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< Back Earth Signals North Gallery Eli McMullen Through ethereal environments and abstracted forms, artist Eli McMullen creates scenes that morph reality into dreamscapes. Rendered in acrylic, McMullen’s paintings converge themes of spirituality, nature, and metaphysical energy. The liminal space between the real and the imaginary is central to his work. Light seems to shimmer from thin air, dappling the forests and structures that fill his compositions, resulting in an otherworldly depiction of an organic and familiar environment. Through this work, McMullen channels his own perception of creativity; one that is rooted in realism but eventually wanders into another dimension. To him, this process mimics the act of painting itself, noting that it is an experimental endeavor that bridges one’s internal consciousness with their surroundings. IMAGE CREDIT: Eli McMullen, Kismet Gateway (detail), Acrylic on cradled wood panel, 2025 Courtesy of Thinkspace Projects Previous Next

< Back Chelsea Dean Featured Structure Artist Chelsea Dean is an American multidisciplinary artist whose work examines and documents the relationship between the landscape, home, and time. While rooted in photographic processes, Dean’s work is ultimately an assemblage of various media. She utilizes paint, collage, print, illustration, as well as found objects to help produce a physical interpretation of the spaces she encounters. Informed by her time spent in and around decrepit and abandoned desert dwellings in southern California’s Wonder Valley, her artistic practice is defined by both structure and entropy. Physical and metaphysical structures can be examined in her work through the use of architecture and personal artifacts that link the memories of an almost forgotten, bygone era to today’s consciousness. These elements are in constant flux, left to the mercy of the natural world. Time proves to be the main subject of her work, acting as the catalyst for decay. Aspects of home life are prominent in Dean’s work. Remnants of a past life no longer act as detritus, but instead embody a sense of humanity. The use of older furniture, rugs, and other home decorations are utilized in her installation works while her mixed-media and photographic work are filled with the imagery of structures and interior spaces. This highlight of the domestic space creates a sense of familiarity within her work. Architectural elements such as wooden posts and siding are showcased in a deteriorated state. Metallic media such as silver foil and gold leaf act as a reminder of once glamorous and ambitious ideals of past homesteaders now left behind. Textures of paint, fabric, and paper inform the idea of domesticity. Her compositions tend to hold a state of tension between environmental stresses and man-made structures, capturing moments that seem to perpetually teeter towards the edge of oblivion. Dean earned her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Puget Sound in 2000 and then her Master of Fine Arts from Claremont Graduate University in 2005. Dean has exhibited work in numerous group and solo exhibitions worldwide at galleries such as PØST, Cirrus Gallery, Gallery Lara Tokyo, as well as many others. She currently resides and continues her art practice in Los Angeles, California. Previous Next

< Back Brad Miller Brad Miller’s work draws inspiration from the fractal patterns of the physical world, which have been transformed into symbolic motifs across cultures for thousands of years. Miller’s practice explores archetypal patterns such as spirals, close-packing forms, and dendritic systems. The spontaneous fractal patterns that form in the physical world have always captured artist Brad Miller’s attention. Over time, he noticed that for thousands of years, several of these patterns have been internalized and transformed by people worldwide into content-laden symbols. One ever-present example is the variations of stylized spirals. They are seen on many objects throughout history: a Mimbres pot, Celtic tombstones, Van Gogh’s Starry Night and 5,000-year-old Chinese pots from Majiayao. With today’s technologies pushing the limits of seeing into and out to the edges of the universe, these familiar patterns constantly reappear. In his artistic practice, Miller explores several of these archetypal patterns, including spirals, close-packing patterns, and dendritic systems. Using diverse materials and processes including silver-gelatin photograms, pyrographic drawing, and ceramics, Miller infuses his work with these timeless and familiar patterns, as they dance between order and chaos. Previous Next

