The Museum is pleased to offer high school students, faculty, and their families in the Allentown School District free admission to the Museum during the 2019–2020 school year in honor of Lee Butz, the Butz family, and Alvin H. Butz, Inc. and their deep commitment to the arts and to education throughout Allentown and the Lehigh Valley. The Butz family was honored earlier this year at the Museum’s Gala for their exceptional contributions to the arts in the Lehigh Valley.

Students attending William Allen High School, Louis E. Dieruff High School, or Building 21 can present their school ID at the Museum’s front desk and bring their family members with them to receive free admission starting September 1, 2019 through June 2020.

The Art Museum has partnered with the Allentown School District to teach, inspire, transform, and engage our students through such programs as Discover Art, the Middle School Summer Arts Program, the Urban Arts Partnership, and student exhibitions.

Thomas Parker, Superintendent of the Allentown School District, states, “This opportunity provides ASD students and their families access to world-class, culturally significant art and reinforces two strategic actions identified in the district’s Strategic Framework of providing individualized learning experiences and leveraging partnerships.” He continues, “We are thrilled to partner with the Allentown Art Museum to offer high school students the ability to engage with original works of art as an integral part of education and the community experience.”

Through their companies and individually, the Butz family has given more than $2 million dollars to arts organizations in and around the Lehigh Valley in the past ten years, including to the Allentown Art Museum.

“Exposure to the arts not only ensures that young people will experience a higher quality of life, it’s been shown to enhance learning capacity,” says Greg L. Butz, President and CEO of Alvin H. Butz, Inc. “It’s so rewarding to help the kids in our community benefit from exposure to one of our community’s phenomenal cultural assets.”

With free admission, AAM eliminates one of the principle barriers to arts access and allows students, faculty, and their families to participate in all activities in the Museum for the school entire year, including but not limited to family friendly hands-on art making; after-work films, tours, and performances; dynamic panel discussions; an assortment of art and health programs; bilingual story time during Arte en Español every Wednesday; artist workshops; and more.