Lehigh University Art Galleries

What Lehigh University Art Galleries does

Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) is the non-profit university art museum of Lehigh University, founded in 1926 on Asa Packer's belief that art is essential to education. Operating from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, LUAG stewards a permanent collection of over 20,000 works spanning diverse cultures, time periods, and mediums (prints, photographs, paintings, sculptures, mixed media). It presents this collection across six indoor galleries on three campuses — Asa Packer, Mountaintop, and Goodman — plus 50+ outdoor sculptures and a recently expanded community footprint along the South Bethlehem Greenway in partnership with the SouthSide Arts District. Admission and most programming are free.

The institution serves five primary constituencies: Lehigh University students and faculty, PK-12 educators and schools, families, the Bethlehem/Lehigh Valley community, and visitors with disabilities. Educational offerings are layered: object-based class visits for university courses across all disciplines, the LUAG LAB interdisciplinary student-curated exhibition space, the Peer Arts Council, internships and work-study positions, and a formal Museum Studies minor. Specialized programs include Taste of Art (culinary history paired with the collection, in partnership with ArtBites), Access Culture (arts accessibility and inclusion training), LUAG@Home (remote learning), and the ASL LUAG video series for Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors. A digital collection is searchable via JSTOR.

LUAG's revenue model is characteristic of a university department: subscription-equivalent institutional funding from Lehigh University covers core operations (staff salaries, exhibitions, programming), supplemented by one-time donations and gifts of art, a Membership Program, and federal/state grants (Institute of Museum and Library Services American Rescue Plan funding, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts). The gallery operates without venture capital, public equity, or independent ownership; the Director reports through university administration. Distribution spans physical (galleries, outdoor sculpture, Greenway installations) and digital (JSTOR, LUAG@Home, video library, weekly newsletter, social channels including Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify). LUAG celebrated its centennial in 2026 as LUAG@100 with the "Here and Now" series featuring 100 local artists.

Name

Lehigh University Art Galleries

Legal name

Lehigh University Art Galleries

Website

https://luag.lehigh.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) is a non-profit university art museum in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, stewarding 20,000+ works across six galleries and 50+ outdoor sculptures on three Lehigh University campuses. It serves students, faculty, PK-12 schools, families, and the community through free exhibitions, object-based learning, accessibility, and culinary-arts programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Art Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• University art museum
• Art exhibitions
• Museum education programs
• Permanent art collection
• Cultural community programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethlehem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. University Institutional Funding: As a department of Lehigh University, LUAG receives operational funding from the university budget, covering staff salaries, exhibition costs, and programming
2. Donations and Gifts: Accepts monetary donations and gifts of art to expand the collection; Donate page available on website
3. Membership Program: LUAG Membership Program offering benefits to supporters
4. Federal and State Grants: Funding from entities such as Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) American Rescue Plan and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for specific programs like Taste of Art and Access Culture

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) operates a non-profit university art museum that provides free public access to a permanent collection of over 20,000 works of art across six indoor galleries and three campuses, plus an outdoor sculpture collection. It delivers educational programs (class visits, PK-12 tours, family workshops, student-curated exhibitions in LUAG LAB), research resources (LUAG Reading Room, JSTOR digital collection), and community programming (Taste of Art culinary series, Access Culture accessibility initiative, LUAG@Home remote resources) as a department of Lehigh University.

Product overview

Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) operates as a university museum with a unified offering centered on art access and education. The core portfolio includes a permanent collection of over 20,000 works viewable in six indoor galleries and across three campuses with 50+ outdoor sculptures, supported by a searchable digital collection via JSTOR. Educational offerings form a complementary layer: structured programs for college students (class visits, LUAG LAB student exhibition space, Peer Arts Council, internships), PK-12 schools, and families, plus remote access through LUAG@Home. Specialized programming includes the Taste of Art culinary series, the Access Culture accessibility initiative, and the LUAG Reading Room research library supporting a Museum Studies minor. All core gallery admission and most educational programs are free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LUAG@Home: Online resources and activities for exploring art from home
• Taste of Art
• Access Culture
• LUAG LAB
• LUAG Peer Arts Council (PAC)
• NeuroSalon
• Here and Now
• Thinking Through Drawing