news archive: 07/08/15 MAYA EXCURSION with Bruce Love, Ph.D. & Stevie Love, MFA 06/17/15 Artweek.LA Cover Story "The Importance of Flower Paintings" MOAH FLORA 05/29/15 Conversation with President Bruce W. Ferguson and Social Practice Artist Rick Lowe 05/19/15 AV Outpost Brings an Ambitious Program of Social Practive to AV 02/24/15 30th Annual Juried Art Show at MOAH to Feature Two Distinguished Judges 01/27/15 Huffington Post: MOAH Artist Andrew Frieder Featured at Outsider Art Fair 01/07/15 KCET ARTBOUND: "Being Here and There: Ambiguous Boundaries and Contested Terrains" 12/16/14 MOAH's "Being Here and There" Cover Story of ARTWEEK.LA 08/14/14 Cedar Center Alive Again 08/13/14 MOAH Manager Andi Campognone appointed to Executive Committee of Art Table LA Branch 03/30/14 MOAH Featured in ARTILLERY MAGAZINE for "Colorimetry" Show 03/24/14 John Van Hamersveld interviews on 'The Poster Show' 02/25/14 MOAH featured in Italian Magazine, Drost Effect: "Colorimetry Uses Color as Instigator" 10/27/13 Eastside High students turn illegally dumped waste into art 09/17/13 Tim Youd: An Art of Sound and Word 08/26/13 Firm has sights set on space, beyond 08/25/13 Old, young theme of workshop 08/13/13 Artist critique slated for museum forum 07/29/13 Museum set to take flight with four new exhibits 05/14/13 Flowers, “SuperCallaFragileMysticEcstasyDioecious,” Bloom at MOAH 05/13/13 Eastside in Full Bloom With Artistic Pieces 05/03/13 The Social Art of Jorg Dubin 05/01/13 Art Ltd.-Artist Profile: Gary Lang 04/17/13 The Brave Gestures Of Gary Lang 07/01/12 Art Ltd-A New Art Museum for the Antelope Valley 06/28/12 Budding Young Artists Flock to MOAH Art Workshop Thursday 05/14/12 A Moon-Age Daydream: The Collision of Arts and the Aerospace Industry 05/02/12 New Museum of Art and History prepares to open in Lancaster 04/29/12 MOAH adds to BLVD 04/25/12 The MOAH the Merrier - Museum to open May 5 04/05/12 Lancaster Hit By 'Yarn Bombing' 03/21/12 Museum of Art and History set to make opening debut 02/06/12 Campognone Looks To Put Impressive Stamp On MOAH 02/02/12 Lancaster's Pro Tem Curator Looks Eagerly To Future 01/16/12 Museum Piece Declares, 'IT'S WAR!' 01/12/12 The MOAH the merrier: New museum twice as big as old

Kiel JohnsonNotes on a Morning WalkThe idea of “work as play” is central to Kiel Johnson’s art practice bringing a sense of curiosity and exploration through his whimsical creations. His primary focus is on drawings and sculpture that speak to the travels and adventures of his everyday life. Johnson’s sculptures and drawings serve as a visual diary that captures his animated and vast stream of consciousness. < Back Kiel Johnson, Notes on a Morning Walk Kiel Johnson, Notes on a Morning Walk 1/1 Kiel Johnson Notes on a Morning Walk The idea of “work as play” is central to Kiel Johnson’s art practice bringing a sense of curiosity and exploration through his whimsical creations. His primary focus is on drawings and sculpture that speak to the travels and adventures of his everyday life. Johnson’s sculptures and drawings serve as a visual diary that captures his animated and vast stream of consciousness. Inspired by odd discoveries, coincidence and chance, Johnson seeks to personify inanimate subjects. Johnson brings a sense of curiosity and exploration to the viewer, utilizing the world and its curiosities as his palette and canvas. His creations are inspired by robots, Greek sculpture, Egyptian gods, boats, and spaceships, among others, are a visual language that is an embodiment of Johnson’s humorous and energetic mind and eye. Through his heightened level of inquisitiveness and playfulness, Johnson continues to explore places, objects, and spaces that exist within his imagination. Previous Next

< Back to ACTIVATION 1/12 Carla Jay Harris A Season in the Wilderness January 22 - April 17, 2022 Born in Indiana while her father was stationed at Fort Benjamin, Carla Jay Harris spent most of her childhood in flux, moving every two or three years in and out of the United States. “My nomadic childhood is what, in part, has attracted me to photography. The camera is a way for me to attach permanence,” she says. “A Season in the Wilderness” is the most recent development of “Celestial Bodies”, an ongoing series by Harris, which stems from her experiences as a ‘third-culture kid’ — feeling othered by race, culture, language, and nationality. “Throughout history, mythology has served humankind’s need to understand its surroundings... Through myth-making, I have been able to tap into a sense of belonging that extends from a connection to universal cultural concerns and narratives,” Harris says. Carla Jay Harris trained as a photographer and cinematographer, working in the commercial art field in New York for nearly ten years before committing herself to a contemporary art practice in 2011. In 2013, she moved to Southern California to earn her Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, and has stayed in the area ever since. Over the last decade, Carla Jay Harris’ artistic practice has evolved to include installation, collage, and drawing in addition to photographic methods. Harris has exhibited extensively in California and on the East Coast, participating in solo, two-person, and group exhibitions. She has received numerous awards, grants, residencies, and fellowships, and her work can be found in the collections of the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, and the Lancaster Museum of Art and History, among others. Previous Next

