LUAG showcases work by Lehigh faculty

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the date of the exhibit 

Professors from Lehigh’s department of art, architecture and design stepped out of the classroom and into the spotlight to showcase their work at the Lehigh University Art Galleries for the first time in five years. 

The exhibition runs from Feb. 4 to May 23 in LUAG’s Main Gallery, located inside of Zoellner Arts Center. The goal is to “celebrate the visionary talent and creativity of Lehigh’s Department of Art, Architecture and Design,” according to the museum’s website. 

The faculty exhibition is hosted every four years. In 2025, the work of 14 professors was showcased. 

Amy Forsyth, a professor at Lehigh since 2001, blends her passion for visual and performing arts in her courses and personal work. Forsyth’s courses include furniture design, drawing and an experimental musical instrument-making class — an interest which is reflected in her pieces for the exhibition. 

Forsyth said she received a Lehigh Makers Grant last year, which helped her create this artwork for the exhibition. 

At the opening reception, she performed a crankie — a long scroll drawing which illustrates a song written by her husband. She also created three cabinets, including an instrument storage rack featuring instruments she and a friend built, some of which was repurposed from an old piano she deconstructed. 

One of her cabinets, called a “mobile sonic graphite,” integrates drawing and sound. 

“ The idea behind that is that you have a graphite stick that you draw with, and as you draw, it goes through an Arduino, a little mini computer turns it into sound, so you hear music when you draw,” she said. 

Forsyth’s teaching philosophy is deeply connected to her art. She said she has encouraged students to create their own instruments, and her drawing class will make a scroll which musicians will use as a musical score. 

“ There were many years where it wasn’t quite as connected, but this grant has let me pull it all together,” Forsyth said, referring to the Lehigh Makers Grant which supported her work. 

Anna Chupa, who teaches photography, textile design and motion graphics, also integrates her personal artistic process into her teaching. 

For the exhibition, Chupa created three quilts inspired by photographs she took while hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

“I teach the students how to develop designs in Photoshop, which is what I do, and I also teach them how to quilt on my longarm quilting machine,” she said. 

The exhibition also provides an opportunity for students to engage with their professors’ work and envision their own art displayed in a professional setting, Forsyth said. 

“ When I was in school, I don’t remember seeing that happen, and I think it’s really helpful because it gives students insights into what they’re thinking about on their own,” she said. 

William Crow, director of the Lehigh University Art Galleries and a professor who oversees the museum studies minor, said he views the galleries as an essential resource for students. 

“We spend many of our class sessions in the art galleries, having experiences with the works of art and immersing ourselves in how museums function,” Crow said. “What are some of the things museums have to grapple with?”

He also said the galleries’ collection contains more than 20,000 works, making it one of the most diverse in the region. It also offers a student-led art acquisition program every two years, providing students with a budget to purchase artwork for the university’s collection.

For the exhibition, Crow contributed a series of small paintings he began in 2020 which depict discarded objects. He said the objects range from clothing to a wig and are intended to reflect the hardships people experienced during the COVID pandemic. 

“ I think a lot of us have experienced different kinds of loss since the pandemic, and so, it’s really a meditation on that idea and how people express loss in different ways,” Crow said. 

The exhibition also allows professors to display their work to the local Bethlehem community, he said. 

“ Our team at LUAG believes that it’s important to show off faculty work in the art galleries,” Crow said.“At Lehigh, the research and creative practice that happens can be remarkably invisible unless it is showcased for the broader public in some way.”

Chupa shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing the value of seeing her colleagues’ work. 

She said the exhibition highlights a wide range of artistic media and skill sets within the department, making it an exciting opportunity to see different forms of artistic expression displayed together.