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2023 < View Public Art Projects Joseph O'Connell's Superbloom! 2023 Permanent Art Project Superbloom! is a captivating public art piece that combines the vibrant colors of the wildflowers found in Lancaster's desert landscapes with the city's renowned aerospace industry. Inspired by the resilience, healing, and growth of both our natural environment and our own human population, this art installation celebrates the spectacle of wildflower blooms, known as ”superblooms,” that occasionally grace the region. The art piece features a collection of brilliant-colored disks, carefully arranged on sturdy aluminum stalks held together with bolts and rivets reminiscent of the aerospace industry. The varying heights of the disks symbolize not only the organic growth of wildflowers but also the continuous progress and development of the community. Superbloom! serves as a visual reminder of the coexistence between nature's beauty and human ingenuity, inviting viewers to reflect on what a superbloom in the human realm would look like.

Skytower Park Murals The Skytower Park Community Mural Painting project was a multiday creative event held in the Spring of 2022. Community members of all ages were invited to join community engagement artist Vojislav Radovanovic in the two-phase process of planning and painting of over 300 ft of murals at Skytower Park, 43434 Vineyard Dr, Lancaster, CA 93535. 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 creative community engagement and vibrant public art projects that celebrate the richness of the region. Phase One Phase Two Completion On March 12, 2022, MOAH and Artist At Work, Vojislav Radovanović, organized the First Community engaged artistic workshop in Skytower Park in Lancaster, CA, where community members gathered and provided input about future murals in the park. Approximately 60-65 neighbors actively participated in the workshop creating drawings and collages. Critical data was also collected through questionnaire forms where participants were asked to pick specific words that resonated with them the most, and that they would recognize as values that future murals should represent. The artworks and questionnaire data gathered during the workshop were compiled and reviewed to develop the final two mural concepts: Day and Night. The murals feature favorite flora and fauna from Antelope Valley with the characteristic landscape and mountain ranges. During the next month and a half, Radovanović spent time developing sketches and drawings that would resemble cartoonish and illustrative style. Sketches for the Night Time Mural - South Wall, 164 ft long Sketches for the Day Time Mural - North Wall, 148 ft long On May 7, 2022, a second workshop was held and community members were invited to join Radovanović in painting the mural concepts. Paints and brushes were provided for everyone who wanted to participate. More than 70 individuals collectively painted both murals in just a few hours. After the workshop, Radovanović spent an additional month refining details as a final layer of the murals. I’m a Return and Refund policy. I’m a great place to let your customers know what to do in case they are dissatisfied with their purchase. Having a straightforward refund or exchange policy is a great way to build trust and reassure your customers that they can buy with confidence. On March 12, 2022, MOAH and Artist At Wok Vojislav Radovanović organized the First Community engaged artistic workshop in Skytower Park in Lancaster, CA, where community members gathered and provided input about future murals in the park. Approximately 60-65 neighbors actively participated in the workshop creating drawings and collages. Critical data was also collected through questionnaire forms where participants were asked to pick specific words that resonated with them the most, and that they would recognize as values that future murals should represent. The artworks and questionnaire data gathered during the workshop were compiled and reviewed to develop the final two mural concepts: Day and Night. The murals feature favorite flora and fauna from Antelope Valley with the characteristic landscape and mountain ranges. During the next month and a half, Radovanović spent time developing sketches and drawings that would resemble cartoonish and illustrative style. Sketches for the Night Time Mural - South Wall, 164 ft long Sketches for the Day Time Mural - North Wall, 148 ft long

Up Legacy Various Artists Eric Johnson: Legacy A 30 Retrospective Main Gallery Craig Kauffman, Dewain Valentine, John Paul Jones, Tony DeLap, Tom Jenkins East Gallery Lisa Barleson: 3M Jewel Box Jennifer Faist: The Deepest Tales Stay Etched Well Fargo Gallery Andrew Benson Education Gallery R.Nelson Parrish: Meditations on NorCal Top of Stairs Charles Dickson: Legacy A Lifetime Survey South Gallery Legacy takes a close look at how artists spanning different generations influence each other and their communities. Legacy is defined as something passed down by a predecessor; in art, that “something” can range from material techniques to inner wisdom. Legacy is the fruit of passion and dedication that overflows from an individual into the lives of many—legacy is inspiring. Eric Johnson: LEGACY A 30 Year Retrospective Science and engineering have become so complex, even fantastical, that sometimes I forget the very simple, seemingly miraculous, fact – that an equation of symbols can describe, even predict, the phenomena that define and shape the physical world; that there are underlying functions of some dark math waiting to be discovered. Yet, math is only an abstract construct we imposed on the surrounding world. Things are not actually as rigid and perfect as the models that describe them. There's always some deviation, deformity, some slight departure from perfect, however infinitesimal. The “grid” doesn’t really exist. But this can be experienced and explored just as much through art. By looking at any of Eric Johnson’s sculptures individually, this is readily apparent. But looking through the sketches, studies, models, and fully-finished works spanning over thirty years, any visitor of Eric's retrospective will develop a heightened sensitivity to the breadth of ideas that influence an artist, and how they develop and coalesce into an interwoven body of work. How the nascent interest is reiterated and refined. The scope of what challenges and influences an artist in the making of an individual piece is not always apparent from a single work of art, maybe not even to the artist himself. However, stretching out an artist’s work over thirty years models the enormity of the subconscious process at any given moment in art-making. Because at any given moment, you don’t actually know everything you know. Eric's work is great for a retrospective for this very reason. From the first piece of the retrospective’s thirty-year span, Two