back to list Dan Witz Brooklyn, NY based street artist and realist painter. He grew up in Chicago, IL, and graduated in 1981 from Cooper Union, on New York City’s Lower East Side. Witz, consistently active since the late 1970s, is one of the pioneers of the street art movement.

CrossWINDS focuses on the local phenomenon of wind including the history and prevalence of wind power in the region and kinetic artists who put wind at the center of their practice. The project is designed to teach young people to become knowledgeable about the powerful local resource in order to create kinetic works of art. Student artist teams will co-create models of kinetic sculpture based on a curriculum co-written by the project partners. The curriculum is replicable and adaptable in schools across the High Desert and beyond. The works of art designed and generated by the students is a collaborative effort among numerous departments: Math, Science, English, Performing Arts, Foreign Language, Special Education, Physical Education, Social Science and Visual Art. The students in each department will be guided to gather data regarding wind and its impact on the environment. They will create models/small functioning kinetic sculptures inspired by the data and the designs of windmills, wind chimes, turbines and other kinetic art. In accordance with the multi-disciplinary mission of the Green MOAH Initiative, numerous departments are joining the project. The works of art are created by students through a collaborative effort among core departments such as Visual and Performing Arts, Math and Science. Additional departments including English, Foreign Language, Special Education, Physical Education, Social Science and more have been encouraged to get involved in complementary projects. The students in the core departments are guided to gather data regarding wind and its impact on the environment and the diverse array of turbine designs that harness wind for renewable energy. Students are creating functioning kinetic sculptures inspired by the data and the designs of windmills, wind chimes, turbines and other kinetic art. The projects teach students to innovate, communicate and collaborate, problem solve, think outside of the box, engage in an immersive multi-disciplinary creative process and learn how to work with new and recycled materials. Ultimately, the sculptures will generate power from the wind to illuminate LED strips incorporated into the work. The sculptures were tested for power levels by physics students and are used to raise public awareness about wind as an artful renewable resource. The sculptures will be exhibited at each partnering high school, MOAH and other locations and events in the community. Photography and film students are collaborating on a documentary of the creative process and creating posters to further educate the community about the project. Show More Project Photo Documentation Provided By : Edwin R. Vasquez

About the BLVD Cultural District: The BLVD Cultural District has been the epicenter of major cultural events in the Antelope Valley since the late 1800s. The district highlights a number of historic sites such as the Cedar Center for the Arts, the Aerospace Walk of Honor, and the Western Hotel Museum. While honoring the region’s rich history, the district also embraces innovative green and creative initiatives. Anchored by the Lancaster Performing Arts Center and the Museum of Art and History, the district programs a number of art exhibitions and performances year-round. The district features an expanding list of murals painted by both local and internationally acclaimed artists alike. Along the BLVD are newly installed electric vehicle charging stations and solar waste compactors. As a destination, the district features an ever-growing number of events, activities, and cuisines. Weekly farmers markets, concerts and open mic nights regularly bring audiences to the BLVD. Locally owned businesses offer an exciting array of shopping and dining experiences. Districtwide festivals take place along the BLVD throughout the year, including Streets of Lancaster, Celebrate America, the BooLVD and A Magical BLVD Christmas. District Region: Deserts Lancaster is the hub of the Antelope Valley and possesses beautiful landscapes and clear blue skies of the California High Desert. Home to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, Musical Road, and the Aerospace Walk of Honor, Lancaster is no longer a local's "best-kept secret." Lancaster has grown into a bustling urban destination, offering visitors an array of outdoor experiences with the backdrop of four seasons, local shopping, restaurants, and entertainment.

