Front cover: Carleton E. Watkins, Yucca Draconis, Mojave Desert (Detail), 1877. Image courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, BANC PIC 1957.028:0--ffALB VAULT. Current page: Paloma Menéndez, Tree of Life, Árbol de la Vida (Detail), 2021, Oil, watercolor and pencil on polyester film, 20 x 36 inches. Courtesy of Paloma Menendez and BoxoProjects, Joshua Tree.
of Jo Backer Laird and Michael Danoff.
Brace for impact: the next installment of PST ART is here.
PST ART (formerly Pacific Standard Time) is the largest art event in the United States. It returns for its third edition on September 15, 2024, this time engaging audiences throughout Southern California with the theme “Art & Science Collide.” Supported by nearly $20 million in grants from Getty, dozens of cultural, scientific and community organizations will present more than 70 exhibitions and an extraordinary spectrum of public programs over the course of five months, all exploring intersections of art and science—past, present and in possible futures. This unprecedented initiative ranges from biotechnology to sustainable agriculture, from ancient cosmologies to Indigenous sci-fi, and from artificial intelligence to environmental justice.
PST ART is a groundbreaking cultural collaboration. Every five years, PST ART unites hundreds of artists around a single, electrifying theme at more than 60 exhibition spaces. While the theme is different each time, the heart of PST ART is always the distinctive cultural identity of Southern California, and the universal hunger for artistic and intellectual discovery. In a region famed for its films and theme parks, PST ART provides a different kind of gripping experience—and the most distinctively Southern Californian of all.
PST ART is one of the largest collaborative arts events in the country. It started in 2011 as Pacific Standard Time with the theme Art in L.A. 1945-1980 The second iteration Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA took place in 2017. Now it’s back, re-named PST ART for 2024 with a collaboration 200,000 years in the making: Art & Science Collide. 800+ artists at 60+ cultural and scientific institutions throughout Southern California.
PST ART: Art & Science Collide creates opportunities for civic dialogue around some of the most urgent problems of our time by exploring past and present connections between art and science in a series of exhibitions, public programs, and other resources.
What can visitors expect to see at PST ART?
PST ART: Art & Science Collide includes exhibitions on subjects ranging from ancient cosmologies to Indigenous sci-fi, and from environmental justice to artificial intelligence. Art & Science Collide will share groundbreaking research, create indelible experiences for the public, and generate new ways of understanding our complex world. You’ll see pigeons with backpacks monitoring air pollution, bees flying around an art museum, plants swaying to live winds on Mars, and an environmentally sustainable city designed for seven billion people.
Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees is among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of PST ART. Returning in September 2024 with its latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, this landmark regional event explores the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art
Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees
Living with Joshua trees reminds us of both the fragility and resilience of the natural world. This extraordinary species inspires a thoughtful examination of the intricate ecosystems and human activities, which impact our life-sustaining resources. As a resident and icon of the “American West,” Joshua trees have deeply entangled relationships with humans that have persisted over the centuries, but sadly may disappear within our lifetimes.
Following centuries of colonialism and the westward expansion of industry, Joshua trees are now threatened by the changing climate as well as impacts from development, industrial solar, wind power, and wildfire. Millions of Joshua trees recently burned in the Dome and York fires at the Mojave National Preserve and beyond, further necessitating their protections with California’s Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act.
Science, history, and Indigenous knowledge are integral to understanding the current state of the Joshua tree. The dominant images seen within our society and most recently in social media, present idealized representations of Joshua trees, absent of the extensive threats impacting the species’ lives. The diverse artistic investigations and expressions in the exhibition bring awareness to the complexity and seriousness of the issues, while honoring the mystical neithertree-nor-cactus Joshua trees and their Mojave Desert habitat. Each artist included in Desert Forest has engaged in personal, in-depth creative research to produce artworks that exemplify a range of ideas across myriad practices. Ideas inspired by evolution, ethnicity, capitalism, spirituality, caregiving, beauty, and death are shared through innovative works that illuminate the power of art to make the unseen and overlooked visible.
