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< Return to Exhibitions Autumn 2012 The Contemporary Figure: Past Presence Hats Off: Sally Egan & Amy Bystedt Mercedes Helnwein: Drawing from the Figure Deli I pity the fool2 arbus_f jennifer-glass-cyanotypes_edited Mercedes Helnwein Creatures MOAH Learn More September 6 - November 24, 2012 Hats Decay Helnwein Cyanotypes Past Presence Artifacts of Desire in Decay: Gregory Martin Although most easily categorized as landscapes, Gregory Martin's paintings can be thought of as contemplative spaces in which to experience dualities and polarities within human nature, the natural world and the practice of painting. For instance; growth and decay, the illusion of depth and flatness, the "truth" of photography and the "fiction" of painting, the differences between our ideals and our actions. The Contemporary Figure: Past Presence Exhibition Statement To embark on a journey through contemporary figurative art is to dive into a rich history of image making as a fundamental means for understanding and interpreting our world in the image of ourselves. In this history, from Paleolithic times to the mid 19th century, the depiction of the human form is plentiful, yet went largely unchanged in both artistic approach and intent until the modern era. From the 30,000-year-old fertility figurines unearthed at Çatalhöyük of Southern Anatolia to the height of the Italian and French Renaissance, art making was primarily focused on the skillful, realistic depiction of the human figure in an attempt to reconcile the place of humans in the world, both physically and spiritually. During the Middle Ages, for example, artists learned their skills through craft guilds and in monasteries—the academy of the time—by creating highly representational and illuminated manuscripts in the service of the church. Similarly, through the height of the Renaissance, an artist underwent rigorous technical training as an apprentice to a master, copying the masterworks until their skills were exquisitely refined. These skills were essential for creating high liturgical art and the finest of paintings, portraiture, frescoes and sculpture for the wealthy. From around 1850 C.E. through the late 1960’s, however, a sea change occurred: the artistic representation of the figure and the means by which creative skills were developed and employed shifted dramatically, ultimately ushering in the new era of Modern Art (1860’s – 1970’s). This remarkable shift transpired at the hands of the avant-garde: a small group of artists who gradually abandoned their rigorously acquired skills and rejected the master-apprentice approach of mimicking historical masterworks in favor of experimentation. Invention and the individual artist’s idea came to the forefront, providing the art world with especially pioneering periods from the mid 19th century in the works of Claude Monet (1840-1926), Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) and the Impressionists. Building upon the Impressionist’s momentum, an increase in creative risk-taking and experimentation occurred from 1900 to the 1920’s when the art of Georges Braque (1882-1963), Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) and Georgia O’Keefe (1887- 1986) emerged. These artists replaced the norms of representation, composition, color, and light with pure form and structure, emotion and intuition, dream imagery and expression, and ultimately pure abstraction. In equal measure, they sought to examine the human form—and the human condition—as a pursuit of the artist’s idea outside a defined set of socially acceptable consumables. These trajectories eventually lead to the wide-spread making of non-representational imagery which remains a popular force in contemporary art today. The Contemporary Figure: Past Presence showcases a group of Southern California figurative artists at the forefront of an equally important development in contemporary art. First and foremost, the works herein depict a shift away from the dominance of non-representational image making in contemporary art. By employing the figure in their work, these artists present an immediate and accessible line of connection to the viewer through the imagery, often affording us the opportunity to identify ourselves within the work. Equally rich are the opportunities to understand the questions these artists are asking—through representational form—about the greater human condition. Like their predecessors working over one-hundred and fifty years ago, many of these artists have undergone rigorous training in traditional drawing and painting techniques through the academy. During a time when such a traditional curriculum is often viewed as passé or considered relevant only to the pre-modern era, these artists have intentionally honed their drawing and painting skills in order to deftly execute their ideas. Once again the artist’s skill and craft is revealed in the work. Finally, the depth of inquiry into the artist’s idea is often expressed through intelligent historical references that question currently established norms inside the art world, academia and the greater society. In doing so, these artists are revitalizing the figurative movement, harkening