Towers, you can see ideas that still recur in his most recent works. First, it introduces to the rigid, grid-conforming structures of math (i.e., the rectangular prism), the most minimal distortion to ordered form. It also prompts the viewer to ask about the material – how was this twist formed? Was it carved that way or was it shaped by torsion? Is the process the same for metal as it is for wood? Even early works that seem unrelated to his more recent and developed pieces share common threads or ideas. For example, his early drawings of tea cups, suspended mid-fall, demonstrate both Eric's interest in the laws of nature (in this case, gravity) and the properties of materials (fragility). As Eric became more eloquent with resin, wood and paint, his ability to interlock and weave multiple concepts through a single work bloomed as well. The more recent individual pieces in Eric's oeuvre evoke a variety of forms and ideas. In his composite resin "hearts," allusions range from weathered seashell to solar flare; they look sturdy as vertebra, but delicate as porcelain dish. You also get a fantastic sense of the material itself. As the disks narrow and taper, they reveal how the material behaves under varying thickness. And it takes a master of a material to enable a layman to explore it with commensurate depth. Other works, such as Pasopna, look ossified, yet wilted; organic, yet shaped by a grid; warped, yet structurally sound. Others have even more curious combinations: carapace and fluid-dynamic structures, horns and airplane spars. MOAH’s proximity to the aerospace industry makes this a great place to contemplate these pairings of manufactured and organic, mathematical theory and physical surface. Southern California, too, is an appropriate place to watch Eric infuse Southern California’s Light-and-Space and Finish Fetish movements with biology and deviation, almost like he’s moving backwards, stretching the immaculate surface over equation and bone. -Andi Campognone, Curator Craig Kauffman, Dewain Valentine, John Paul Jones, Tony DeLap, Tom Jenkins Johnson’s exhibition is paired by a group exhibition showcasing work made by his artistic mentors, DeWain Valentine, Tony DeLap, Craig Kauffman, Tom Jenkins and John Paul Jones. DeWain Valentine is best known for using industrial materials such as fiberglass, Plexiglass, cast acrylic and polyester resin to produce large scale sculptures that reflect and distort the light around them. Tony DeLap’s work is known for its illusionistic qualities, influenced by his interest in magic. Craig Kauffman paintings are known for their openness and dynamic use of line and his sculptures are known for their experimental materials and vivid color. Tom Jenkins makes paintings that are drawn using spinning tops and various hand-made mechanical drawing devices. John Paul Jones was a painter, printmaker and sculptor widely recognized for both his figurative and abstract work. All these artists played an important role in the development of Johnson’s professional and personal life. Lisa Bartleson: Q & A with Andi Campognone, MOAH Manager/Curator What is your relationship with artist Eric Johnson? / How did you first meet? Bartleson: Eric is one of my dearest friends and confidants; he is family. Our first encounter was very funny – especially knowing Eric as well as I do now. The first thing he said to me was, “Looks like you swallowed a five dollar bill and it broke out in pennies,” and I thought, “Who is this crazy artist?” It wasn’t long after this encounter that I learned that this crazy artist was Eric Johnson well known for his mastery of resin and mold-making. I was at a place in my career where I wanted to learn how to work with resin. I asked a mutual friend if she would introduce us. I arrived at Eric’s studio with a specific agenda, to learn how to create objects using resin. My first lesson with Eric and likely most important was that there really isn’t room for agendas – particularly when you are learning a new material. I learned that there needed to be openness to the creating process, to surrender any expectations. As a mentor, Eric gave me just enough guidance so that I didn’t fall on my face too hard. For me, this was perfect. The real learning came from mistakes that I made – with the two of us trying to figure a path forward. After mentoring with Eric, I left the studio with far more skills and knowledge than when I started. More importantly, I was left with a better understanding of how to be an artist –what it means to be an artist and how to stand on two feet and be vulnerable in your thinking and strong in your practice at the same time. How has Johnson influenced your studio practice? Bartleson: Often times when I am sanding or having a problem with a piece, I think WWED (what would Eric do)? The answer usually is that I have to pause, go back to 320 sandpaper and rework the surface until it is perfect and ready for the next level. Something that a lot of folks may not know about Eric is that he is fiercely driven. I always try to channel this energy while preparing for exhibitions. Jennifer Faist: Q & A with Andi Campognone, MOAH Manager/Curator What is your relationship with artist Eric Johnson? / How did you first meet? Faist: Eric and I first met through another artist when I attended a show of his work at Simayspace in San Diego in 1996. At the time, I was the gallery director for Susan Street Fine Art in Solano Beach and was working to bring a traveling group exhibition called, “The New Structuralists,” to the gallery. Eric was one of the artists in that show, and I got to know him and his work. We remained in touch and followed each other’s work in the ensuing years. In 2004, I curated a group exhibition at ANDLAB, “Suspension,” which included his work, and in 2005, we were in a two-person show together in Palm Springs entitled, “Less a Thing...” From August, 2006 to April, 2009, I shared Eric’s studio in San Pedro. My husband and I were living in the loft, and I had half of the storefront area for studio space. Eric was using the warehouse area for his studio space, and we shared the resin booth in the yard. How has Johnson influenced your studio practice? Faist: Eric’s studio was the largest space that I had ever worked in. There was room to pin up color swatches and pattern studies. I could hang finished paintings on the walls with room to stand back and look and still have plenty of room for my work table and drying racks. It allowed me to think bigger and make some larger work. Sharing a studio also meant having another artist to bounce ideas off of and get feedback on my paintings. During my time there, Eric was working on “The Maize Project,” so I got to see his casting processes in person for an extended period of time. The social aspect and personal connections made during casting parties and studio visits were also influential. I even had the opportunity to meet some of the trailblazers of “California Light and Space” through Eric, like DeWain Valentine and Craig Kauffman. How does this influence manifest itself in your work? Faist: I think the reason we made good studio mates is that we shared an affinity for resin Finish Fetish artwork, painting/sculpture hybrids and an analogous layering process. Eric exposed me to different kinds of pigments like those used in the automotive industry. I think that allowed me to feel freer to use more metallic and interference pigments in my paint layering process than I had before. Andrew Benson: Q & A with Andi Campognone, MOAH Manager/Curator What is your relationship with artist Eric Johnson? Benson: I worked for Eric as a studio assistant from roughly 1997 to 2000, starting in his Santa Monica studio through the build-out of his first San Pedro studio. At the time I was 17 and had run away from the desert to figure what my purpose was in the world. Eric was as much a mentor, surrogate father and friend as he was my boss -- I even slept on his couch for some time when my precarious living situations fell through. How has Johnson influenced your studio practice? Benson: My time working with Eric impressed upon me a specific approach to materials and tools that I still carry through my practice even though my work is now primarily digital video and animation. With resin, a synthetic material that carries with it a chemical background and accepted practice -- Eric developed a style of working that had little to do with the instruction labels but developed organically from years of handling, watching and feeling the material. On any given piece, throughout the work, we would engineer makeshift jigs, contraptions and tools to make the work possible. The way that Eric built surface color from the outside in was an approach I had never seen before and it was stunning. Every sculpture was the result of this process that was as much magic as it was chemistry, engineering and practical labor. I learned the way that a radial sander feels in my hand when it's doing the right thing, how to hold steady a slippery piece of hard resin polished to a frosted glass surface while the spinning machine in my other hand removed any imperfections. The best comparison I can think of for the work is that of an artisanal bread maker, learning the art of kneading, fermentation, shaping the dough and knowing through practice what it needs to be absolutely amazing. How does this influence manifest itself in your work? Benson: For my own working process, I've primarily chosen video and animation created with digital tools, but the way I think of the materiality of digital media owes a great deal to the formative years with Eric. I create my work by tweaking, adjusting and manipulating not just pixels, but the processes that generate and propagate them. I spend a great deal of time thinking about and attempting to reimagine how a digital representation is put together, what are all the processes involved and how many times it gets translated along the way. I've learned just enough hard graphics science to dig deeper into these processes, but the core of the work is in the intuitive chasing after the material, finding something that works even when I don't understand it and building tools around those magical results. The quest to feel and manipulate your mysterious medium and to communicate through these means is a rare approach for electronic media in an age of highly polished CGI and slick production, but it's in my veins at this point. R. Nelson Parrish: Q & A with Andi Campognone, MOAH Manager/Curator What is your relationship with artist Eric Johnson? Nelson: My relationship with Eric Johnson is strictly through myth, legend and reputation. I first became aware of his work through the Maize Project when it exhibited at the Torrance Art Museum in 2008. I had recently completed my graduate program and was amazed at the modular production of the work contrasted with his ability to create stunning, unique pieces. I didn’t think it was possible to make stand-alone pieces, in multiples, using mold production. More importantly, I was impressed how the Maize Project was community based, as there is a key component of including all types of people to collaborate in the making of the work. Both the community of collaborators and the modular production, in my mind, are the hallmarks of the piece. I again saw the Maize Project at William Turner Gallery 2012 and was reminded of modular production. It directly influenced me in creating #100 (1A – 20E) and #105 (Light Over the Pacific). Both pieces are comprised of over 90 smaller pieces that are modular and synergetic in nature. How has Johnson influenced your studio practice? Nelson: Possibly the biggest influence of Johnson’s work on my practice is the engineering of his work. I have never been that precise or mechanical in the fabrication of my work. In the past, my process has been more of a “cowboy up” mentality. Just do it then figure out how to do it better, later. The more and more I engage with Johnson’s work, the more I understand how well engineered and planned out his pieces are -- there is beauty in that. More importantly, I realize that while focusing equally on engineering and planning, as well as the art, one can make far superior pieces than just shooting from the hip and grinding it out. In the end, it is a much better system. How does this influence manifest itself in your work? Conceptually? Nelson: This influence has affected the newest progression of my work immensely. As I switched to a bio based resin, have needed to fabricate molds and am now using aerospace aluminum as core material, all of this requires massive amounts of engineering and scheduling. Johnson and his means of production have influenced my workflow. Constantly pushing materials, tools and boundaries in order to get it all right and all done on time. One could say that it is artisanal fabrication and manufacturing, in the best way possible. To have an idea; how something should look and feel sometimes takes years before it is executed properly. That requires a lot of quiet tenacity and patience. I can see that in Eric’s work and it is inspirational. Conceptually, I am a big color and motion guy. I love the way Johnson’s work takes simple pigment and hue yet while static, makes it flow through form and shape -- simple, elegant and stunning. Charles Dickson: Legacy, A Lifetime Survey Charles Dickson is consumed with how things work in a mechanical, creative, spiritual and political context. As a Sculptor he embraces many mediums, he explores the nature of the materials he uses in order to understand and challenge their properties in traditional and unique applications. At the core of this process Dickson inquires, “How do I learn to speak through the materials, to discover the truth about the materials and express the beauty of my artistic vision?” Dickson’s obsession with finding the truth of a form has