Products and services

• Art Collection Access (Permanent Collection)
• Indoor Gallery Exhibitions
• Outdoor Sculpture Collection
• Class Visits and Educational Programs
• PK-12 School Visits
• Family Programs
• LUAG@Home
• LUAG LAB (Student Exhibition Space)
• LUAG Reading Room
• Museum Studies Minor
• Taste of Art
• Access Culture Initiative
• Internship and Training Opportunities
• Search the Collection (via JSTOR)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 students, faculty, staff, and community members engaged in community-curated 'What Matters Most' exhibition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ArtBites (Maite Gomez-Rejón)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ArtBites, founded by Maite Gomez-Rejón, partners with LUAG for the Taste of Art program. Gomez-Rejon explores the intersection of art and culinary history through interactive lectures, cooking demonstrations, and storytelling that pairs cuisine from the local South Bethlehem community with works from LUAG's permanent collection. The program weaves culture and history together through DIY tastings and discussion.
• Shanthi ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShanthi Project partners with LUAG for 'Yoga for Every Body' wellness programming held among the outdoor sculpture collection. This collaborative wellness initiative brings mindfulness and yoga sessions to the campus grounds, creating connections between physical wellness, nature, and art.
• Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)coreOthersIMLS provided American Rescue Plan funding for Museums and Libraries grant, which supported the Taste of Art program that fosters community connections through the intersection of food, culture, and art.
• Pennsylvania Council on the ArtscoreOthersPennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and National Endowment for the Arts, provided funding for the Access Culture initiative and various exhibitions including Thinking Through Drawing and What Matters Most.
• SouthSide Arts DistrictcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSouthSide Arts District partners with LUAG on community exhibitions including 'What Matters Most' along the South Bethlehem Greenway and the 'Thinking Through Drawing: South Bethlehem Greenway' exhibition. This partnership extends LUAG programming into the local arts district and coordinates with First Friday celebrations.
• Taste of Art Community Restaurants and OrganizationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal partners including Bethlehem Farmers Market with Lone Birch Microfarm & Soap Muffin, The Wonder Kitchen, The CouchPota.doh!, The Flying V Poutinerie, Jenny's Kuali, Café the Lodge, The TasteSmokers, Made by Lino/Lit Coffee Roastery, and The Kellyn Foundation collaborate with LUAG for Taste of Art programming.
• Art-ReachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt-Reach, a Philadelphia-based organization focused on accessibility in the arts, partnered with LUAG for the Access Culture Arts Accessibility Conference. Katie Samson, Director of Education at Art-Reach, served as a presenter sharing expertise on serving individuals with disabilities.
• Sights for HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSights for Hope, an organization serving individuals who are blind and have low vision, led Sighted Guide Training at LUAG as part of the Access Culture initiative, preparing front-of-house staff and guides to better assist patrons with visual impairments.
• Southside Arts District's First FridayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLUAG partners with the Southside Arts District's First Friday celebration and CADCB's Greenway Farmers Market for community exhibition openings like What Matters Most, coordinating schedules and promoting cross-participation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bowdoin College Museum of Art: College art museum with free admission, curriculum integration, and a notable teaching role. Comparable to LUAG in small-university art museum profile and educational orientation.
• Harvard Art Museums: Federated university art museums (Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, Sackler, Houghton) at Harvard offering free admission to students and curriculum-integrated learning. Mirror LUAG's university-museum structure on a larger scale.
• Williams College Museum of Art: Liberal arts college art museum with free admission, object-based teaching, and curriculum integration. Functions as a small/medium-scale university arts institution comparable to LUAG's scale and model.
• Smart Museum of Art (University of Chicago): University art museum at UChicago with free admission, teaching collections, and curriculum integration. Comparable to LUAG in academic mission and structural model.
• Yale University Art Gallery: University art museum with a large permanent collection, free admission, and deep curriculum integration at Yale. Directly comparable to LUAG in mission, structure, and educational role.
• University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology: Ivy League university museum with deep curriculum integration, free admission policies, and object-based learning programs. Comparable to LUAG in academic embedding and educational mission.
• Princeton University Art Museum: University art museum serving Princeton University's students, faculty, and broader public with extensive collection and educational programming. Closely aligned with LUAG in operational model and academic integration.
• Haverford College Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery: Small liberal arts college gallery with free admission, rotating exhibitions, and academic integration. Closely comparable to LUAG in scale, mission, and educational function.
• Lafayette College Art Galleries: Small liberal arts college art gallery in Easton, PA operating galleries, exhibitions, and curriculum-integrated programming. The closest geographic and institutional peer to LUAG.
• Cornell Johnson Museum of Art: University art museum at Cornell with a permanent collection, free admission, and curriculum-integrated programming. Direct peer along dimensions of collection, education, and free public access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LUArtGalleries
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4jFZoaN5wp620xPcsfQJNA
• Facebookfacebook.com/luartgalleries
• Instagraminstagram.com/luartgalleries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lehigh-university-art-galleries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lehigh University Art Galleries