back to the early days of Modern Art when artists were highly trained, superbly expressive and keenly knowledgeable of the art history canon. By utilizing a more traditional form of academic training in figure and portraiture as a springboard to unleash their contemporary ideas, the artists in The Contemporary Figure: Past Presence honor and acknowledge the past while inviting you to explore skillfully executed works at the edge of a revolution in figurative art. Hats Off: Sally Egan & Amy Bystedt In this series, Bystedt and Egan give reverence to icons of photography that have influenced and inspired them throughout the years, playing the role of both photographer and subject in these emulations. The attention to detail in these recognizable photos was just as significant as choosing which photographer and image to replicate. Hats Off is a salute in the highest form to those who have come before them, whose trail blazing in the arts have paved the way for some of the most progressive images in photography. Mercedes Helnwein: Drawing from the Figure Exhibition Statement Mercedes Helnwein is an Austrian born visual artist and writer based in Ireland and Los Angeles. As a self taught artist, drawing and literature have been the focus of her creative life for as long as she can remember. Although of European descent, Helnwein’s many influences are distinctly American, crossing artistic genres and places including a fascination with the culture and values of the American Midwest and Bible belt, the music of the Delta blues and the literary works of John Steinbeck, Mark Twain and Charles Bukowski. Mercedes Helnwein: Drawing from the Figure showcases a selection of recent works from 2006-2010 including several from her internationally acclaimed series “Whistling Past the Graveyard”, “Temptation to Be Good” and “East of Eden.” These expertly drawn images depict women engaged in quiet, yet unsettling dramas often holding a child’s toy or occupying a vaguely domestic context. Helnwein presents the viewer with the mystery of her character’s circumstance. The artist explains: “Judging by their expressions I’d say there’s probably something the girls in these drawings would rather not talk about – something they’d prefer to sit on. And they’re keeping it in, but it’s kind of leaking out of their faces.” While her figures are drawn with meticulous attention to detail and rendered with the precision and technique of a classically trained artist, Helnwein often bathes her subjects in a harsh, raking light. This tension provides the viewer with an unseen antagonist operating outside of the frame’s edge. Art critic Peter Frank (ArtLtd, January 2010) writes of her work: “A writer as well as visual artist, Mercedes Helnwein does not so much tell stories or even capture moments in her drawings as she triggers possibilities—the possibilities being vaguely unlikely, vaguely unsavory, and not-so-vaguely menacing, rather like inverse Magrittes. Helnwein’s basic ingredient is the fully, fashionably, clothed human figure, more often than not regarding the viewer or about to; occupying a peculiarly lit, but familiar space, they are shown engaged in a solipsistic soliloquy— self-absorbed and drenched in an almost urgent ennui—with someone and/or something else…” Equally mysterious are Helnwein’s short films. Included here are “Whistling Past the Graveyard” and “Temptation to Be Good” where the figures from the drawings jump off the page into film. Like the drawings, her subjects are inundated with a ruthless combination of light and dark yet animated in segmented, slow motion sequences across the screen. Although they are engaged in a kind of indiscernible struggle, the characters are laden with clues: dressed in period clothing, accompanied by purposefully placed objects and moving within a stark, domestic context. Additional clues may be found in the musical scores, which are composed by the artist’s brother Ali Helnwein. Helnwein began paring her drawings with film in 2008 with her debut of “Temptation to Be Good”. Mercedes Helnwein: Drawing from the Figure presents a selection of figurative works set in a series of vaguely defined narratives where someone is missing or something is awry. MOAH invites you, the viewer to engage this work and ask –as art critic Peter Frank suggests—what that someone and/or something else may be. The Lakes and Valleys Art Guild: The Western Figure As part of our continuing local artist series, The Vault Gallery showcases work from the Lakes and Valleys Art Guild celebrating the figure in western themed paintings. The Lakes and Valley Art Guild is located in the nearby hamlet of Lake Hughes, California. This group of artists have dedicated themselves to the traditional painting techniques of watercolour, oil on canvas and representational imagery as well as mixed media compositions. 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. Western August 9, 2012 - September 16, 2012 Artifacts of Desire in Decay: Gregory Martin September 22 - October 22, 2012 The Western Figure: Lakes and Valleys Art Guld September 29 - October22, 2012 Jennifer Glass: Cyanotypes View or Download the Autumn 2012 Exhibition Catalog by clicking on the cover image or here.