been documented in his 45 year homage to the African American woman. Rather than work from an imagined form, he realized early in his career, that he had to undress it, to uncover the truth of its essence. Dickson’s work with black nudes was also the precursor for a much larger artistic dialogue on the politics of beauty and how the consequences of slavery reverberated in contemporary society that has extended throughout his entire career. Dickson states, “This dialogue propelled me to immerse myself into the artistic heritage of Africa, searching for the language, tools and symbols, to recreate and recover the enormous spiritual influence and indigenous beauty this tradition has had on the world. It has also encouraged me to develop works reflecting the unique circumstances of the African American experience that traces back to its African origins.” Charles Dickson is a self-taught artist born in 1947 in Los Angeles, CA. He has public works of art at the Watts Towers, Los Angeles Metro Rail Green Line in El Segundo, Hope and Faith Park in South Los Angeles and the City of Costa Mesa Performing Arts Complex, among others. He is currently an artist in residence at the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus and the Caretaker of the Watts Towers of Simon Rodia with LACMA’s preservation program. He is also working with the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust and Offices of The Trust in Public Land LA River Center to create sculptures within the community. Dickson lives and works in South Central Los Angeles, CA. January 24 - March 15, 2015 Back to list

Welcome Exhibiting Artists to the Lancaster Museum of Art and History On this page you will find everything you need to ensure your exhibition runs smoothly. The exhibiting artist process is composed of 3 main sections and a frequently asked question section. Please complete all 3 sections by the date listed in the welcome email to make certain that the museum has everything needed to promote and exhibit your artwork. Artist Bio STEP 1 First, provide us with general contact info STEP 2 Artwork Info Second, provide us with an artist statement/biography and information about your body of works STEP 3 Images Third, provide us with high-resolution images that best represent the work being exhibited This is where you can find the answer to questions that may arise, as well as a staff directory SUPPLEMENTAL FAQ Artist Info Let's start with you. 1 Artwork Statement 2 Tell us about this body of work. Let's see your work. 3 Images FAQ ? That's it! Frequently Asked Questions Will MOAH cover shipping costs for my artwork? The museum covers transportation within a 100 mile radius of the facility. How does MOAH handle insurance of my artwork? The museum insures all artwork wall-to-wall ONLY within the facility and when being transported by MOAH staff. The museum DOES NOT insure artwork during transport when transported by third party delivery service. Will the museum sell my artwork during the exhibition? The museum does not sell artwork, unless it is cataloged as a consignment item within the Vault Store. For more information on how to get an item in our store, please ask one of our staff members. Does MOAH reimburse artists for materials or framing? No, materials, delivery (outside of 100 mile radius) or framing are to be acquired at the artist's discretion and expense, the museum will not reimburse for those items. Can I choose where my artwork will be displayed at MOAH? Unless it is a site specific installation, you will not choose the location inside the museum, but will be chosen by the curators. More questions? We're here to help! Robert Benitez Curatorial Contact for questions and information regarding curatorial inquiries and operations. rbenitez@cityoflancasterca.org Carlos Chavez Operations Contact for questions and information regarding art transportation, care, and installation. cchavez@cityoflancasterca.org Emily Krebs Registration Contact for questions and information regarding loan documents and other legal info. moahregistrar@cityoflancasterca.org Jenni Williams Education Contact for questions and information regarding educational programs and tours at MOAH. moaheducation@cityoflancasterca.org Heber Rodriguez Curatorial Contact for questions and information regarding curatorial inquiries and operations. hrodriguez@cityoflancasterca.org Cynthia Alvarado MOAH:CEDAR Contact for questions and information regarding exhibitions at the MOAH:CEDAR moahcedar@cityoflancasterca.org Jaushua Rombaoa Engagement Contact for questions and information regarding artist statements/biography, and engagement events. moahengagement@cityoflancasterca.org Stepfanie Aguilar Marketing & Creative Contact for questions and information regarding images, audio/visual, and other marketing materials. moahmarketing@cityoflancasterca.org

Museum of Art and History Studio Visit: Zackary Drucker, Mammalian (MOAH) Museum of Art and History Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Studio Visit: Zackary Drucker, Mammalian (MOAH) 05:36 Play Video Now Playing Studio Visit: Gina Herrera, Reforged Identities (MOAH) 07:06 Play Video Now Playing Studio Visit: Marthe Aponte, Spiritual Elevation (MOAH) 06:33 Play Video Now Playing Studio Visit: Tanya Aguiñiga, Mammalian (MOAH) 06:59 Play Video

Emily Schneider < Back The White Rose and I By Emily Schneider Are we alike? I am not sure. Am I innocent and pure? Am I thoughtful and charming too? Do I have thorns that can do harm to you? I believe this varies from the others point of view, For some see me like this, and others say it’s not true. I like to smell like a rose, in a way, I use my perfume that’s called Rose every day. And just like a rose I grew pretty tall, With 5’7 I am really not small. And just like the rose I am not very loud, I am rather shy, but I do like a crowd. I enjoy being surrounded by family and friends, And I like to stay at a party until it ends. The sight of a rose evokes positive emotions in me, It makes me feel happy and peaceful and free. Optimism refueled, half full is my glass, I could watch them for hours and sit in the grass. It also awakens my romantic side, I might say, It reminds me of Romeo and Juliet, the play. Like a rose goes slowly from buds than to bloom, I grew from infant to teenager, and will become an adult soon. To grow the rose needs water, fertilizer and sun, Just like I need water, food, love and fun. If not well taken care of, it will not last very long, Just like with more support I can get very strong. The rose will more and more wither with time, And so will I as I get old after my prime. The beauty will fade and soon it will die, I hope it takes long until my final goodbye. So are we alike? I think in a few ways. It’s up to you to decide if you believe what it says. The white rose is as beautiful flower to be, And I am honored to compare it to me. 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).

