The funding will be used to upgrade lighting throughout the museum, helping to preserve the artwork and enhance the visitor experience.

The La Salle University Art Museum is awarded a $156,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation to replace its older lighting system with a new, energy-efficient lighting system throughout all six of its museum galleries.

The installation, which will take place throughout the summer with all work completed at the start of the 2026-27 academic year, will include replacing the current system, with LED track lighting heads and dimmer controls.

The new lighting will minimize UV exposure to sensitive artworks, provide flexible lighting options to support accessibility, visibility, and the overall visitor experience, and reduce energy costs

Carolyn Greene, Ph.D., La Salle University Art Museum director and chief curator, alongside Ian Eichen, director of corporate and foundation grants at La Salle, were hopeful when they saw the opportunity to apply for the grant and potentially improve the visitor experience.

As a part of the Germantown neighborhood, Greene was excited to see how La Salle and the Art Museum could invest in itself and continue to be a place for the community to view and reflect on the museum’s collections. Not only would the upgrades allow the galleries to meet today’s museums standards, but she felt the mission of the museum and the foundation were aligned.

“We jumped at the chance to see if we were a good fit,” she said.

It was clear they were. With the William Penn’s Foundation focus on capital improvements to arts and culture physical spaces to be accessible, safe, and welcoming for people of all abilities and backgrounds, the museum made a direct appeal to how this funding would support their everyday work, demonstrating that the infrastructure improvement would serve the museum in a variety of ways.

The halogen lights currently in the museum, which dates back to the 1980s and 1990s, are no longer manufactured and are not energy efficient. By producing excess heat and UV radiation, they place a strain on the University’s existing artworks, textiles, and paper-based materials.

“It’s one of the harshest things we can expose our art to,” Greene said.

The new LED system will improve light quality, provide a longer lifespan, and offer safer illumination for the artwork.

The use of dimmer controls allows the museum team to adjust light levels for exhibitions, classes, and public programs. Not only does this help provide a more dynamic experience, but it creates a more inclusive environment for people with sensory sensitivities and vision challenges.

Along with reducing potential harm to the artwork and improving the space, educational and cultural programming will also benefit from this lighting upgrade.

With the La Salle University Art Museum serving an average of 15,000 visitors annually, it only felt right to see how the space and the visitor experience improve especially for students to connect their classroom studies to Philadelphia’s rich history of arts and culture.

Greene said this facilities upgrade is an essential component to continue to be a cultural space in the neighborhood.

La Salle faculty bring their students to the galleries to analyze artworks in person, and they often rely on specific lighting conditions to highlight features of paintings, prints, and sculptures. The museum sees upwards of 95 University classes yearly, ranging from art history and studio art to English, creative writing, digital art, Black studies, counseling, and nursing.

The Art Museum also hosts intimate seminars and public lecture series, like the fall’s  Humanities Week lecture series. Not only will the lighting enhance teaching and learning activities but will also improve these on-campus events.

Visiting K-12 students from local Philadelphia public, charter, and private schools who participate in educational tours will also experience artworks more vividly.

“This improvement allows us to become a dynamic part of our community,” Greene said.

The La Salle University Art Museum is currently showing its Actively American exhibition. Celebrating the 250^th birthday of the United States, guests can view artworks created by American artists. The exhibition will be on display through May 2027.

About William Penn Foundation

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.