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< Return to Exhibitions Holiday 2012 Ann Marie Rousseau: Sight Lines sight lines jennifer-glass-cyanotypes_edited Accatino Collection 3 Kokeshi&Totem veritas300 Learn More December 6, 2012 - March 2, 2013 September 29, 2012 - January 1, 2013 Jennifer Glass: Cyanotypes December 6, 2012 - January 19, 2013 Madonna and Child: Selections from the Accatino Collection Kokeshi and the Totem: The Art of David and Kazumi Svenson Gary Baseman: The Seven Sacred Magi Winter Wishes: Letters to Santa Madonna Glass Totem Winter Rousseau Jennifer Glass: Cyanotypes Cyanotype Greek: kyano (blue; dark blue) + Greek: typos (type or form; print) English 1835-1845 Jennifer Glass captures moments in the life of women through her cyanotypes of vintage gowns. Selected from her private collection, these gowns are reproduced as cyanotypes through a process that the artist sees as a deeply metaphorical statement on the roles of women, politics, power, and fashion. Specifically, this body of work emphasizes the artist’s affinity for fashion as a polarized narrative. The large-scale reproductions are strong in their Prussian blue impressions while fragile in their ghost-like translucency. Glass explains that her connection to the world of fashion elicits a “strong emotional response to how [fashion] may either empower or constrain a woman depending on how she uses it”…she continues: “fashion has been used as a tool by women for years and although it has confined them in many ways, it also has liberated them…these garments belonged to someone.” Glass notes that although the women who wore these garments are now gone, in their time they danced, brought about new life, felt pleasure and pain, and likely changed policy, leaving their own imprint on the world however large or small. Glass’ prints are created through the deceptively basic methods of light exposure and chemical preparation on fabrics. The cyanotype was pioneered in 1842 by Sir John Herschel as a photographic method to quickly duplicate technical drawings that are normally time-consuming to draw and reproduce. Herschel discovered that when iron salts react with sunlight they leave a permanent blue imprint. When paper or porous fabric is treated with a solution of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, almost any image may be reproduced if it is drawn on a transparent surface, placed over the photosensitive paper in a darkroom and then exposed to sunlight. The areas of the photosensitive paper (or canvas/fabric) that are concealed by the lines of the drawing remain white while the exposed areas turn into an insoluble blue, resulting in a reverse silhouette. In 1843, shortly after Herschel developed the cyanotype, his friend and colleague Anna Atkins, a recognized botanist, utilized the cyanotype method to catalogue her extensive botanical collection. By placing her algae specimens on the photosensitized paper, she created the first known volume of cyanotype photograms. Atkins went on to self-publish her cyanotypes in her book: Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. Atkins published three volumes and only seventeen copies were reproduced. As a photographer, Jennifer Glass is carrying on this tradition in contemporary times, a method that has gone underutilized since the advent of digital reproductions. A Florida native, Jennifer Glass earned a Bachelor of Art degree in Social and Political Science from Florida State University. Glass went on to study photography at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale along with taking workshops in New York with well-regarded photographers Debbie Fleming Caffery and Mary Ellen Mark. Glass currently resides in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ann Marie Rousseau: Sight Lines Ann Marie Rousseau is a photographer, artist and writer formerly of New York City and currently living in southern California. She works with photography, painting and drawing on paper. Rousseau has a deep interest in line in all its manifestations - drawn, painted, photographed. Madonna and Child: Selections from the Accatino Collection The Museum of Art & History is proud to present an exhibition showcasing Madonna and Child paintings from the Tom and Christie Accatino Collection. Dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the selections feature Madonna and Child paintings from Russia, Ukraine, and Spanish Colonial origins. The Accatino’s are regional collectors, based in Riverside and Palm Springs, whose eclectic tastes range from California landscape painting to Asian artifacts. They have a particular interest in