Land and Image: Chris Engman, 2002-2022 < Back Chris Engman Land and Image: Chris Engman, 2002-2022 May 14 - August 21, 2022 1/4 Previous Next Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles-based photographer Chris Engman spent his earlier years with an appreciation for nature, art, and travel. Throughout his undergraduate career Engman continued to travel from his studio in Seattle to the desert landscapes in eastern Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, collecting materials and building photography sets in Seattle and relocating them to the desert. Over the past two decades, Engman has dedicated his art to understanding how images deceive the eye and the human need to make sense of visual perception. Engman’s photography, at first glance, appears normal, yet, under careful examination, viewers become aware of the optical illusion and begin to question the constructed image. Engman’s twenty-year practice is grounded in research and conceptual thought. He documents remnants of labor and the juxtaposition of human material and vast landscape through sculpture and photography. He explains, “My constructions are not sculptures in the traditional sense. They’re just vehicles to reveal a process that is focused on experiencing time and understanding what photographs do – or don’t do. . .” Chris Engman was born in Seattle, WA. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He earned an MFA from the University of Southern California in 2013, and a BFA from the University of Washington in 2003. His work has been shown widely in the United States and Europe including at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle, Henry Art Gallery, The Seattle Art Museum, Institute for Contemporary Art in San Jose, Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Clair Gallerie in Munich, 68 Projects in Berlin, Project B in Milan, and Flowers Gallery in London. His work is featured in numerous public and private collections including Orange County Art Museum, The Henry Gallery, Seattle Art Museum, Houston Fine Arts Museum, Covington Library, Microsoft, and the Elton John Collection. Engman is represented by Luis De Jesus Los Angeles and in Seattle by Greg Kucera Gallery.

Brooke Jurgenson < Back ROSE By Brooke Jurgenson Seed. Secured beneath the soil, Spreading of thy roots. Stuck in a choking coil, With nowhere to offshoot. Sprout. Suddenly struck by the light, Suffering from the air’s embrace, She climbs till night, Yearning for the roots’ embrace. Shoot. Surrounded by the foreboding trees, Sensing the futility of life, Suppressing her urge to freeze Amidst the winter strife. Thorn. Trapped in this withered existence, There is no other choice but to fight. There is no other choice but resistance, For she must survive the brutal winter night. Rose. Rising above the pain of the past, Releasing the rouge of the future, Rejoicing in life at last, She is forever flourishing. Previous Next

Up The New Vanguard III Various Artists Solo exhibitions: Kathy Ager Alex Garant Inga Guzyte Kayla Mahaffey Kevin Peterson Special group show curated by: Thinkspace Projects Special Installation by: Spenser Little The Lancaster Museum of Art and History, in collaboration with Los Angeles’ Thinkspace Projects, is pleased to present The New Vanguard III , a dynamic group exhibition of works by international artists working in the New Contemporary art movement. The highly anticipated follow up to 2018’s successful second iteration of The New Vanguard, on view in tandem with this year’s POW WOW! Antelope Valley will feature special solo projects by artists Kevin Peterson, Kayla Mahaffey, Kathy Ager and Alex Garant. The New Vanguard III , in keeping with the first two installments, will present a diverse and expansive group of curated new works. In addition to the solo exhibitions on view from Mahaffey, Peterson, Ager and Garant, we will also be presenting our ’ Small Victories ’ group show focusing on suicide prevention and mental health. We’ve lost one of our greatest allies and friends and one of our rising stars to this ever growing epidemic in recent years. Sadly this issue is very wide spread in the creative community and we want to help raise awareness and funds. If it helps guide just one person out of the darkness, it was more than worth it to mount this collection of works. This special showcase will include new pieces by ABCNT, Adam Caldwell, Ador, AKACORLEONE, Allison Sommers, Angel Once, Anthony Hurd, Anthony Solano, Atomik, Brad Woodfin, Brian Mashburn, Bryan Valenzuela, Carl Cashman, Charlie Edmiston, Chloe Becky, Cinta Vidal, Clare Toms, Collin van der Sluijs, David Rice, Derek Gores, Dovie Golden, Dragon76, Drew Young, Edith Lebeau, Eduardo F. Angel, Erik Mark Sandberg, Frank Gonzales, Ghost Beard, Goopmassta, Hilda Palafox, Hola Lou, Huntz Liu, Imon Boy, Jaime Molina, Jeff Ejan, Jimmer Willmott, Kaplan Bunce, Kate Wadsworth, Kelly Vivanco, Ken Flewellyn, Kim Sielbeck, KOZ DOS, Lauren Hana Chai, Lauren YS, Linsey Levendall, Mando Marie, Manuel Zamudio, Mari Inukai, Max Sansing, McKenzie Fisk, Meggs, Molly Gruninger, Mwanel Pierre-Louis, Nicola Caredda, Patch Whisky, Ricky Watts, Roos van der Vliet, Saturno, Sergio Garcia, Shar Tuiasoa, Stephanie Buer, Tati Holt, Telmo Miel, TMRWLND, Waylon Horner, and Wiley Wallace. A movement unified as much by its diversity as its similitude, ‘New Contemporary’ has come to denote an important heterogeneity of styles, media, contexts, and activations over the course of its establishment since the 90s. Unified in its fledgling beginnings by a founding countercultural impulse searching for its own nomenclature, the New Contemporary movement’s shifting and inclusive designations have offered alternative narratives over the years to those popularized by the dominant art establishment and its conceptual predilections. Though stylistically disparate, the work belonging to this rapidly expansive movement reveals a desire to reference the popular, social, and subcultural domains of contemporary experience, grounding, rather than rarifying, imagery in the familiar. Looking to the urban landscape and the kaleidoscopic shift of individual identities within it, these artists use the