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Eugene Rodriguez, Los Punks Barrocos , 2025, oil and wax on linen on panel. Courtesy of the Artist. LANCASTER, CA. APRIL 8, 2026  — The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) is pleased to announce its Summer 2026 exhibition season, inclusive of four solo exhibitions by artists Eva Aguila, Eugene Rodriguez, Edwin Vasquez, and Marcus Zúñiga. The season will also feature the debut of Emanations: Light, Growth, and Renewal in the Lancaster Museum of Art and History Collection , an exhibition that highlights a selection of artworks from MOAH’s permanent collection that capture emergence and reflect themes of luminosity, radiance, and resurgence. The Summer 2026 exhibition season will run from Saturday, May 16, 2026, through Sunday, August 30, 2026. Emanations will be on view through Spring 2027. An opening celebration  for the season will be held at MOAH on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 12–4pm.    MOAH's Main Gallery features the solo exhibition Velvet Notes: Conversando con Pedro Guzmán   by San Francisco-based artist Eugene Rodriguez. Critically renowned for early films like Straight, No Chaser  (1995), the exhibition debuts Rodriguez’s latest film, The Great Masquerade  (2026), a meditation on artistic creativity amid growing commodification and commercialization in the age of artificial intelligence. Through his alter egos—RudeE Warhol, an eccentric band manager, and Pedro Guzmán, a journalist and television personality—Rodriguez interrogates how images shape identity while asking who gets to be seen, heard, and remembered when everything is simultaneously performance and product. The film is accompanied by videos, sculpture, and multimedia works from his larger Cracked Velvet Project series, which follows a fictional Chicano band called The Cracked Velvets.    Marcus Zúñiga: cosmovisión ,  on display in MOAH’s South Gallery, presents recent sculptural installations by Los Angeles-based artist Marcus Zúñiga that feature mica—a silicate mineral that naturally separates into thin, light-transmitting translucent layers—as their central component. Shown together for the first time, these installations reveal Zúñiga’s meticulous experimentation with a fragile material considered sacred by the artist and many Mesoamerican cultures. Inspired by the use of mica in Teotihuacan's underground chambers to simulate starlight, each installation is a meditation on forms that divine our location in the cosmos, connect the ethereal and earthly, and propose spiritual healing and ancestral remembrance as needed responses to our many contemporary crises. The sculptural installations will be exhibited alongside new photographs that capture the celestial passage of time and a site-specific installation in MOAH’s Jewel Box.    Eva Aguila: The Foundation of the Harvest / El Cimiento de la Cosecha ,  exhibited in the Ralph and Virginia Bozigian Family Gallery, presents work by Los Angeles-based artist Eva Aguila. The exhibition examines the United States’ enduring extraction of Mexican migrant labor through artwork that draws from the Los Angeles based artist’s family's multigenerational experience, tracing a direct line from the Bracero Program to today's H-2A visa system. The centerpiece of the exhibition is an expanded version of Aguila’s Building Home  (2023-2026)   installation, which recreates her late grandfather's red living room in Michoacán, Mexico, and features a video interview with her cousin Ivan—a current H-2A visa holder who picks apples in Washington State. Through installation, family photographs, found objects, archival materials, and video testimony, the exhibition honors both her family's resilience in transforming harsh working conditions into generational wealth and the activism of organizers like Aguila’s uncle Jorge Campos Aguiñiga who fought for laborers' rights.    Edwin Vasquez: The Starborn Fragments  presents an installation inclusive of painting, sculpture, and poetry by Edwin Vasquez, an Antelope Valley-based artist. These works are inspired by the imagined contents of the lost Mayan codices and all of the science, culture, and mythology that may have been included in them. While borrowing from Mayan iconography that survived colonization, Vasquez adds to this vocabulary through new work that speaks to themes of cultural identity, spirituality, and ecological responsibility. For Vasquez, the artwork, especially a new series of clay masks, poetically honors the sophisticated astronomical traditions largely lost when Spanish colonizers destroyed Mayan codices. Vasquez reclaims this lost history and reimagines the stories and artifacts of this lineage through an installation that portrays the Maya as eternal mappers of the universe, offering viewers a meditation on the resilience of cultural traditions. The Starborn Fragments will be hosted in MOAH's Mark and Hillarie Moore Family Trust Gallery.    