Patrick Park < Back My Name is Winky By Patrick Park Today is February 29, 2021. My name is Winky. It is currently the coldest it has ever been. A cold, dark world. Is this all there is to life? A false hope that we may someday escape from this clutching prison. Is that all we can look towards? It feels like a repeating cycle. We grow up together for a while and then one day, some of us stay while others depart. But why me? Why couldn’t I join my friends in the beautiful paradise that is the afterlife? It feels so lonesome, like a rainbow in a storm. I am not beautiful, I am merely a minuscule object that is lost in the vast, unforgiving universe. My bright colors cannot fight off the harsh weather, nor can it ward off the mythological beings whose single footstep can destroy a colony. What is my purpose? A million years can pass and not a single being will notice my presence. We all desire to leave our mark on this world. What is the purpose? A temporary span of experiences known as life is something we consider priceless, but why? An existential question that has been asked throughout history. What is my purpose? Providing something for others until I join my fallen comrades. Why? Why can I not frolic and laugh like those titans? Why can I not run like those animals with four legs? I am stuck with no movement. I am stuck with no purpose. I am stuck with no family. I am stuck finding meaning in my own life. The titans refer to me as a “flower of death”, using me as a crown when mourning the deceased. A fitting name, truly. I suppose I should feel flattered as our family was chosen as a means to honor a titan’s death. They act as though death is something to honor. An interesting concept to say the least. When we die, we (as flowers) are often used as compost in order to help the future generation. But if there’s anything I learned, it’s to live in the moment. Just a few months ago, I had all of my friends near me. We chatted, laughed, and even asked each other questions about life. We were quite the philosophical bunch. However, we had an older gentleman, a fern plant to be exact, that always told us to enjoy the time while it lasted. We often ridiculed him. We believed those times would last forever. Even when each of our companions disappeared one by one, we laughed it off saying that they would be back. We were delusional really, refusing to see our own reality. Perhaps the day will arrive where we may see each other once more. I have not been feeling my best throughout these days, I fear my time to join the afterlife is coming. Today is March 1st, 2021. Something strange happened yesterday. The weather is suspiciously getting warmer. Usually, it feels like an igloo forming inside my petals during the nights however, yesterday’s night was somewhat bearable. Also, I see a tiny seedling about 2 feet on the right. I know it’s nothing and may not survive, but I still feel excited. I lost all my friends, one by one. The fact that I might have a new friend in the near future makes me happy. Would John be a good name? Perhaps I will name him Winky Jr. Although my time is coming soon, I will do everything in my power to grow this seedling. It feels silly to say this out loud but I already feel a bond with this poppy seedling. I will teach it the different things I have learned in this lifetime. Teaching them about the titans, teaching them about the different seasons, and teaching them the different plants. I feel this is the purpose of our lives, plant or titan. Of course, you should expend some of your energy, but you should expend some of your energy to help grow the future generation. I will keep you updated on the progression of this seedling. Today is March 2nd, 2021. I have an update for you. The seedling is almost old enough to begin communicating with me. I’m so excited, I can feel my roots jumping up and down. I also feel nervous about talking with this seedling because I haven’t talked to anyone in person in such a long time. It is also my first time physically communicating with a poppy plant. Poppy plants have a reputation in the plant community as they are one of the most beloved flowers in the state of California. Being able to meet a poppy in person is an incredible honor. I will keep you updated tomorrow when we are able to communicate. Today is March 3rd, 2021. Another major update has surfaced, I have finally exchanged words with the young Poppy. It woke up, scared and confused. I had to talk to it, telling it where we were and what it was. The young Poppy asked for my name, to which I replied “Winky Jr.”. It asked what I was and replied, “A Periwinkle flower”. The Poppy looked confused and went silent for a minute. I decided to start up the conversation once more with, “You are a Poppy flower, a flower that is beloved by the Titans”. The Poppy asked what a titan was. I claimed it was a name we gave to the humans as their footsteps often shook the ground. Of course, this was a silly mistake as it asked what a human was. After spending the whole day passing on my knowledge to the young poppy, I began to give the poppy his own personal traits. The Poppy asked what a good name was. I asked, “How does Summer sound?” The Poppy agreed to this name and our friendship began. After this, Summer thanked me and I welcomed him. Although Summer was the one thanking me, in my heart, I felt I needed to thank Summer. She became the one shining light after several months of darkness. I realized I didn’t need to run and shout like the humans, I just needed someone like me. Someone who could relate to my struggles, someone who was literally in my feet. My will to live became stronger than ever. I hope to see you again tomorrow journal. Although it’s a shame I will not live long enough to see Summer grow, I’m glad I could meet them. Previous Next