—Sant Khalsa, Curator and Juniper Harrower, Associate Curator
Featuring contemporary artworks by Linda Alterwitz, Marthe Aponte, Madena Asbell, Nancy Baker Cahill, Diane Best, Darin Boville, Matthew Brandt, Fred Brashear Jr, Bill Leigh Brewer, Claudia Bucher, Bureau of Linguistical Reality, Gerald Clarke, Maryrose Crook, Torreya Cummings, James M Dailey, scott b. davis, Department of Floristic Welfare, Dani Dodge, Edgar Fabián Frías, Rob Grad, Jennifer Gunlock, Juniper Harrower, Jessie Homer French, Christine Huhn, Monroe Isenberg, Adriene Jenik, Jetsonorama (Chip Thomas), Jenny Kane, Yulia Kazakova, Sant Khalsa, Casey Kiernan, Stevie Love, Rebecca Lowry, Meg Madison, Aline Mare, Chris McCaw, Paloma Menéndez, Eric Merrell, Chelsea Mosher, Daisuke Okamoto, Michelle Robinson, Cara Romero, Catherine Ruane, Ed Ruscha, Hiroyuki Seo, Kim Stringfellow, Ruth Wallen, Jennifer Valenzuela, and Danielle Giudici Wallis; and historical artworks by Sarah E. Blanchard, Ralph D. Cornell, E.O. Hoppé, Olive Jackson, Gerald D. Jeffers, Charles Koppel, Jane Pinheiro, Betty Warner and Carleton Watkins.
For more information, please visit www.lancastermoah.org/desert-forest
Three organizations—LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, LA Commons, and the Lancaster Museum of Art and History—have joined Getty as Community Hubs for Art & Science Collide. Helping to bring the initiative to people where they live, the Hubs engage nearby grassroots organizations, public agencies, STEAM educators, and young creatives to develop and present their own programs on the Art & Science Collide themes. Offerings will range from art workshops to habitat restoration projects.
Image credit: Jennifer Gunlock, Joshua Tree Series VII (Detail), 2023, Digital collage, 10 x 6 1/2 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Museum of Art and History
Hey JTree (https://www.heyjtree.com) is an ongoing participatory art research project and mock on-line dating site for meeting Joshua trees.
21 SEPT
VIDEO SCREENING
FEATURING VIDEO WORKS BY CASEY KIERNAN, DIANE BEST, AND MONROE ISENBERG 7 PM-9 PM
MOAH:CEDAR Hall
A screening of Casey Kiernan’s “I Thought They Were Protected” a powerful video that documents the impact of climate change, development, and fires on Joshua trees. Also, featuring Diane Best’s “Tree Moves,” and Monroe Isenberg’s “Harbinger” performance video.
HEY JTREE FALLING IN LOVE, ONE TREE AT A TIME 11 AM-1 PM
Prime Desert Woodland Preserve
Hey JTree (https://www.heyjtree.com) is an ongoing participatory art research project and mock on-line dating site for meeting Joshua trees.
Museum of Art and History
Artist and ASU professor Adriene Jenik has created a tarot deck for the environmentally minded. Adriene Jenik blends climate science and tarot readings. Stop by for a personal reading of your climate future.
22 SEPT
WALK-AND-TALK: FIRE RECOVERY & RESTORATION POST 2020 BOBCAT FIRE 9 AM-11 AM
Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area
Walk-and-talk (with canyon hike option) at Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area with County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation superintendents and naturalists Jonathan Numer and Olivia Miseroy, sharing stories about fire recovery and the major restoration effort Jonathan is part of at the Punchbowl.
Museum of Art and History
Feeling at a loss for words to describe your feelings around the climate crisis? Come make a word with The Bureau Of Lingistical Reality during the opening of, Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees. https://bureauoflinguisticalreality.com/
03 OCT
MOJAVE DESERT TRADING CARDS
3 PM-7 PM
Museum of Art and History
This engagement invites participants to create their own Mojave Desert-inspired trading card. The workshops are part of MOAH Lancaster’s Monthly Young Artist Workshops and will be led by organization partner Art in Residence and supported by MOAH staff.