Beginning in Summer 2026, Emanations: Light, Growth, and Renewal in the Lancaster Museum of Art and History Collection   will be on view in MOAH’s Joseph Stello Family Gallery. Emanations features a dynamic range of artworks that span diverse media and approaches, including paintings that radiate light, photography that glows, sculpture that undulates, and works on paper depicting various forms of growth. From ethereal explorations of color and transparency inspired by the Light and Space movement to bold prints that pulse with energy, each piece captures an emergence, in both literal and metaphorical means, offering artistic interpretations of illumination and transformation. The exhibition features work by Nuri Amanatullah, Clovis Blackwell, Gisela Colon, Alex Couwenberg, Ayin Es, Matthew Finley, Carla Jay Harris, Eric Johnson, Dion Johnson, Thomas Pathe, Ruth Pastine, Sheila Pinkel, Gustavo Rimada, Robert Von Sternberg, Eric Zammitt, and Norman Zammitt.     The Lancaster Museum of Art and History is dedicated to strengthening awareness, enhancing accessibility, and igniting the appreciation of art, history, and culture in the Antelope Valley through dynamic exhibitions, innovative educational programs, creative community engagement, and a vibrant collection that celebrates the richness of the region. MOAH is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 AM to 4 PM, with extended hours on Thursday until 8 PM through November 1st. MOAH is located at 665 W. Lancaster BLVD on the corner of Lancaster BLVD and Ehrlich Avenue. For more information, please call the museum at (661) 723-6250 or visit: www.lancastermoah.org .

On this Valentine’s Day, we take a look at the love story between Ben Cherbonno and Helen Gookins. This pair of settlers met in the Antelope Valley in the early 1900s, and celebrated their 50th anniversary at the time the highlighted article was written (Figure 1). When the couple met in 1907, the area was still mostly rural. At the time, Ben was a 21-year-old freighter who hauled borax from the mines to the railroad in Lancaster. Helen, who had moved to the Antelope Valley in 1892, was a young woman who loved to ride horses and explore the desert. Figure 1: Original Newspaper Clipping of the 20-Mule-Team Love Story (Object ID #2024.FIC.203) MOAH Collections. In the article, Ben retells the story of him falling in love at first sight, feeling sure he was going to marry Helen at their very first meeting. Four months of courting, school dances, and multiple desert adventures later, the two tied the knot. Their marriage would hold true and bring the couple children, grand-children and great-grandchildren. Throughout the story they recount many happy memories, such as the signal for Helen to ride out when she heard the sound of approaching bells from Ben’s mule team. Or the way Ben would ask to borrow a horse and buggy to go out to see Helen. Ben also remembers the time he convinced Helen to travel part ways with him to the mines, and Helen’s agreement even though she knew she would have to solo-ride for 16 miles through mountainous trails to get home. Such tales indicate their deep desire to be in each other’s company. Ben and Helen's love story is a testament to the power of love and commitment, withstanding the tribulations of time and distance. They were able to build a strong and lasting relationship despite the challenges they faced. The article reads: “GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 20-Mule-Team Days Love Story Recalled The bells on Ben Cherbonno’s 20-mule team echoed on the wet October air as he freighted his load of borax over the rain-slick road toward Lancaster. Sound carries in mountain country. At Neenach, stopover point for stagecoach and covered wagon, the prettiest girl in the Antelope Valley heard a secret message in the distant jingling. Her dark eyes were bright as she saddled her horse and rode out to meet her bridegroom. Last month, 50 years and five great-grandchildren later, Ben Cherbbonno and Helen Gookins celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. But the fabric of their romance is still bright proof that for dash and color the senior members of the Southland family can match their courtships against any of the jet age. Rides Recalled Helen Gookins came to Antelope