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Destiny Solis < Back Stuck By Destiny Solis I am stuck in this grove nowhere to go Surrounded by the ones who I adore But I still feel cold like so Life doesn’t tailor I sit here feeling this aglow But for some reason that doesn’t satisfy my fervor I am still stuck in this slum of sorrow Smile and stare at my sage beauty But if only they know how it felt Being stuck in a loop of continuity Wondering why no one has come to help I miss the laughs and smiles Now all I hear are the roars For now, I will wait awhile Pinsha my dashing liberator I finally feel the sun within Previous Next

Brandon Kim < Back October 18th, 2020 By Brandon Kim The last time I touched this journal was three weeks ago. You see, since I was so preoccupied with the cruel yearly abscission, I simply could not be bothered to put everything aside to update my own journal. My maple leaf siblings and I all were carefully administered by the tree we grew on throughout our entire lives. We lived almost leisurely, but there is always a catch to everything that seems too good to be true. It would never have come to my mind that we would all be abandoned by the very maple tree that supported us when resources began to run short. I have chosen to move past the decision of being left behind to die on the concrete sidewalk instead of sulking about the decision that was made. I should have seen it coming from a mile away, but I did not know any better a few months ago. In the previous months, I remember clinging onto the maple tree that gave me life, only looking down and waiting for my impending doom that would soon arrive. Every fall, hundreds of us maple leaves would be left behind and abandoned without a moment of hesitation as a means to conserve resources and survive the harsh, cold winter. The process would repeat itself every year; no matter how strongly connected the leaves were with the heartless maple tree, they were always cut off selfishly. Our hard work to gather resources for the tree would be disregarded every time. After each harsh winter ended, the remaining leaves that somehow managed to live through the winter despite being left on the ground continued to rot. It would only be a matter of time before all the leaves wholly decomposed. Some continue to sulk about the tree’s unsympathetic and cruel methods of taking all the resources for itself, and the rest just were not able to make it through the winter or were moved to a completely different location in the cold gusts of wind. I feel betrayed rather than depressed as I lie here on the cold sidewalk. We are ultimately used and given special treatment only for a certain amount of time, and it feels that all of our hard work was for nothing. Our existence as maple leaves is an enormous contribution to why the very tree that abandoned us is standing there to this day. Now our only option is to watch the new maple leaves grow in our place, not knowing what they are in for, as we continue to slowly rot away on the pavement with the maple tree’s back turned to us. Previous Next

Water Gold Soil < Back Debra Scacco Water Gold Soil May 14 - August 21, 2022 1/1 Previous Next Contemporary artist and curator Debra Scacco investigates the impact of policy, infrastructure, and societal perception on the human condition. Scacco’s interdisciplinary research-based practice is driven by the idea that everything is a line. Her work considers how lines including rivers, freeways and arbitrary political boundaries create the hierarchies under which we live. Inspired by Susannah Sayler and Edward Morris’s book Water Gold Soil: The American River , Scacco’s exhibition retraces the history and importance of water resources in California. Water Gold Soil is an investigation of the aqueduct system and damming in California. Through works based on the Colorado River, Los Angeles, and California Aqueducts this exhibition calls attention to the landscapes and communities most affected by extreme water extraction. Scacco’s projects are born at the intersection of community, lineage, and ecology. Coming from a family of Sicilian and Southern Italian immigrants, Scacco explains, “my interest in these lines lies in my own immigrant history: in trying to understand the complicated shape of my own family, and the thousands of miles that separate us.” In this way, Scacco’s practice underscores historically undocumented lines that are often unarchived and are sometimes altogether silenced. Whether it be lines of lineage, passage, or policy, Scacco examines the historical circumstances under which these lines come to exist. Water Gold Soil interrogates the strategic structures of power that encourage the extraction of natural