SUMMER 2025 | 21 Lehigh University Art Galleries prepares to celebrate 100 years by honoring the past and shaping the future. BY CHRISTINA TATU Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) traces its beginnings to 1926, the year of the first-known exhibition in the faculty room of the Alumni Memorial Building, believed to have been organized by Emil Gelhaar (18611934), a Swedish-born painter and instructor of freehand drawing. It showcased original oil paintings from contemporary American artists and reproductions of paintings by the Great Masters— Raphael, Rembrandt and Titian, among others. While Lehigh has always been known as an engineering school—set against the industrial backdrop of Bethlehem Steel’s now silent blast furnaces—university leaders also recognized the importance of the visual arts. Henry Coppée, Lehigh’s first president, believed art was as important to undergraduate learning as math, science and history. His founding curriculum required all students to study drawing and offered instruction in painting, according to LUAG. Since those early years, Lehigh’s artworks have grown into a world-class collection of more than 20,000 pieces representing different eras, cultural ideas, mindsets and mediums. In addition to classic paintings rooted in realism, Lehigh has also amassed a nationally recognized collection of Latin American art, photography, video and an outdoor sculpture collection. As LUAG prepares to celebrate 100 years, we take a look back at its history, a look ahead at what’s to come and hear from students and alumni influenced by a Lehigh education that includes the arts. THE ARTWORKS VISITORS SEE IN LEHIGH’S SEVEN GALLERIES REPRESENT JUST 3% OF THE ENTIRE COLLECTION. When they are not on display, pieces are stored in a temperature-controlled facility on Lehigh’s Mountaintop Campus. The collection is a vital resource for teaching and learning, says William Crow, director of LUAG, professor of practice in art, architecture and design and a recently selected J. Paul Getty Museum guest scholar. “The direct encounter with original works of art is an invaluable opportunity for Lehigh students,” Crow says. “Learning from these irreplaceable primary sources illuminates how artists and cultures addressed the issues and challenges of their time. It is also an opportunity for students to interact with museum professionals and discover possible career paths.” On a recent visit to the storage area, students in Crow’s Intro to Museums and Museum Professions class were able to explore the collection and assess the condition of several pieces. WHAT’S IN A COLLECTION?
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