Crafting a Selection: An Overview
Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) Expands Its Collection with Student-Led Purchase
In a unique educational experience, students at Lehigh University enrolled in ART275: Museum Collections and Exhibitions purchased a contemporary artwork for LUAG's permanent collection. The large, evocative sculptural piece, titled Untitled (2023), was created by rising contemporary artist and activist Lauren Halsey from Los Angeles.
The course, created in 2021 by William Crow, director and professor of practice at LUAG, offers students hands-on experience in museum practices. Students engage directly with LUAG, learning about collection care, documentation, exhibition planning, and installation.
The process of selecting and purchasing the artwork involved several steps. Students researched contemporary artists and available works that aligned with LUAG’s collection goals and educational mission. They then presented their chosen artwork proposals to faculty and gallery staff, justifying their selection based on artistic merit, relevance, and budget considerations. Once approved, students coordinated the purchase with the artist or gallery, handling logistics such as payment, shipping, and documentation.
Karine Marculino '23, an Integrated Business and Engineering major who wants to pursue a career related to museums, was one of the students who advocated for Halsey's work. Untitled (2023) features images of heads and hairstyles inspired by barber shops and advertisements of Halsey's community, carved into a canvas of gypsum.
The sculpture will be on display in LUAG's Lower Gallery starting in Fall 2023. The acquisition of Untitled (2023) was advocated for by students in the ART275 class due to its contemporary African American artist status and subject matter about diversity, inclusion, and equity.
ART275 was offered for the second time in Spring 2023, after being offered virtually during the spring of 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions. The second half of the course involved researching works for purchase with funds provided by LUAG’s Fine Art Endowment. The works students explored were by artists included in a traveling exhibition that came to LUAG in Spring 2022 called "Young, Gifted and Black."
Karine Marculino '23 expressed that ART275 was one of the best courses at Lehigh due to its diverse topic discussions. Another student, Jackson Darling '24, advocated for a work by Chiffon Thomas, a Chicago-based artist, for LUAG’s collection. Thomas' work, "Macule," is a large piece that speaks to the subject of identity and its frame is made from banister rails.
ART275 will continue to be offered every other year, with value for students from any major. The course includes in-person classroom conversations about various aspects of collecting, the LUAG collection, and its mission and guidelines. This hands-on approach to learning provides students with practical insights into museum work and helps LUAG enrich its collections with thoughtfully selected contemporary art chosen by the university community.
- The students' research in ART275, a course at Lehigh University, often extends to diverse areas of contemporary art, including engineering-inspired lifestyle and home-and-garden themes, as they strive to align their choices with LUAG’s collection goals and educational mission.
- The acquisition of Untitled (2023), a contemporary sculptural piece, was not only a result of students' understanding of art and diversity, but also reflected their appreciation for science, technology, and engineering, as highlighted in the unique designs of the artwork.
- With their successful purchase of Untitled (2023) for LUAG's permanent collection, students not only gain hands-on experience in museum practices, but also contribute to the expansion of education and research in various fields, such as science, engineering, and lifestyle studies, through their interaction with contemporary artists.