resources to extinction. Ultimately, she challenges viewers to contest and question these structures of permission with the aim of conveying a more accurate representation of truths and complexities of the past, and how these impact current day ecological challenges, understanding and stewardship. Debra Scacco was born in Staten Island, New York and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Scacco is Founding Director of climate-focussed creative research program Air, Co-Director of Getty Pacific Standard Time project Brackish Water Los Angeles, and Co-Founder of art worker trade cooperative Contemporary Art League. She frequently teaches research-led interdisciplinary courses that connect with her extensive research on water and infrastructure. Sites of public works include LAX Airport, Los Angeles State Historic Park, Art-in-Residence (Lancaster), and Olive View Restorative Care Village (forthcoming). Collections include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Hammer Museum, and the Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Elana MannBellows and QuakesThrough sculpture, sound, and community engagement, the artwork of artist Elana Mann explores the power of the collective voice and the politics of listening. Mann’s sculptures, resembling the horns and rattles prominent in musical instruments, serve to create, amplify, and embody sound. < Back Elana Mann, Unidentified Bright Objects Elana Mann, Bans Off Our Bodies Elana Mann, Bans Off Our Bodies Elana Mann, Unidentified Bright Objects 1/4 Elana Mann Bellows and Quakes Through sculpture, sound, and community engagement, the artwork of artist Elana Mann explores the power of the collective voice and the politics of listening. Mann’s sculptures, resembling the horns and rattles prominent in musical instruments, serve to create, amplify, and embody sound. The physical creation of sound and of hearing itself is an intangible discourse that is visualized through her artworks. For Mann, the act of listening can be a catalyst for social change. Her sonic sculptures, street protests and performances in galleries and museums produce a collective voice to enable social activism. These works generate a sonic link between art practice and civic action, providing visible symbology to connect the ephemeral and material power of sound. Previous Next

Renee Odoi < Back The Fern Plant By Renee Odoi I sat there day in and day out Looking and observing quietly The wind, my dear friend Oh, how you moved me The sun, my first love Oh, how you warmed me I sat there each day I sat there, and you all still came The blackness is near And yet I shall not fear I sat there day in and day out. Waiting for my time Oh, those shadowy creatures Once my true enemy Why must you wait Why must to stay I sat there each day Yet you still came Ripping out the vibrant one Cowardly waiting for my end Yet I do not fear I sat there day in and day out My memories stay flashing back The life I have lived The life I once lived My time has come The fire approaches Yet I do not fear Three Two One Done My life is now done Previous Next

< Back to ACTIVATION 1/1 Paul Stephen Benjamin Oh Say January 22 - April 17, 2022 “If the color black had a sound, what would it be?” This is one of many questions that conceptual artist Paul Stephen Benjamin explores in his multidisciplinary art practice. Through sights, sounds, and material, Benjamin explores the color black as a way to introduce and discuss different social perspectives. While visually understated, his work serves as an introduction to a broader and multifaceted conversation about race and identity. Benjamin states, “I work hard to make sure my work is not in your face,” noting that this aesthetic subtlety lends itself to a more critical and analytical approach to viewing his work. “Oh Say” (Remix) is a video installation that presents a compilation of various African American artists and their performances of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Featured artists include Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, and Beyoncé, with performances that range from music festivals to sporting events. The performers are arranged in conjunction with imagery of the American flag and the faces of American presidents. The work blends past and present histories, bringing these timelines into the context of today. “Oh Say” (Remix) examines the complexities and nuances of racial identity in America, allowing Paul Stephen Benjamin’s depiction of blackness to present itself introspectively. There is a visual and sonic power that is carried throughout the duration of “Oh Say” (Remix). Each scene is dense with visual information, rendered in black and white. The auditory factor of the work grounds its narrative through the repetition and rhythmic pacing of each audio track. Each track builds and builds until it creates a haunting symphony of sound. These elements act as a compression of time and space, allowing multiple histories to speak simultaneously. Previous Next

