, LUAG director. “This national research study will strengthen our understanding of LUAG’s positive impact, both on campus and in the region.” —Kiera Wilhelm LEFT PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT / TOP TO BOTTOM: WES HIATT, ALLEY HOUSE MODEL / WEST BETHLEHEM (DETAIL). ALINA TENSER, PARENTHESES, ORANGE PATH, 2022, SCULPTURE. PHOTO BY JENNY GORMAN, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND HESSE FLATOW, NY. AMY FORSYTH PLAYING CRANKIE/SPIELHAUS, 2024-25, RECYCLED PIANO PARTS, PLYWOOD, POPLAR, PAPER SCROLLS. DEIRDRE MURPHY, HEMLOCK GROVE, 2024, OIL ON CANVAS (DETAIL). RIGHT PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: WES HEISS, SELECTED DEVELOPMENTAL AND STUDY MODELS, 2014-2024 (INSTALLATION VIEW). CHRISTINA CHI ZHANG, SEEDS OF LIBERATION: INTERACTIVE MODEL (DETAIL). JASON TRAVERS, BOULDER, WALKING PURCHASE PARK (DETAIL), 2024, INK ON POLYPROPYLENE. MATTHEW BLUM
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