National Art Galleries at Our University Chosen for Nationwide Examination Directed by the American Alliance of Museums
Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) has been selected as a participant in the Museum Social Impact in Practice (MSIIP) cohort, a three-year initiative led by the American Alliance of Museums and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The MSIIP initiative aims to help museums demonstrate and enhance their social impact by building capacity to collect, analyze, and communicate data on how museums benefit their communities. With over 56 sculptures located across its campus grounds and a collection of over 20,000 artworks from diverse time periods and cultures, LUAG stands to gain valuable insights from this research cohort.
LUAG sees the MSIIP fellowship as reinforcing its role as a catalyst for cultural engagement and education, and as a significant cultural resource to both the campus and the wider community. Stacie Brennan '03, curator of education at LUAG, is responsible for LUAG education and community programming, which serves a range of audiences, including K-12 students and educators, Lehigh faculty and students, and community members of all ages.
The MSIIP cohort collaboration allows LUAG to leverage the collective knowledge and strategies of the group, as it joins 40 participating museums from 25 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. LUAG is among only five academic museums nationwide that will join the MSIIP research cohort.
The MSIIP findings are expected to drive meaningful, measurable social impact for LUAG. LUAG exhibitions are amplified by social, experience-based programs, and the university's Art Galleries include a network of seven satellite galleries. An outdoor exhibition lines the 1.9-mile long South Bethlehem Greenway, providing a unique and engaging platform for visitors to engage with art.
"Museums are vital community assets," according to LUAG director William Crow. The MSIIP cohort represents an opportunity for LUAG to deepen its commitment to community engagement, impact, and inclusivity, as it strives to strengthen museum sustainability by documenting the social value it provides.
For more detailed and current specific goals and objectives of MSIIP, we recommend checking the American Alliance of Museums' official website or related press releases funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
- Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) is among only five academic museums nationwide that will join the MSIIP research cohort, a three-year initiative focused on demonstrating and enhancing social impact by collecting, analyzing, and communicating data.
- Stacie Brennan '03, curator of education at LUAG, is responsible for education and community programming, serving a range of audiences, including K-12 students, Lehigh faculty, students, and community members of all ages.
- With over 56 sculptures located across its campus grounds and a collection of over 20,000 artworks from diverse time periods and cultures, LUAG stands to gain valuable insights from this research cohort, aimed at cultural engagement and education.
- The MSIIP findings are expected to drive meaningful, measurable social impact for LUAG, which includes a network of seven satellite galleries, outdoor exhibitions, and amplified exhibitions by social, experience-based programs, contributing to the general news and education-and-self-development of the wider community.
