Institute of Museum and Library Services Awards Significant Grant to LUAG
Lehigh University Art Galleries Secures Major Grant for Capacity Building and Diverse Audience Engagement
The Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) has been awarded a prestigious federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) worth $65,598. The grant, named "Museums Empowered," will support LUAG over the next two years.
The aim of the grant is to build capacity, increase impact, and better serve diverse audiences. LUAG plans to align its work with the university and local community to maximize the benefits of its collection.
Each year, the University Art Galleries serves thousands of visitors and generates more than a dozen exhibitions. With the grant, LUAG will focus on assessing outcomes, such as shifts in knowledge, skills, attitudes, or behaviors.
The grant will also help the museum create and implement a strategic plan. LUAG will form an advisory committee in the local community to identify and serve the community's needs. The staff will be trained in outcomes-based, visitor-centered practices.
In addition, LUAG will collaborate with an external consultant and meet with colleagues at peer institutions in New York City and Philadelphia. Guest experts will be brought to Lehigh as part of the grant, providing opportunities for interaction with the campus community and the public.
The University Art Galleries holds a collection of more than 16,000 works of art and generates scholarly publications. LUAG aims to expand engagement with the region's growing Hispanic and Caribbean community.
The Museums Empowered grant will improve organizational management and build the capacity of LUAG's seven-member staff. The art museum's work will be shared at a national conference, further showcasing its commitment to innovation and community service.
Margaret Wertheim facilitated a "Hands-On Hyperbolic Construction" workshop at LUAG on Sept. 11, 2019, demonstrating the museum's ongoing commitment to creative and interactive programming.
The staff at the University Art Galleries are excited about the opportunities this grant presents. They look forward to continuing to serve the Lehigh community and beyond, with a renewed focus on capacity building, audience engagement, and equity, diversity, and inclusion practices.
For the specific strategic goals of the Lehigh University Art Galleries following the Museums Empowered grant, we encourage readers to consult official statements or publications from Lehigh University or the Art Galleries themselves.
- The staff at the Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) are excited about the opportunities presented by the Museums Empowered grant, aiming to expand engagement with the region's growing Hispanic and Caribbean community.
- With the Museums Empowered grant, Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) will focus on researching and assessing outcomes related to education-and-self-development, such as shifts in knowledge, skills, attitudes, or behaviors.
- To maximize the benefits of its collection, LUAG plans to align its work with the university and local community, forming an advisory committee to identify and serve the community's needs.
- The Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) will collaborate with an external consultant and peer institutions in New York City and Philadelphia, implementing a strategic plan for online-education and learning, as well as for health and culture on campus.
