{"id":148690,"date":"2026-04-15T20:33:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T00:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=148690"},"modified":"2026-04-15T20:33:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T00:33:33","slug":"lehigh-university-art-galleries-luag-culminates-landmark-centennial-exhibition-with-bye-for-now-here-and-now-a-free-public-grand-finale-celebration-on-saturday-may-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=148690","title":{"rendered":"Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) culminates landmark centennial exhibition with \u201cBye for Now, Here and Now\u201d \u2013 a free, public grand finale celebration on Saturday, May 9, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) culminates landmark centennial exhibition with \u201cBye for Now, Here and Now\u201d \u2013 a free, public grand finale celebration on Saturday, May 9, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

BETHLEHEM, PA – April\u00a015, 2026<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) is thrilled to announce the grand finale party for its centennial exhibition of 100 local artists! Taking place on Saturday, May 9, the free and open-to-the-public event \u201cBye for Now, Here and Now\u201d marks the official 100th anniversary of the museum\u2019s founding in 1926 \u2013 and serves as the festive closing for LUAG\u2019s landmark exhibition,\u00a0Here and Now: 100 Years of LUAG, 100 Local Artists.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Here and Now<\/em>\u00a0exhibition, which has transformed LUAG\u2019s Main Galleries into a dynamic showcase of the Lehigh Valley\u2019s creative talent, will conclude its run on May 22, two weeks after the May 9 event.<\/p>\n

“The\u00a0Here and Now<\/em>\u00a0exhibition has been a powerful reminder of the extraordinary creative community that exists right here in our backyard,\u201d says LUAG Director Will Crow. ‘Bye for Now’ isn’t just a closing party; it\u2019s a proper sendoff to a historic year.\u201d<\/p>\n

LUAG\u2019s spring bash serves as the bookend event to the September 2025 \u201cLight Up LUAG\u201d kickoff party \u2013 a high-energy public event that drew nearly 1,200 attendees to the museum, which is located inside Zoellner Arts Center. Continuing the inclusive, upbeat vibe of the September kickoff, this event is completely free and open to everyone.<\/p>\n

“As we reached the 100th anniversary of Lehigh University Art Galleries this year, we wanted to create moments that are both a look back at our legacy and a bold ‘cheers’ to our future,” adds Crow. \u201c\u2018Bye for Now, Here and Now\u2019 is a chance for the community to come together once again to celebrate the 100 local artists who have made LUAG\u2019s centennial year unforgettable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBye for Now, Here and Now\u201d | Saturday, May 9, 2026 | 6:30 \u2013 9:30 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transforming LUAG\u2019s Main Galleries and Zoellner Arts Center into a vibrant party space, the event will provide attendees with a final look at the stunning collection of local art \u2013 and a chance to meet the exhibition artists themselves. Featuring\u00a0the vinyl DJ collective\u00a0Nite Liters\u00a0<\/em>spinning live, caricatures with George Gets Silly, artmaking activities, indoor refreshments, outdoor food trucks, and more \u2013 this special evening is designed to be a free, festive evening out. \u201cBye for Now, Here and Now\u201d is a time for the community to connect with the local artists who make the Lehigh Valley a creative hub, and to celebrate a year of centennial events at LUAG.<\/p>\n

“This is a joyful celebration and everyone is invited,\u201d Crow adds. \u201cWhether you\u2019re a regular visitor or it\u2019s your first time at LUAG, we want you to feel included and welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Admission to the event and the galleries is free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, visit LUAG.org\/events and follow @LUArtGalleries on social media.<\/p>\n

Exhibition Details<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here and Now: 100 Years of LUAG, 100 Local Artists<\/em>\u00a0remains on view at LUAG through May 22, 2026. Serving as a tribute to\u00a0the Lehigh Valley\u2019s rich and diverse creative community,\u00a0Here and Now<\/em>\u00a0represents a diverse collection of 100 artworks in a wide range of forms, from painting and photography to sculpture and mixed media. The works were selected from a highly competitive pool of submissions, reflecting the depth of talent and\u00a0artistic diversity of the region.<\/p>\n

A History of Art at Lehigh<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since 1926, Lehigh University Art Galleries has served as the university\u2019s free, public art museum, dedicated to advancing critical thinking, cultural understanding, and well-being for both the campus and the surrounding community. The museum’s permanent collection of over 20,000 works of art is displayed across seven campus gallery spaces, including its Main Galleries inside Zoellner Arts Center, located on the edge of Lehigh\u2019s campus.<\/p>\n

Beyond the museum walls, LUAG\u2019s collection extends across university grounds and beyond, with 56 outdoor campus sculptures and public exhibitions along the South Bethlehem Greenway \u2013 making art an integral part of the Lehigh and South Bethlehem experience. With a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, LUAG serves as a cultural and educational resource for campus and the wider community \u2013 inviting all to explore, reflect, and connect with art.<\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nKiera Wilhelm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) culminates landmark centennial exhibition with \u201cBye for Now, Here and Now\u201d \u2013 a free, public grand finale celebration on Saturday, May 9, 2026 BETHLEHEM, PA … Continue reading Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) culminates landmark centennial exhibition with \u201cBye for Now, Here and Now\u201d \u2013 a free, public grand finale celebration on Saturday, May 9, 2026<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":148691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/here-and-now.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148690"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=148690"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148692,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148690\/revisions\/148692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/148691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=148690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=148690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=148690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}