The artworks visitors see in Lehigh's seven galleries represent just 3% of the entire collection. When they are not on display, pieces are stored in a temperature-controlled facility on Lehigh’s Mountaintop Campus. The collection is a vital resource for teaching and learning, says William Crow, director of LUAG, professor of practice in art, architecture and design and a recently selected J. Paul Getty Museum guest scholar.

“The direct encounter with original works of art is an invaluable opportunity for Lehigh students,” Crow says. “Learning from these irreplaceable primary sources illuminates how artists and cultures addressed the issues and challenges of their time. It is also an opportunity for students to interact with museum professionals and discover possible career paths.”

On a recent visit to the storage area, students in Crow’s Intro to Museums and Museum Professions class were able to explore the collection and assess the condition of several pieces.

There are black and white Associated Press photographs donated by George Stephanopoulos, the journalist and host of “Good Morning America.” The pictures show soldiers in the United States Army training in a Korean camp after the Korean War. The photographs’ edges are worn by the handling of hurried editors, while the backs of the pictures are stamped with a faded copyright from the Seattle Times, dated Aug. 15, 1955.

A pre-Columbian jug, depicting a sea lion deity wearing a polka dot poncho, dates back to 600 to 900 CE — before Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World. Despite its age, the brightly colored jug has only a few paint chips missing.

“Essential Clay,” made of colored beeswax on wood board, is part of Lehigh’s own history, painted by Richard J. Redd, a longtime professor who served as chair of Lehigh’s Department of Art, Architecture and Design from 1970-1976.

“It was really interesting to see the restoration side and all the artworks we have that aren’t on display,” says Charlotte Cooper ’25, a graphic design major and one of Crow’s students. “I thought there were so many cool pieces. There was a Keith Haring box on one shelf,” she says, referring to the American artist and activist known for his graffiti-inspired art. “I didn’t know we had all this stuff.”

Lanie Yaswinski, a collections assistant, compares the storage facility to a restaurant’s “back of house,” where all the cooking goes on. “We are stewards of what is donated here. We keep it in perpetuity,” she says.

Behind the scenes, LUAG staff strive to keep the storage facility at a constant temperature of 68 degrees and humidity no higher than 45%. A database tells what room, shelf number and box number an item is in. A registrar processes incoming donations and acquisitions, managing legal paperwork for insurance and compliance with museum policies.

There are entire rooms dedicated to storing paintings, sculptures and ceramics. Floor-to-ceiling flat file cabinets hold photographs, such as the box of Andy Warhol Polaroids donated by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

“There’s a lot of passion, care and genuine love for the art that goes into preserving it, and I find that really kind of beautiful,” says Consuelo Zapata ’25, one of Crow’s students who was assessing the condition of artworks earlier this year.

As gallery employees researched LUAG’s history for the centennial, they discovered having museums on campus was always a priority, Crow said. There was once a natural history museum in what is today the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall. In 1928, there were plans to build a combination library, museum and auditorium, though it never came to fruition, Crow says.

Because of the space limitations, LUAG has become intentional about its collecting, says Mark Wonsidler, curator of exhibitions and collections. “Space is precious, and we can’t just infinitely accept anything that comes to us. We have to try to be laser focused on building a collection that will serve the mission of the museum within the university and the community, and try to think about how to build a collection for the future,” he says.

LUAG created a committee that reviews works from varying perspectives to ensure a diverse and vibrant collection. Committee members also discuss how works can be used in programs and education.

“Art history has been construed from a Western European and American lens for a very long time. How do we think about all of the folks that lens excluded?” Wonsidler says. “How do we think about African American and Black artists? How do we think about Indigenous artists and women, who have been there the whole time but not given credit in so many ways?”