figurative and narrative to anchor their work in the accessible and aesthetically relatable. A fundamentally democratic stance governs the ambitions of this new guard, ever in search of novel ways to expand rather than to contract. Kayla Mahaffey – Adrift Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Kayla Mahaffey (also known as KaylaMay) is quickly becoming one of the city’s most sought-after artists with her unique blend of flat, cartoon elements with brilliant photo-realism. Mahaffey’s work gives voice to the unheard stories of contemporary youth and, as explained by the artist, “serves as a guide to bring hope back into our daily lives by cherishing each moment, not in the mindset of an adult, but with the fresh eyes and imagination of a child.” Being born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, only ignited Mahaffey’s love for all things art. The artist elaborates, “seeing the struggle and the support from the community made my work evolve to a concept that is personal to me. I continue to further my technique and creativity in my field in order to paint a beautiful picture of a new world for those around me. Living in our society can be tough and most of the time we have to make the best of it. A wild imagination can take you so far, but at the end of the day we need to realize and observe the world around us. And the world around us is where I find my inspiration to paint. Colorful paintings that contain hints of whimsy and realism that tell a story of inner thoughts and personal issues that sometimes go unheard.” Inga Guzyte - Kindred Spirits Inga Guzyte is a sculptural-portraiture artist who melds her love of sculpture and skate culture into intricate, larger-than-life interpretations of powerful women. Guzyte utilizes recycled skateboards complete with scratches and scrapes conveying a sense of character, adding a “lived in” quality to her works, and portraying the authenticity of her art subjects. Her deconstruction of materials allows her to create the colors and shapes needed to produce a three-dimensional quality to her works. Through the exploration of important historical figures and social movements, Guzyte explores her humanity and encourages female viewers to ponder their thoughts on their own terms. Guzyte’s series of work, Kindred Spirits, pulls from her own experiences as a woman in male dominated fields such as: skateboarding, woodworking, and sculpture and the traumatic experience of being abandoned by her father in her formative years. From powerful female figures like Malala Yousafzai, to influential artists like Patssi Valdez and Alison Saar, Guzyte places the central crux of her works on the female experience. Her materials are discarded and broken, however, the end result is that which embodies graphic power and grace. Despite her use of recycled skateboards, every piece is carefully selected, providing a dimensional and complex quality to her pieces. Guzyte’s work provides a sense of catharsis in her own experiences, as she reflects and re-creates the stories of these influential women, she gains courage and strength. Guzyte was born in Lithuania and emigrated to Germany. Inspired by the skateboard culture of California, Guzyte moved to Santa Barbara, California. In 2011, she had her first exhibition in Santa Barbara and would soon move to New York City, showing her artworks in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Shortly thereafter, she would move to Switzerland to complete an art residency in Vienna, Austria. Guzyte would display her first piece in Switzerland and in 2017, her pieces would regularly be featured in group exhibitions. Guzyte received her Associate of Arts degree at Santa Barbara City College. She currently resides in Santa Barbara, California. Kathy Ager - Fool’s Gold Kathy Ager creates detailed still lifes that feel simultaneously Baroque and acerbically modern. Inspired by the 17th-century Golden Age of Dutch and Spanish painting, her imagery uses historical visual rhetoric to deliver intensely personal and emotively charged themes. A professional graphic designer-turned painter, this is Ager’s first complete body of work to date and includes ten new paintings. Ager begins her process with language – an idea or expression often gleaned from music, a book, or some other source that resonates personally. She then endeavors to resolve the concept visually through objects and composition, assembling a patchwork of references – some collective and shared from pop culture, others steeped in the idiosyncrasies of the personal. Both poetic and revelatory, Ager’s works feel charged with the simultaneous misery and beauty of contemporary appropriation – and express the current world through the formal repositories of the past to create anachronistic moments of resonance and delivery. Ever present amidst moments of undeniably expressed disappointment and disillusionment are redemptive linings, beautifully poignant discoveries, and playful, irreverent mirth. The seductive darkness with which Ager reveals universal human longings is both disarming and consuming. Broken hearts are offered up as organs in a bowl, skeletal memento mori abound, and dating feels about as abject in the modern world as butchery; books are stacked with suggestive spines, and flowers wither while fruit threatens to decay. The abattoir is never far from the transcendent ambitions of classical statuary in Ager’s world, while beauty is embroiled in the vulnerability of intimacy and self-exposure. Alex Garant - Deconstructing Identities Toronto-based, Canadian, Québéquois artist Alex Garant is a painter known for her hyper-realistically rendered Op Art portraits in which the faces and eyes of her subjects seem to skip their registers through image redoubling and superimposition, Garant is in search of the frenetic internal life of the sitter. Not unlike the fugitive flicker of a screen or the spectral layering of multiple film exposures, her portraits reveal an unsettling multiplicity, shifting beneath the subject’s surface. Garant creates faces that challenge the optics of identity and the reductive way in which it is perceived, with a visual gimmick that quite literally dislodges and