BETHLEHEM, PA.- Following the tremendous success of its historic centennial exhibition, Here and Now: 100 Years of LUAG, 100 Local Artists, Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) has announced a permanent addition to its institutional calendar: the creation of Here and Now: The Lehigh Valley Triennial.

Responding to unprecedented community engagement and a groundswell of support from the regional arts scene, LUAG will transition this landmark project into a recurring, open-call juried exhibition. The museum has officially set 2029 for the inaugural Triennial, with future iterations occurring every three years thereafter.

A Catalyst for Community and Connection

The 2025-26 Here and Now exhibition transformed LUAG’s Main Gallery into a dynamic showcase of the region’s creative talent. Over its year-long run, the project achieved massive success, drawing thousands of visitors of all ages to the featured exhibition and commemorative events celebrating the museum's centennial milestone. The exhibition also served as a critical bridge, forging relationships among artists and creatives in the Lehigh Valley, and deepening the connection between LUAG and the surrounding community.

"The energy surrounding Here and Now showed that the excitement for local art and the community connection it fosters is stronger than ever," says LUAG Director William Crow. "This wasn't just a one-time celebration of our 100-year history; it became an ongoing, creative conversation that we plan to continue into the future. By establishing a recurring Triennial, we are committing to growing the vital dialogue between the university and the Lehigh Valley creative community."

To sustain this vital momentum during the years between Triennial cycles, LUAG will offer professional development workshops and collaborative events for creators in the region. These ongoing initiatives will provide local artists with dedicated opportunities to learn, network, receive critical feedback, and continue showcasing their work within an active peer community.

Permanent Impact: 13 New Acquisitions

The legacy of this year’s centennial exhibition will also endure through new acquisitions of artworks made by local artists for the university’s permanent art collection. Underscoring the museum's longstanding dedication to collecting and showcasing local artists, the acquisitions mark an exciting moment of ensuring that local creative voices and visions will be preserved and studied alongside works from diverse cultures and eras for generations to come.

“Lehigh University is committed to supporting the arts and cultural life on campus and across the Lehigh Valley,” says Greg Reihman, Lehigh’s Vice Provost for Arts & Libraries. “The Triennial will create ongoing opportunities to engage with local artists and strengthen our connections throughout the region.”

This year, LUAG utilized Here and Now as the focus for the Student-Led Art Acquisition Program, part of a biannual credit-bearing course in which Lehigh students identify, research, and propose acquisitions for LUAG’s art collection. The program resulted in 13 total acquisitions of works from the Here and Now exhibition:

• Pat Badt, Orefield, Head in the Clouds, 2024. Oil on panel.

• Alison Bessesdotter, Mechanicsville, Not Your Average Garden Variety Tiger, 2023. Art Quilt.

• Charles A. Farrell, Bechtelsville In the Hood, 2023. Oil on canvas on wood.

• Danny Finocchio, Easton, PEACOCK, 2023. Acrylic on canvas.

• Alex Ho, Whitehall, Wasp Nest Still Life, 2024. Ballpoint pen.

• William Hudders, Easton, White Shirt, 2023. Oil on canvas.

• Al Johnson, Easton, Grandma's Chair, 2024. Mixed media on canvas.

• Alexandra Schnabel, Quakertown, Who Goes There?, 2024. Oil on canvas.

• Jessica Shannon, Bethlehem, The Cycle, 2024. Mixed Media, Paint, Wood, Found Objects, Paper, Clay.

• Emily Strong, Fountain Hill, Frequencies, 2024. Oil on canvas.

• Bruce Wall, Easton, Labyrinth, 2023. Acrylic paint, Gels, Texturing Materials, Plastic Bottles, Velcro, Cardboard, Stainless Steel Bowl, Galvanized Bucket, Glass Crystal Knob on Shaped Wood.

• Melinda Westfall, Bethlehem, Gods always behave like the people who make them, 2025. Charcoal.

• Douglas Wiltraut, Whitehall, Old Salt, 2009. Watercolor.

“University art museums have a responsibility not only to preserve global art and culture, but also to reflect and invest in the creative communities that surround them,” says LUAG Director William Crow. “By collecting work from local artists, we create a living archive of the perspectives found in our own community, and ensure that students can engage directly with the cultural voices shaping their own time and place.”