Valley in 1892 when range grass grew knee-deep and carpets of blue lupin and Indian paintbrush spread to the horizon. She remembers the wild rides across the desert when her horse took the bit in his teeth and plunged off after herds of wild antelope. Ben Cherbbonno can’t remember the first time he rode in a freight wagon – all he knows is that at 10 he could drive a six-horse team. He was 21 and an old hand in 1907 when he and his brother were running two of the big 20-mule teams hauling borax from the mines west of Gorman to the railroad in Lancaster. Helen always knew when it was time to ride out to the forks to meet Ben’s rig. Every one of his mules wore bells collected from the lead teams of less skilled drivers whom he had to haul out of trouble. He never got stuck himself – those mules of his were among the best in the business, trained on command to put all their power into the pull at the same moment. He trusted them so much that all he had to do was yell out their names to get them around sharp mountain curves. Courtship Told Ben made up his mind to marry Helen the first time he saw her. It took him only four months, courting by borrowed horse and buggy, sometimes a dance at the schoolhouse where a fiddle, guitar and 50 people meant square-dancing and waltzing until dawn. Later he talked her into tying her little sorrel horse to the back of the borax wagon and riding with him part way. From Gorman she made the 16-mile return trip alone, racing by horseback along a short cut through the mountains. It was storming the October night they slipped away from the schoolhouse dance to be married. The buggy wheels mired in the mud, and the 3 a.m. train for Los Angeles was five hours late. They sat on a hard bench at the Lancaster depot and stared at the fat, round wood stove, planning their future. At Ben and Helen Cherbbonno’s anniversary party last month, a scale model borax wagon on the mantel carried a miniature man and a girl with a bright orange scarf over her head. Behind them trailed a tiny sorrel horse." If this story interests you, we encourage you to learn more about local history by visiting the Western Hotel Museum at 557 W Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster, CA 93534, operating hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM. References 20-Mule-Team Days Love Story Recalled. (ca.1957). [Clipping from an unidentified United States, newspaper}. Copy in possession of the Museum of Art History Collections Department.

In celebration of the holiday season, we look back on how Christmas traditions developed in the United States during the 19th century. The Western Hotel Museum with newly installed Christmas decorations Prior to 1874, and the Southern Pacific Railroad, Lancaster did not exist beyond a train stop from Bakersfield to the metropolis of Los Angeles (MOAH Collections). Like the first American migrants, settlers from many diverse countries would make their way to the city, hoping to establish their own businesses and lives. In approximately 1888, the Western hotel came into existence, at that time known as the Antelope Valley Hotel. The property was sold to Englishman George Webber in 1908 who had come to the United States in 1885. Myrtie Eveline Gibson Sullivan would also move to the Antelope Valley in 1908. Myrtie would marry George and come to own the Western hotel from the 1930s –1960s (MOAH Collections). During the 19th century, American Christmas time looked a bit different from what we know today. The Western Hotel in 1914 (MOAH Collections, 2023.FIC.351) George and Myrtie Webber on a Snow Day in Lancaster in 1914 (MOAH Collections, 2023.FIC.352) According to Penne Restad from History Today , in the early 1800s, Americans didn’t think of Christmas as a national holiday. Many colonial settlers came from diverse European cultures and religious traditions. The New England Puritans for example, did not practice having decorations or a tree for Christmas. If Christmas was celebrated, it was done very modestly, with no emphasis on décor (Khederlan and Restad). Whereas Southerners, who were influenced by the royalist culture of Victorian England, would celebrate for multiple days, holding feasts (Mackinac State Park). By the middle of the 19th century, communication and transportation increased in America. The economy became more fast-paced, and the population and country’s size itself increased. Tensions between Americans would grow, and the Union became increasingly more unstable. Restad suggests that this fast-paced and overwhelming change caused Americans “to long for an earlier time, one in which they imagined that old