displaces its coherence to produce skittering psychological images of fracture and ricochet. Garant has long been fascinated by the interaction of patterns and symmetry, and the resulting optics of their graphic repetition and layering. Her portraits begin with a series of superimposed drawings based on her sitters, actual individuals, and muses from her life, and pushes the familiar confines of portraiture to a newly strange and re-sensitized place of sensory confusion. Her subjects and their energy seem to erupt from within, testing the tensile seams of the skin, the body, as always, an insufficient vessel for the incongruous experience within. The artist’s labor-intensive oil paintings are meticulously executed, often incorporating patterning or other graphic elements and motifs to produce reverberating visual effects. Garant’s color palette ranges from the subtlety of realistic flesh tones to hyper-colored gradients, saturated pastels, and translucent gem-like washes of color. Her stylizations of these vertiginous portraits thrive in surreal kitsch to interrupt the apprehension of the subject, activating a process of invested viewing, that is of trying to “see” the person amidst the trappings of hallucinatory visual interference. The compelling and somewhat unsuccessful process of attempting to stabilize the image produces a fundamental feeling of perceptual instability, one that intensifies our stolen communion with an evasive subject. Kevin Peterson – Embers Kevin Peterson, a gifted hyperrealist painter, creates a fictional world in which innocence and collapse are brought into difficult proximity. His arresting images combine portraits of children accompanied by kindly sentient beasts in a state of kindred displacement. Alone, though together, in strangely desolate, richly graffitied urban scenes, these babes and their benevolent conspirators appear interchangeably as beacons of hope and symbols of dispossession. Peterson’s works harness a dystopian social hyperrealism through painstaking attention to every possible fraction and detail of the mundane in their execution – every contour is excised, every surface meticulously rendered. The weird crystal clarity of the hyperreal in the depiction of these desolate underpasses and structural ruins provides a starkly strange backdrop for elements of fairytale, like the fantastic alliances proposed between children and animals, and the magical narratives these allegiances imply. A psychologically poignant, if not ambiguous, feeling of transformation and hope lingers in these impossibly arresting scenes of solitary kids. The resilience they suggest is haunting, while the unsettling verity with which these vulnerable fictions are cast strike something in our shared fear of literal and figurative exposure. Always in search of poetic tension and compelling contrasts, Peterson alloys unlikely parts: beginnings and ends collide, the young appear in worn and weathered worlds, innocence is forced into experience, and the wild infringes upon the ‘civilizing’ city limits. In Wild, Peterson explores themes of protection and marginalization, staging wild animals, ironically, in the humanizing and civilizing charge of caregivers. Though a recurring suggestion in previous works, the role of the animal in a nearly shamanistic role as protector and watcher appears more overtly in the new. Small children are attended by wild bears, watchful raccoons, gentle fawns, mythic looking ravens, owls, and jungle cats, among others, as they hold a living and protective vigil against the crumbling architectures around them; their guardianship staged like a protective bulwark. Peterson’s hyperreal paintings are at times uncomfortably close in the pathos of their offerings; they remind us, too, of something uneasily present in us all, a childhood that haunts the posturing of all of our adulthoods. Ultimately, Peterson’s works offer beautifully jarring reminders of the need for redemptive outcomes in a disappointed time. Spenser Little - Illumination Devices Spenser Little is a self-taught artist who has been bending wire and carving wood for almost 20 years, allowing his creativity to morph into images that range from simple wordplay to complex portraits. He has related his wire work to a mixture of playing chess and illustration, as the problem-solving component of the work is what continues to inspire himself to create larger and more complex pieces. Some works contain moving components and multiple wires, but mostly the pieces are formed from one continuous piece of wire that is bent and molded to Little’s will. He has left the wire sculptures all over the world, in locations that range from the Eiffel Tower to the bottom of caves, their location selected with little discernment, only for the piece to be finally realized at the moment that someone discovers the surprise piece of art. Little has taken part in numerous POW! WOW! mural festivals in the past few years, which has exposed his work to an entire new audience via their network of art sites/blogs and having his work shared all over the world including the likes of the Antelope Valley (Lancaster, California); Long Beach, California; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Honolulu, Hawaii; Israel; and San Jose, California. Regarding his new body of work, Spenser shares “To me, all art is a form of illumination devices. For this exhibition I have built a new series of mixed-media kinetic lamps. The lamps serve as bright facades for inner, hidden chambers. Looking through their constantly closing and opening doors, viewers are offered a peek at what makes them tick. Like the different layers we develop throughout our lives, we only allow certain people to see our most inner workings, while the majority are only able to see our polished exteriors. The lamp building process begins with the wood carving of the central character’s head. I then weld a round bar frame for the outline of the body. I don’t put much forethought into where the design will go, aesthetic or engineering wise, which allows me to adapt any spontaneous idea during the build. Once I have the legs and body welded out and sized to the wooden head, I begin to problem shoot