Spring 2023

Celestial beings peer down from the clouds, observing earthly activities unfold in a vibrant, undulating landscape. A calm figure gestures towards us, imparting wisdom and allaying fear. Nearby, intricately carved ritual objects made from wood and stone evoke the fragrance of incense and the hum of meditation. As a new year dawns on South Mountain, these special visitors arrive on Lehigh’s campus from their original homes among the tallest mountains in the world: the Himalayas.

Join us as we welcome the exhibition Gateway to Himalayan Art, a special traveling initiative from the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City, with Lehigh being the first and only venue in the mid-Atlantic region. Designed to introduce visitors to the rich heritage and diversity of the Tibetan plateau and inner Asia, the exhibition includes masterworks of scroll painting (thangka), sculpture, and cultural objects from the Himalayas. On Friday, February 17 from 5-7pm attend our free public celebration of Losar, the Tibetan Lunar New Year, and explore the wide array of educational programs and events that we have planned during the spring semester.

Be sure to also visit our community-curated exhibition, What Matters Most, a multi-site, year-long project that involved over 100 local community members, students, faculty and staff. After being asked “what matters most,” participants selected artworks from LUAG’s collection to deepen their exploration of their topic. Explore the outdoor version of the exhibition along a 1.9 mile stretch of the South Bethlehem Greenway, and watch our videos that feature thought-provoking interviews with the contributors.

Step inside our new LUAG LAB: an interdisciplinary student project space. This experimental gallery supports student research at the intersection of art and a wide array of disciplines. This spring we are delighted to feature Afiwa Afandalo '24, a student artist from the Bronx and Togo with double majors in Africana Studies and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Next door, get comfortable in our LUAG Reading Room–a free, public reference library of over 2,400 books and publications about LUAG’s collection and museum studies.

Want to get more involved? Our Membership Program provides an array of special events, tours, speakers and receptions. Always free for Lehigh students, faculty and staff, membership starts at just $20 per year for artists and educators.

Whether you seek temple paintings from the Himalayas or local photography from the Lehigh Valley, there is truly something for everyone at LUAG. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Warm regards,