certain themes and approaches associated with the Old Masters, and over the past few years have amassed a group of portraits, still lifes, and religious subjects by various painters – many still unidentified – working in the Baroque and classic styles prevalent in their day. The selections here are in honor of the holidays and include a range of treatments of the Madonna and Child subject. Kokeshi and the Totem: the Art of David Svenson and Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson David Svenson and Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson are mixed-media sculptors based in the High Desert of southern California. They both share an affection for folk art traditions, in particular the kokeshi: wooden Japanese dolls, and the wooden totems of Pacific Northwestern tribes. This exhibition highlights the Svenson’s traditional kokeshi collection and its influence on David and Kazumi’s mixed media work, which includes hand blown glass, neon, wood and concrete. Through their artwork and teaching, David and Kazumi are helping to keep folk art traditions alive by sharing their collection with the public and creatively interpreting the kokeshi and the totem through contemporary art-making methods. Although the couple shares an affinity for folk art traditions and sculpting with glass, neon and mixed-media, they come from very different backgrounds. David Svenson grew up in the 1960’s among the many contrasts of southern California. He was surrounded by the flashy neon signage of historic State Route 66 standing out against the vast expanses of citrus groves that dominated the landscape at the time. David recalls the contrast of multicolored light emanating from the neon signs against the darkness of night as an important impression on his aesthetic development. David subsequently left California to study Tlingit art and culture in Alaska where he witnessed the breathtaking displays of the Aurora Borealis. Having a similar effect on his aesthetic development, the use of light became central to his studio practice. While working with the tribes, David was equally influenced by the way of life practiced among the Tlingit families that adopted him into their clan. There, art and life are intertwined in daily interactions and the overarching respect for life is honored through the arts and gift-giving. Totems are always made for someone else, to honor another family or clan. David recognizes kokeshi and totems as fine craft, and sees kokeshi as similar to the Pacific Rim totems because they both honor the family and the spirit of gift-giving. In addition to his studio practice, David teaches at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and has taught classes at the Pilchuck Glass School, in Seattle, Washington; the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York; Urban Glass in Brooklyn, New York, and internationally. He continues to work periodically with a team of Alaska Native totem carvers. Learning, teaching, and sharing skills and knowledge about glass, neon, art and the cultures of the Pacific rim are central aspects of David's life and work. Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson was born in Sendai, Japan, the heart of kokeshi country. She creates miniature kokeshi as well as drawings and sculpture. Kazumi’s interest in kokeshi began while growing up with her mother’s traditional kokeshi collection, which consists of wooden dolls made in the 1930’s of Japanese maple, Cherry or Dogwood. The family collection contained examples from Onsen, an area in northern Japan renowned for its hot springs and kokeshi workshops that lined the streets offering the dolls for sale to tourists and locals. Traditional kokeshi are meant to honor the loss of a child or simply be given as a souvenir to bring happiness to the home. The floral and linear patterns painted on their kimonos have been developed and passed down through generations of kokeshi craftsman and are distinctive to the area where they are made. The 2011 Fukushima earthquake was centered in kokeshi country, a devastation that has taken an additional toll on keeping the tradition alive. Kazumi works in the relatively new “Creative Kokeshi” style which developed after the second World War as a departure from traditional doll making. Although many Creative Kokeshi retain the traditional limbless body, contemporary interpretations often show a more shapely body and additional features such as hair and perhaps a more colorful and exquisitely patterned kimono. The features, materials, and styles of Creative Kokeshi are always unique to their creator. Kazumi utilizes glass as her choice