Lehigh University Art Galleries marked its 100th anniversary on Sept. 19 with “Light Up LUAG,” a free community celebration that filled Zoellner Arts Center with music, food and the opening of a centennial exhibition.
The event kicked off LUAG’s yearlong centennial celebration anchored by “Here and Now: 100 Years of LUAG, 100 Local Artists,” a juried exhibition showcasing the range of artists in the surrounding community.
Opening remarks were given by LUAG Director William Crow, President Joseph Helble, Laura Collins, Bethlehem’s director of community and economic development, and Pennsylvania State Rep. Steven Samuelson, speaking about the significance of the anniversary.
“The mood here is electric tonight, and that’s exactly what we had hoped for,” Crow said. “Museums are about creating community, and what better way to celebrate a 100-year birthday of the art galleries at Lehigh than to have the whole community here.”
Guests explored hands-on activities throughout the evening, from interactive artmaking to caricature portraits and a photobooth.
Since its first campus exhibition in 1926, LUAG has grown into a collection of more than 20,000 works spanning centuries and cultures.
Crow said anniversaries are often moments to reflect on the past, but LUAG’s centennial is also about looking ahead.
“Birthdays are so symbolic, there can be a tendency to turn inward and think about ourselves,” he said. “While reflecting, we also want to look forward.”
The “Here and Now” exhibition reflects that idea. Nearly 300 local artists submitted more than 800 works, from which 100 were chosen with the help of guest juror Curlee Raven Holton, the founding director of Raven Fine Art Editions, a print and publishing studio in Easton.
Francisco Aguilar, one of the featured artists, said the experience felt surreal.
“Honestly, I feel really honored and grateful, especially because I didn’t grow up as an artist or even know what an artist was,” Aguilar said. “I didn’t know the idea of what art was until I was 21. And now I feel like I’m helping represent the Lehigh Valley, which I never expected.”
Aguilar’s photograph, titled “First Fire,” captured a simple but meaningful moment when he and a roommate struggled to start a fire.
“It turned into this really peaceful, beautiful moment,” Aguilar said. “That photo documents it, and looking back, it represents our friendship, two guys trying to make a fire and it finally worked.”
While the artists filled the gallery walls, students brought energy to the celebration. For some, it was their introduction to LUAG.
Lauren Shocker, ‘28, said she’d never been to the gallery before but was excited to see what it offered.
“It’s always important to have a center and space for art,” Shocker said. “Art is extremely important, not just for getting your mind out of things, but also because it can teach you a lot about different experiences you might not understand otherwise.”
Other students who attended already had a connection to the gallery.
Charlotte Schwartz, ‘26, said her favorite artist in the exhibition is her professor and mentor, Deirdre Murphy.
“(Murphy) does climate studies in oil painting with vibrant colors,” Schwartz said. “She’s my supervisor for my capstone, my painting professor and I was also her TA last year.”
That sense of connection extends beyond Lehigh’s campus.
Kira Miller, ‘26, a museum educator at LUAG, said the gallery also serves as a cultural bridge to the wider Bethlehem community. She said the gallery’s public mission makes it a hub for students and neighbors.
“Since we’re open to the public, we host tours for students from Lehigh and schools around the area,” Miller said. “We have so many different activities and events that allow people to come here, interact with art and learn about themselves.”
While the centennial honored LUAG’s history, Crow said it pointed to the gallery’s future.
“As you can see from tonight’s event, we are busting at the seams, busting with people, bursting with works of art,” Crow said. “The dream is that in the future, we will have a larger, even better facility to really amplify the work we’re already doing.”
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