and good values held sway in cohesive and peaceful communities”. People wanted a unified national tradition (Mackinac State Park). It was during this time that Americans took to Christmas, and it grew into a more widely celebrated holiday event, with old themes and new ideas ascribed to the holiday. By the 1850s, most Americans adopted the German custom of the Christmas tree. Early Christmas trees had more simple decorations such as strings of popcorn, oranges, lemons, and candies. Small gifts of were hung and given to children. In 1848, the Illustrated London News published a drawing of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert having a Christmas tree on their table. The tree tradition was brought to England by Prince Albert from Germany, which spurred the tradition in England and the image was widely produced in the United States, helping spread the popularity of the Christmas tree (Starmans). Illustrated London News’ 1848 drawing of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s Christmas tree (Khederlan, Courtesy of Creative Commons) Published in the English Stonehaven Journal on January 9, 1849 is a description of a Victorian Christmas tree, which held many delights (Starmans): THE CHRISTMAS TREE AT WINDSOR CASTLE. A Christmas tree is annually prepared, her Majesty’s command, for the royal children. The tree employed for this festive purpose is a young fir, about eight feet high, and has six tiers of branches. On each tier or branch are arranged dozen wax tapers. Pendant from the branches are elegant trays, baskets, bonbonnie’es and other receptacles for sweetmeats, of the most varied and expensive kind, and of all forms, colours, and degrees of beauty. Fancy cakes, gilt gingerbread, and eggs filled with sweetmeats, are also suspended try variously, coloured ribbons from the branches. The tree, which stands upon table covered with white damask, is supported at the root by piles of sweets a larger kind, and by toys and dolls of all descriptions, suited to the youthful fancy, and to the several ages of the scions of royalty for whose gratifications they are displayed. The name of each recipient is affixed to the doll, bonbon, other present intended for it, so that no difference of opinion in the choice of dainties may arise to disturb the equanimity the illustrious juveniles. On the summit of the tree stands the small figure of an angel, with outstretched wings, holding in each hand wreath.” The tradition of Christmas cards, the singing of carols in public, and cooking large meals for your friends and family emerged (Khederlan). The first mention of Santa Claus appears in an 1823 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Celement Moore and the first documented Santa impersonator in America was in Philadelphia in 1849. Christmas would become a legal holiday in Massachusetts in 1856 (Mackinac State Park). Shortly after, the Civil War began in 1861 and ran until 1865. The Civil war intensified the celebration of Christmas in that the holiday was a time to celebrate peace and family, and soldiers would be leaving theirs behind at war (Restad). By the 1870s, with the reconstruction of the US underway, the marketing of Christmas would take off. Newspapers and women’s magazines would suggest a greater sophistication of Christmas trees, with value placed on the uniformity and style of the tree. Christmas trees became the centerpiece of Christmas décor, as a place for the display of beautiful balls, stars, and more. Department stores would sell all kinds of goods, with ornaments imported from Germany sold in stores (Restad). Instead of making homemade ornaments, there was a pressure to buy them. At this point, the commercialization of Christmas looked more like it does today. It was during the 1870s and 1880s that gift giving would also take off. Restad suggests that gift giving was a sign of the bustling economy, but also a means of Americans promoting relationships with each other. Prior, giving small hand-made presents was common, but the need for wrapping and purchasing presents was promoted later during this time. These practices demonstrated not only materialism, but kinship and community. It was around this time that Lancaster was established. In 1900, it was estimated that one in five Americans had a Christmas tree (Redstad). Below is a glass negative plate of the Wright brothers’ Christmas tree in their Ohio home in December of 1900, three years before their famous flight. Many gifts can be seen below the tree. Christmas tree in the home of Wilbur and Orville Wright at 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio in 1990 (Shorpy The American Historical Photo Archive) With Myrtie and George running the Western hotel around this time in the early 1900s, it is likely that their halls were fully decked. These practices are reflective of what many Americans and Lancaster inhabitants do today, indicating that our holiday traditions are deeply rooted in the past. For the rest of this month, the Western Hotel Museum will be decorated for Christmas. Works Cited Khederlan, Robert. “How Christmas decorations evolved through the 1800s It’s time to deck the halls”, Curbed , December 9, 2016. How Christmas decorations evolved through the 1800s - Curbed Mackinac State Historic Parks. “America’s 19th Century Christmas Traditions: A Connection Between the Past and Present”, December 20, 2019. America's 19th Century Christmas Traditions: A Connection Between the Past and Present - Mackinac State Historic Parks | Mackinac State Historic Parks (mackinacparks.com) MOAH Collections. “The Western Hotel Museum Self-Guided Tour”and 2023.FIC.351-353 images. e60af9_b024f49c353d4f74af2eb165975c6b8d.pdf (lancastermoah.org) Restad, Penne. “Christmas in 19th Century America”, History Today Volume 45 Issue 12, December 1995. Christmas in 19th Century America | History Today Shorpy The American Historical Photo Archive, Image of Wright brother’s Christmas tree from December 1900. Christmas With Wilbur and Orville: 1900 | Shorpy Old Photos | Framed Prints ). Starmans, Barbara J. “Old Time Christmas”, The Social Historian. Old Time Christmas - The Social Historian

Interested in being part of the Juried Art Exhibition 2026 at MOAH:CEDAR? Apply today. Entry Deadline: 5/8/26 at 8:59 p.m. PDT ​ Call for Art: Annual All-Media Juried Art Exhibition at MOAH:CEDAR APPLY Call Overview Entry Deadline: May 8, 2026 Please see CaFÉ call for additional submission criteria and deadline information. Entry Fee (Entry Fee): $3.00 Media Fee (Additional Media Fee): $5.00 The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) and MOAH:CEDAR are thrilled to announce the 41st Annual All-Media Juried Art Exhibition. Artists of all ages and experience levels from around the greater Antelope Valley and the 5th Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County are welcome to participate. The exhibition will celebrate participating artists with a reception on Saturday, June 6 from 2 PM to 6 PM. The awards ceremony will begin at 6 PM in Cedar Hall, where over $1,000 will be awarded to participants by the Lancaster Museum and Public Art Foundation and various small businesses, community organizations, public officials, and other sponsors. The exhibition will run from Saturday, June 6 to Sunday, July 19, 2026. Cash awards will total over $1,000. Best of Exhibition, 2nd Best of Exhibition and 3rd Best of Exhibition awards will be determined by Juror scores. As in prior years, LMPAF may choose to offer to purchase one of the three Best of Exhibition award winners for inclusion in the Museum's permanent collection. Best of Exhibition Awards are donated by the Lancaster Museum & Public Art Foundation (LMPAF). Many other awards are also available from various community individuals, organizations, and businesses. EXHIBITION SCHEDULE Entry Deadline: Friday, May 8, 2026 (Don't wait until the last minute!) Please see CaFÉ call for additional submission criteria and deadline information. Notification of Accepted Artworks: By Friday, May 15, 2026 Drop-Off of Work: Thursday, May 21; 4 PM - 7 PM Friday, May 22; 10 AM – 7 PM Saturday, May 23; 12 PM - 8 PM Pick-up of Work: Tuesday, July 21, 2 - 8 PM Wednesday, July 22, 4 - 8 PM Opening Reception Celebration: Location: MOAH:CEDAR Saturday, June 6; 2 PM - 8PM Award Ceremony: Location: Cedar Hall Saturday, June 6, 2026; 6 PM Application Requirements This year, MOAH and MOAH:CEDAR will only be accepting entries online through callforentry.org (CaFE). Artists must create a free account with CaFE, to submit their work. To create an account, please click on "Artist Sign Up" in the upper right-hand corner of the CaFE website. Once their account has been created, artists will be able to search for our call "41st All-Media Juried Arts Exhibition." Artists may then upload high resolution images of their work, video or audio files to CaFE and pay all applicable fees. There are two age categories for applicants: 17 and under and 18 and above. Eligibility Criteria Works must have been completed within the last three years and not previously exhibited at the Museum of Art and History or MOAH:CEDAR. This exhibition is open to artists working with all arts media, including photography, video, audio, painting, drawing, mixed media 2D, mixed media 3D, AR, VR, new media, fiber, wearable art, small installations, and clay. Artists of all ages are welcome to submit, although artists 17 and under must have their parent's permission. Please note the physical dimensions are limited to 36" or less any dimension. Applicants must reside within the 5th Supervisorial District of the County of Los Angeles OR within the following ZIP codes: 91321 91350 91351 91354 91355 91381 91383 91384 91387 91387 91390 93501 93505 93510 93516 93523 93524 93532 93534 93535 93536 93543 93544 93550 93551 93552 93553 93560 93561 93563 93591 93599 92371 92301 93203 93243 APPLY

