Lancaster Museum of Art and History facts for kids
| Established | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | 665 W. Lancaster Blvd Lancaster, California |
| Type | Art Museum |
The Lancaster Museum of Art and History, also known as MOAH, is a cool place to visit in Lancaster, California. It's a museum that shows off amazing art and interesting history from the area.
MOAH focuses on American art made after World War II, especially art from California. It also takes care of historical items from the Antelope Valley. You can see everything from Native American history to the story of pioneers and even aerospace technology. The museum also gives local artists a chance to show their work.
The current museum building opened in 2012. It has three floors and lots of space for art and history exhibits.
Contents
The Story of MOAH
The first version of the museum was built in 1986. It was created so people in Lancaster could enjoy art and learn about the history of the Antelope Valley. Back then, it was called the Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery (LMAG).
Two Locations, One Mission
For its first 24 years, the museum had two separate locations. One building on Sierra Highway was a small art gallery. The other was the Western Hotel Museum, a historic building that showed historical items from the museum's collection.
The collection included paintings of California landscapes and items from the past. These included Native American artifacts and even cool rocks and minerals from the area.
A New Beginning
In 2010, the City of Lancaster started building a new, bigger home for the museum. This new building became a key part of the city's updated downtown area. In 2011, the museum was officially renamed the Museum of Art and History (MOAH).
Today, the historic Western Hotel still displays historical artifacts. The new MOAH building focuses on modern art, especially from California artists. The museum continues to support local talent by hosting yearly art shows for the community and for high school students.
Art and Exhibits at the Museum
MOAH has a special collection of modern art called the Eglash Collection. This was a gift from art collector Steven Eglash and his wife, artist Gisela Colon. It includes works by many talented artists.
The museum has also collected art from many other Southern California artists. This includes street artists who create amazing murals and public art.
Grand Opening and Special Shows
When MOAH opened its new building, its first exhibits were all about the Antelope Valley. One show, called "Smooth Operations," looked at how artists used new and unusual materials. Many of these materials came from the aerospace industry, which is important to the area's history.
This exhibit explored art movements like “Light and Space,” where artists experimented with plastics, light, and resin. It featured famous artists like Larry Bell, Judy Chicago, and DeWain Valentine.
MOAH's Green Projects
The City of Lancaster wants to use 100% renewable energy. To help with this goal, MOAH started the Green MOAH program in 2013. This program connects art with ideas about protecting the environment.
Green MOAH projects have included the award-winning Wasteland Project and an exhibit called the Green Revolution. The museum also works with students on projects that imagine new ways to create clean energy through art.
MOAH:CEDAR Art Center
In 2014, the museum opened a new gallery space called MOAH:CEDAR. This building has a long history as a place for local artists to meet and create.
In 2015, MOAH:CEDAR opened the Andrew Frieder Creative Space. This is a free art studio where anyone can come to make art. The museum holds workshops for young artists and other events there. In 2016, artist Jane Ingram Allen worked at MOAH:CEDAR and led a community project to create a large "Eco-Quilt" that is now on display in a local park.