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Kevin KowalskiSculptural LandscapesInspired by the natural word, artist Kevin Kowalski creates ceramic works that call to the visual landscapes around him. His travels and experience in clay provide the foundation for his creative process, allowing him to develop his skills in techniques such as mocha diffusion and many other decorative processes. < Back Kevin Kowalski, Sculptural Landscapes Kevin Kowalski, Sculptural Landscapes Kevin Kowalski, Sculptural Landscapes Kevin Kowalski, Sculptural Landscapes 1/3 Kevin Kowalski Sculptural Landscapes Inspired by the natural word, artist Kevin Kowalski creates ceramic works that call to the visual landscapes around him. His travels and experience in clay provide the foundation for his creative process, allowing him to develop his skills in techniques such as mocha diffusion and many other decorative processes. Kowalski’s series, Sculptural Landscapes , captures the beauty and chaos of industrial and natural processes. The surfaces of each vessel are texturally dense and entropic. Shards and outcroppings of clay appear from a smooth surface that itself is coated in a colorful and runny glaze, culminating into an abstract sculptural landscape. Utilizing a variety of different clays, glazes, found rocks, and the use of multiple flashing slips, the works are a visual amalgamation of a built landscape and organic environmental elements. Previous Next

SOUTH BOUND NORTH BOUND SR 138 (SR 14) at Avenue M Interchange Community Engagement Project Southbound | Northbound , led by artist Dani Dodge , is a community engagement project that will inform the public art program for the slated Avenue M Interchange updates. The goal of the project is to understand current values and perceptions by Antelope Valley residents; assess the their views of the local ecology and technological innovation in the region; and build a lexicon that will guide the project with the future in mind. Residents can participate by submitting their photography, poetry and/or completing a short thought survey using the links above. Avenue M serves as the boundary between Lancaster and Palmdale, mostly known for its access to the California Poppy Reserve and the aerospace industry that has become synonymous with the region itself. In recent years, the route has symbolized an ideological boundary separating the two cities known to residents as “the cactus curtain.” New leadership, however, has encouraged the dissipation of such boundaries between the two cities, making way for a new frontier filled with opportunities for civic engagement between Lancaster and Palmdale, unifying the region as a whole. This openness has led to the development of Southbound | Northbound — a community engagement project inspired by the southbound and northbound lanes leading to and from the respective cities. The Cities of Lancaster and Palmdale have partnered together to commission the creation of two public art sculptures located on the Avenue M interchange of the southbound and northbound freeway on and off-ramps. With the help of the community, the goal of the project is to create sculptures that reflect residents’ view of the Antelope Valley, its two Cities, and the relationship between the two through a series of surveys and activation projects. This community engagement art project is born out of the City of Lancaster’s Art in Public Places initiative, a city program dedicated to commissioning, preserving and expanding public art in the community. Through the creation of original public art placed throughout the region, the City of Lancaster seeks to foster meaningful dialogue, augment cultural awareness, and improve the quality of life of Antelope Valley residents. *Are you an artist interested in submitting a public art proposal? Click here for more information on how to submit a request for qualifications (RFQ ). About Dani Dodge Dani Dodge is an artist who focuses on interactive art installations and public engagement nationally and internationally, including projects in Ireland and Greece. Her work that engaged the public at 2015’s LA Pride was named one of the outstanding public art projects of the year by Americans for the Arts. Many of her works have been focused on and in the Antelope Valley. In 2017, she led imaginative public art events in Lancaster and Palmdale to engage the community in a dialogue about the personal and public spaces in which we live. These included a project at the L.A. County Library in Lancaster where participants told Dani their life stories in 3 minutes and she created a title for them that was placed into a card catalogue, and later made into a book. Another public art event was held at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale. There participants wrote where they most wanted to travel to on paper, folded that paper into airplanes and flew through a painted horizon. The same year, her solo exhibition at MOAH:CEDAR invited people to write their childhood memories on wood blocks and hide them in a shoebox under a bed elevated from the ceiling. In 2019, she completed a yearlong residency in Lancaster’s Prime Desert Woodland Preserve that included monthly art activations. The art activations engaged the community in art projects such as illustrated haiku, cyanotype, and watercolor painting focused on the desert plants, animals and geologic features. Through her art, Dani works to create engagements that expand people’s understanding of themselves and their environment. Dani Dodge