of material and creates in a range of scales from tiny dolls made of individual hand blown glass beads to the larger Italian glass and neon pieces. Because the traditional method of creating kokeshi was by lathe turned wood, it converts easily to glassblowing due to the similar methods of turning the material either by a blow pipe or in using a mandrel for bead-making. She often places her Creative Kokeshi miniatures in a mixed media ensemble of neon and old boxes, perhaps referencing her move to America and symbolically bringing the childhood collection with her. Kazumi recalls that the experience of coming to America afforded her the opportunity to see her own culture from a new perspective and allowed her to translate the traditional art form into her own visual language. Kazumi has been blowing glass for twenty two years as well as teaching the craft in Japan. She first began studying neon in the United States in 1994 and has continued combining neon with glass and exhibiting internationally. Gary Baseman: The Seven Sacred Magi MOAH is honored to bring the artwork of multitalented and internationally celebrated artist Gary Baseman to the Antelope Valley. Born and raised in Hollywood, the artist crosses many disciplines as a painter, illustrator, video and performance artist, animator, TV/movie producer, curator, and toy designer. His artwork captures the bittersweet realities of life: playful yet vicious, naughty but nice and always telling a story layered with the pleasures and pain that life brings across generations. Winter Wishes: Letter to Santa This charming exhibition showcased letters and drawings to Santa inside paper snow globes from local Antelope Valley school children. Baseman View or Download the Holiday 2012 Exhibition Catalog by clicking on the cover image or here.

Experiences Hotels & Restaurants N ear MOAH Marriott Residence Inn Settle in at Residence Inn Lancaster, our extended-stay hotel located two miles from downtown. Built on a mixed-use space, the brand-new hotel places you near upscale apartments, trendy restaurants and bars, and of course, MOAH. (Click the link below to book, at a discounted rate.) Learn More Best Western PLUS Desert Poppy Inn Settle in at Best Western Desert Poppy Inn Lancaster, our hotel located two miles from downtown. The hotel offers c omplimentary daily breakfast buffet, an open b ar in evenings (Mon-Fr i, 5 PM-9 PM), h igh speed internet access, m ini refrigerators and microwaves in each room, an o nsite business center, a f itness center, a Sundry shop, and an o utdoor pool and spa. (Click the link below to book, at a discounted rate.) Learn More Destination Lancaster Destination Lancaster is the official tourism bureau and destination marketing organization for the Antelope Valley. They help promote local attractions, special events and unique experiences found throughout the AV. Visit their site to help plan your night out in Lancaster. Learn more Don Sal's Delicious Mexican food prepared with love. This restaurant is a family and community favorite and we believe one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Antelope Valley (Yelp agrees). Learn More > Things To Do Near MOAH Sassy Bird Specializing in Nashville-Style hot chicken, Sassy Bird is a Lancaster staple. Enjoy a Sassy Sando or one of their delicious sides. Learn More > Modern Tea Room "A modern take on an ancient beverage." Modern Tea Room offers a wonderful assortment of hand-crafted and artisanal teas and cafe-style sandwiches. Something for everybody. Learn More > Lucky Luke Brewery Lucky Luke's focuses on the art of quality craft beer and the great people brought together by it. They brew their beers with a passion for every element and process that brings these hand-crafted beers to your palette. Learn More > Bravery Brewing Founded in 2011, Bravery Brewing is a micro-brewery that crafts adventurous, memorable, and delicious beers for their community. Learn More > Complexity Wine Complexity Wine has let their love of wine and quality ingredients lead them down a ten year journey into learning and enjoying everything wine has to offer. Learn More > Olive's Cafe Olives Mediterranean Café makes customers’ satisfaction a priority in our daily cooking, serving, and catering needs. Dine in, take out, or have it catered straight to your home or office. Learn More > FloraDonna's Cakery In 2018, FloraDonna's opened up their very own shop on Lancaster Blvd. They provide wonderful baked goods for their customers. Learn More > Caramel Pastries Establishes in 2006, Caramel Pastries provides a wonderful selection of hand-made baked goods and sweets. Learn More >