Centennial Event
Art in Dialogue: "Last Artist Standing" Panel Discussion & Book Signing
April 7, 2026 5:30PM to 7:00PM
LUAG Main Gallery
"Last Artist Standing: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life" Panel Discussion and Book Signing
Join Sharon Louden, New York–based artist, educator, advocate, and community builder, for a timely conversation about sustaining a creative life over a lifetime. This panel will feature Lehigh Valley–based artists Dylan Collazo, Jay Echevarria, Angela Fraleigh, and Rachel Lynn, all of whom are included in the exhibition Here and Now: 100 Years of LUAG, 100 Local Artists, currently on view.
Together, the panelists will explore what it means to build and sustain an artistic practice across decades, with particular attention to varied paths, relationships, challenges, opportunities, and pivotal moments that shape creative lives. Representing a range of experiences—from emerging to established, self-taught to academically trained—these artists offer a dynamic cross-section of the region’s creative community and reflect the breadth of practices highlighted in the exhibition Here and Now.
This conversation is part of a national dialogue inspired by Louden’s recent anthology, Last Artist Standing: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life Over 50 (Intellect Books, 2025), which brings together personal narratives from artists who have continued to create well into the second half of their lives. In conversation with Louden, participating artists will reflect on their own experiences and extend the book’s themes through shared discussion.
Free and open to the public. Registration is limited. Please register in advance here.
If you require assistance filling out this form, prefer to share your registration information via email or phone, or have questions, concerns, or any accessibility needs, please email Elise at ejs421@lehigh.edu or call 610-758-6882.
Panelists:
Sharon Louden is a New York–based artist, educator, advocate, and community builder whose work centers on sustaining creative lives. She is the founder and director of the Institute for Sustained Creativity and the editor of the acclaimed Living and Sustaining a Creative Life book series. A committed changemaker, Louden amplifies artists’ voices, bridges communities, and creates meaningful opportunities for artists across disciplines, particularly those underserved within institutional structures.
Louden received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA from Yale University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in major collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Her artistic practice spans writing, drawing, painting, sculpture, and large-scale, site-specific installations, and is rooted in collaboration, advocacy, and lived experience as a working artist.
In addition to her studio practice, Louden is a sought-after speaker, educator, and consultant. She has held leadership roles in nonprofit and academic institutions, including serving as Artistic Director of Chautauqua Visual Arts, and continues to teach, mentor, and advise artists worldwide. All of her work—whether artistic, editorial, or organizational—is grounded in building sustainable, inclusive ecosystems for artists. For more information about Sharon’s books please visit livesustain.org.
Dylan Collazo (b. 1992 Allentown, PA ) is a Lehigh Valley native and a self-taught contemporary artist painting visual narratives that delve into the human psyche using relevant cultural, historical references, and symbolism in his style of portraiture. For more information visit: https://www.thecollazo.com/
Jay Echevarria is a contemporary figurative visual artist living and working in Allentown, PA. Their work generally consists of portraiture, abstraction, poetry, and human emotion. Their work is a story of their personal life, as well as commentary on the human condition. Focusing on topics such as addiction, and mental health; Echevarria aims to evoke raw emotion from the viewer. Jay is also the co-founder of The Alternative Gallery; a community art space located in Allentown, PA est. 2012. For more information visit: https://www.jayechevarria.com/
Angela Fraleigh, MFA Yale and BFA Boston University, is a celebrated artist known for solo exhibitions at Hirschl & Adler Modern, PPOW Gallery, and major museums nationwide. Her work includes site-specific projects for institutions like the Edward Hopper House and Delaware Art Museum. She’s received prestigious awards and residencies, including the CORE Program and Bemis Center. Fraleigh lives in Allentown, PA, and is a Full Professor at Moravian University, blending academic leadership with artistic innovation. For more information visit: https://www.angelafraleigh.com/
Rachel Lynn is an artist and art educator in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While studying at Moravian University, she was fascinated by non-silver photography, oil painting, and more. In her arts-based graduate work, she incorporated needlepoint traditions from her youth into her practice. She has artworks in private collections in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. In her teaching role, she facilitates a choice-based art studio at Fountain Hill Elementary School where students learn to think like artists.For more information visit: @mrslynnsartroom
Art in Dialogue is a series of interdisciplinary conversations between members of the university and the wider community - reflecting the ways in which their work is dynamically engaged with other fields of inquiry.
LUAG@100 Events
We’re marking LUAG's 100th year with a vibrant calendar of events that reflect the many ways art connects us all. This program is a featured highlight of our 2026 Centennial year, showcasing the breadth of inspiration that LUAG has shared with campus and community for a century. Join us as we honor 100 years of creativity and the community that makes it possible.
