LUAG Awarded Federal Grant for Program that Fosters Community Connections

The Institute of Museum and Library Services grant will support LUAG’s Taste of Art program.

Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) is among 390 museums, libraries and Native American tribal organizations across the U.S. to have been awarded a federal grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) American Rescue Plan. The grant program supports organizations in addressing community needs created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and in assisting with recovery.

LUAG was awarded $48,440 for its new initiative, Taste of Art, a free public program that combines mini art history lessons with live cooking demonstrations. The program spotlights local Southside restaurants to support these businesses and encourages positive relations between Lehigh and its neighbors. Each workshop pairs a work of art from Lehigh’s art collection with a related recipe from the featured restaurant to highlight the diverse cultures and voices that make up Bethlehem’s Southside community.

Participants receive a kit, available for pick-up at LUAG’s Main Gallery and at partner restaurants, that includes a recipe, signature ingredient and a reproduction of the featured work of art. As part of the grant-funded program, participants are eligible to win gift certificates to the restaurant partners.

Follow the link in the additional information box for the full article by Emily Collins.