The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) celebrates the art, history, and culture of the Antelope Valley through engaging exhibitions, educational programs, and community events. With four locations, including MOAH:CEDAR and the Western Hotel Museum, it showcases over 10,000 works and artifacts, highlights local and global artists, and honors the region’s Indigenous heritage and diverse cultural legacy. Now on view Velvet Notes: Conversando con Pedro Guzmán by Eugene Rodriguez On view May 16 - August 30, 2026 in the Main Gallery and Atrium Learn More Eugene Rodriguez, Los Punks Barrocos , 2025, oil and wax on linen on panel. Courtesy of the Artist. Support MOAH Learn More > Shop Learn More > Rentals Learn More > Blog Posts Learn More > Tours Learn More > Join our mailing list and stay up to date with events & upcoming programs JOIN NOW!

Currrent | Upcoming | Past Exhibitions. Metaphor now on view. January 31 - April 19, 2026 | Winter/Spring 2026 exhibition season. Current Past Upcoming Eugene Rodriguez Velvet Notes: Conversando con Pedro Guzmán May 16 - August 30, 2026 Learn More Edwin Vasquez The Starborn Fragments May 16 - August 30, 2026 Learn More Marcus Zúñiga cosmovisión May 16 - August 30, 2026 Learn More Eva Aguila The Foundation of the Harvest / El Cimiento de la Cosecha May 16 - August 30, 2026 Learn More Emanations Light, Growth, and Renewal in the Lancaster Museum of Art and History Collection May 16, 2026 - April 25, 2027 Learn More Big Title Barrio Science: Chicanismo and Speculative Experiments in Art September 26, 2026 - January 3, 2027 More information coming soon! I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Metaphor Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Image Credit: Nathan Huff, Phantom Limbs (detail), 2019, Gouache and watercolor on paper Courtesy of the Artist I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Nathan Huff Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Part of Metaphor exhibition season Image Credit: Nathan Huff, Sunlight settle Sycamore , 2020 Courtesy of the Artist I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Sharon Kagan Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Part of Metaphor exhibition season Image Credit: Sharon Kagan, Untitled #6 (detail), 2015, Mixed media drawing. Courtesy of the Artist. I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Bachrun LoMele Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Part of Metaphor exhibition season Image Credit: Bachrun LoMele, Burn Pile / All Kinds of Murmuring Here and There (detail), 2022, Relief prints on paper mounted on gatorboard, oil pen, markers, ink, paper maché, paper clay, aluminum leaf, aluminum foil, acrylic paint, running LED signs, scrambled, donated truth essences Courtesy of the Artist I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Vojislav Radovanović Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Part of Metaphor exhibition season Image Credit: Vojislav Radovanović, In the Moonlight (detail), 2025, Mixed media on canvas Courtesy of the Artist I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Francis C. Robateau Jr. Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Part of Metaphor exhibition season Image Credit: Francis C. Robateau Jr., Hybrid Moments (detail), 2022, Acrylic and screenprint on canvas. Courtesy of the Artist. I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Brian Singer Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Part of Metaphor exhibition season Image Credit: Brian Singer, Chapter and Verses #2 (detail), 2025, Bible pages and acrylic on Belgian linen wrapped wood paper. Courtesy of the Artist. I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Diane Briones Williams Winter/Spring 2026 Season Read More Part of Metaphor exhibition season Image Credit: Diane Briones Williams, Anting, Anting (detail), 2021, Salvaged wooden frames, cement, wire, dowel, yarn, resin, acrylic, sinigang seasoning wrappers Courtesy of the Artist