the kinetic portion of the build. Which is the unnatural part for my purely sculptor’s brain. Once all of the kinetic components are complete, I clean and bake the paper skin on the lamp, allowing them to come to life.” Small Victories A group show focusing on suicide prevention and mental health. This special showcase will includes new pieces by Adam Caldwell, Ador, AKACORLEONE, Allison Sommers, Angel Once, Anthony Hurd, Anthony Solano, Atomik, Brad Woodfin, Brian Mashburn, Bryan Valenzuela, Carl Cashman, Charlie Edmiston, Chloe Becky, Cinta Vidal, Clare Toms, Collin van der Sluijs, David Rice, Derek Gores, Dovie Golden, Dragon76, Drew Young, Edith Lebeau, Eduardo F. Angel, Erik Mark Sandberg, Frank Gonzales, Ghost Beard, Goopmassta, Hilda Palafox, Hola Lou, Huntz Liu, Imon Boy, Jaime Molina, Jeff Ejan, Jimmer Willmott, Kaplan Bunce, Kate Wadsworth, Kelly Vivanco, Ken Flewellyn, Kim Sielbeck, KOZ DOS, Lauren Hana Chai, Lauren YS, Linsey Levendall, Mando Marie, Manuel Zamudio, Mari Inukai, Max Sansing, McKenzie Fisk, Meggs, Molly Gruninger, Mwanel Pierre-Louis, Nicola Caredda, Patch Whisky, Ricky Watts, Roos van der Vliet, Saturno, Sergio Garcia, Shar Tuiasoa, Stephanie Buer, Tati Holt, Telmo Miel, TMRWLND, Waylon Horner, and Wiley Wallace. September 12 – December 27, 2020 Back to list

Discover Trunks Lancaster Museum of Art & History is proud to offer the Discover Trunk program: a free traveling trunk program where members of MOAH's Education Team give engaging on-site presentations about different historical topics. Currently, the museum provides the following Discover Trunk topics: Dinosaurs, Ice Age, Ancient Egypt, and Aviation & Aerospace. Discover Trunk presentations are available for education sites, libraries, youth organizations, homeschool daycare groups, community/recreation sites, senior centers, special events, and more. Each Trunk presentation is about 45-60 minutes long and features a variety of tangible objects and artifacts. For back-to-back presentations, please allow a 15-minute transition period between presentations. Please contact the Education Department at (661) 723-6085 or MOAHeducation@cityoflancasterca.gov for more information about the Discover Trunk program. Use the form below to request a traveling Discover Trunk. Please book at least 3 weeks in advance. Interested in field trips? Click Here dinotrunk_Feb20_2024_img1 1/7 Request a Discover Trunk! Primary Contact First Name Primary Contact Last Name Secondary Contact First Name (if applicable) Secondary Contact Last Name (if applicable) Organization Site Address Phone Email Select a Discover Trunk Number of Presentations Number of Participants per Presentation Age of Participants Select prefered month Choose an option Select a date. Must be booked at least THREE WEEKS in advance. (Available only Wednesdays & Fridays) * required Select a preferred time (*If you need accommodations outside of the days and times listed, please contact the Education Department.) 09:00 AM 11:00 AM 01:00 PM Choose a time Please include any further details about your location to help us find you, such as where to park, enter the building, check-in. I want to subscribe to the newsletter. Take a moment to review our Guidelines and Expectations for the Discover Trunk program, and print them for your records. Check the box to confirm you have read and understand these conditions. Guidelines and Expectations Submit

Inclusion The Museum of Art and History (MOAH) is compliant with American Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. MOAH is committed to making its facility, collections, exhibitions, programs, and services accessible to all visitors. Physical access to MOAH is compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Sensory Friendly Programming Community members experiencing autism and/or other hyper- and hypo-sensitivities are invited to participate in the Lancaster Museum of Art and History's Sensory Friendly Programming (SFP). This programming is multi-faceted, with open hours every first Saturday of the month (during exhibition dates), Take-A-Break Space during select BLVD events, and calming tools available for check out from guest services. SFP Open Hours Every first Saturday of the month, the museum opens one hour early 10:00 am to welcome guests with hyper- and hypo-sensitivities. Lights are dimmed, sound elements are lowered, a free sensory-friendly art activity is offered, and the Take-A-Break Space is open for use. Fidgets and noise-canceling headphones are available for use throughout the museum. Take-A-Break Space Stocked with calming tools, noise-canceling headphones, kinetic sand, snacks, and water, the Take-A-Break Space is a great spot to relax during a museum visit or BLVD event. The T-A-B Space is located off of the Main Gallery. Check MOAH's scheduled events for details about T-A-B Space availability. American Sign Language Tours The Lancaster Museum of Art and History offers a American Sign Language Tour for each exhibition at MOAH’s main location. They are led by a MOAH guide, who is accompanied by a certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Please register in advance on Eventbrite; space is limited to 20 participants. Contact the Education Department at (661) 723-6085 or moaheducation@cityoflancasterca.gov for more information. Spanish Tours The Lancaster Museum of Art and History offers tours in Spanish every second Friday of the month during exhibition dates at MOAH's main location. Tours begin at 5:00 pm and last about 30-40 minutes. Please register in advance on Eventbrite – space is limited to 20 participants. Contact the Education Department at (661) 723-6085 or moaheducation@cityoflancasterca.gov for more information. Early Stage Social Engagement Program (virtual) The Lancaster Museum of Art and History partners with the Alzheimer's Association Southern California Chapter to create a two-part virtual tour for each exhibition on view at MOAH's main location. Each tour is one hour and touches on a variety of exhibited artworks, artistic processes, and artist perspectives for participants experiencing the early stages of dementia. Please visit https://www.alz.org/socal to register for this two-part program.