We invite you to join us as we celebrate Janet and Malcolm Gross at our Gala on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at The Barristers Club in Allentown. Every year, The Baum School of Art honors individuals who are instrumental in supporting the school’s mission to enrich lives through arts education. Janet and Mal are shining examples of service, compassion, philanthropy, and support for the arts in Allentown, particularly for The Baum School of Art. Please consider donating an item to our silent auction to show your support for the school, and join us in recognizing this remarkable couple.

Janet and Mal have been active on the boards of numerous charitable organizations throughout the Lehigh Valley. Janet is the current President of The Baum School of Art’s Board of Trustees and has been a serving member since 2005. Janet’s dedication is evident in her unwavering support for the school. Her leadership has guided the school through great challenges, leading to great successes. Janet and Mal have sponsored countless exhibitions, programs, events, and activities at The Baum School of Art, and their advocacy and generous support for the arts in downtown Allentown is invaluable.

Janet’s influence and leadership has also benefitted many other community organizations, including The Civic Theatre, the Girl’s Club, Child Advocacy Center, Planned Parenthood, St. Luke’s Allentown, and the Allentown Arts Commission. Malcolm is a founding senior partner at Gross McGinley, LLP, and has served on the boards of the YMCA, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, the Allentown Symphony Association, Sacred Heart Hospital, and was a founding member and president of Lehigh Valley Child Care and Community Services. Mal was named a Trustee of the Harry C. Trexler Trust by the Lehigh County Court in 2000, whose support for the school has been critical to our success. Mal’s history with the school traces back to his grandfather, the mayor of Allentown, Malcolm Gross, who supported Walter Emerson Baum’s early efforts to establish The Baum School of Art in Allentown.

Those early efforts set the foundation for the amazing outreach and arts education programming led by The Baum School of Art today. In the heart of downtown Allentown, The Baum School of Art serves over 5,100 students annually with classes in art, design, and fashion for children, teens, and adults. Over 3,000 of those served receive some form of financial aid, discount, scholarship, or are part of our robust outreach efforts. Janet and Malcolm Gross are critical driving forces behind this remarkable impact in the community.

In addition to our gala evening, The Baum School of Art will kick off the fall season with exhibitions in our David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries with the works of Emmaus native, Kacper Abolik, in his exhibition, Year of the Dog. Kacper has recently been producing work for high profile clientele, as well as exhibiting throughout Europe. During his time at The Baum School of Art, he will be scheduling portrait sittings and creating a special piece of art at our Gala.

Support in any manner is appreciated and will help fund the school’s mission of enriching lives through arts education. We would be grateful if you would consider a tax-deductible donation of an item or service for our silent auction, held the night of the gala. Please complete the enclosed form and submit to Lauren Faurl at The Baum School of Art, 510 W. Linden Street, Allentown PA 18101 by October 4, 2019. Silent auction donors will be recognized in our program and in our beautiful display. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. We would love to add your name to our list of donors and sponsors in honor of Janet and Malcolm Gross. Thank you for considering this request.