Mojave Desert Land Trust
Art, science, and conservation come together as we celebrate the release of Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees, a comprehensive collection of essays and artworks on the Mojave Desert’s most iconic plant. RSVP by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/desert-forest-life-with-joshuatrees-tickets-999615987327
This workshop explores the relationship between residents of the Antelope Valley and its flora and fauna. The art workshops are centered around increasing knowledge, exposure, and awareness of wildlife that exists in-between and around existing areas of development/urban sprawl through artistic representations of data and STEAM-based education.
This workshop explores the relationship between residents of the Antelope Valley and its flora and fauna. The art workshops are centered around increasing knowledge, exposure, and awareness of wildlife that exists in-between and around existing areas of development/urban sprawl through artistic representations of data and STEAM-based education. 13
Desert Woodland Preserve
George Bones Wildlife Sanctuary
Walk-and-talk at George Bones Wildlife Sanctuary (99acre reserve at West Avenue G and 205th Street West) with County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation superintendents and naturalists Jonathan Numer and Olivia Miseroy. Large stands of Joshua trees were burned the year after the Bobcat Fire and still remain upright.
Prime Desert Woodland Preserve
This engagement invites participants to create their own Mojave Desert-inspired trading card. The workshops are part of MOAH Lancaster’s Monthly Young Artist Workshops and will led by organization partner Art in Residence and supported by MOAH staff.
BY EDGAR FABIÁN FRÍAS
Prime Desert Woodland Preserve
Edgar Fabián Frías will present a performance and lead a guided group meditation focused on healing the unique and iconic Joshua tree. Frias’ works are transformative, profound, and playful, often inviting audience participation. Their art explores historical legacies, resistance, resilience, and radical imagination, framed within Indigenous Futurism, spirituality, play, pedagogy, animism, and queer aesthetics.
FUTURE READINGS BY ADRIENE JENIK
Museum of Art and History
Artist and ASU professor Adriene Jenik has created a tarot deck for the environmentally minded. Adriene Jenik blends climate sceince and tarot readings. Stop by for a personal reading of your climate future.
Museum of Art and History
Multidisciplinary panel discussion with Sant Khalsa, Dr. Juniper Harrower, Brendan Cummings, Fred Brashear Jr, and Matthew Brandt, focused on the intersections of art, science, natural and cultural history, and public policy.
2 PM-4 PM
09
HEY JTREE
FALLING IN LOVE, ONE TREE AT A TIME
Museum of Art and History
Hey JTree (https://www.heyjtree.com) is an ongoing participatory art research project and mock on-line dating site for meeting Joshua trees.
3 PM-4:30 PM
09
DESERT FOREST: PANEL DISCUSSION & BOOK SIGNING WITH SANT KHALSA, BRENDAN CUMMINGS, J.D., LYNN C. SWEET, PHD, AND SEAN MILANOVICH, PHD
Twentynine Palms Book Festival, Old Schoolhouse Museum
Discover how the multidisciplinary project Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees sheds light on Joshua tree preservation efforts and the intersection of art, science, Indigenous knowledge and public policy. More info at https://www.29pbf.com
10
WALK-AND-TALK: FIRE RECOVERY & RESTORATION POST 2020 BOBCAT FIRE
Juniper Hills Community Center
Walk-and-talk in Juniper Hills burn scar with Bryant Baker, Director of Conservation & Research at Los Padres Forest Watch. A chaparral scrublands expert, Baker has done tremendous research on fire recovery in desert-to-mountain transition zones like Juniper Hills, an area where many Joshua trees were destroyed during the Bobcat Fire.
DESERT
Scientists Juniper Harrower, Jeremy B. Yoder, Christopher Irwin Smith, Lynn C. Sweet and Daniel Oren Hastings discuss their fascination with Joshua trees and the Mojave Desert, and share their current research on the impacts of climate change 05 DEC Online via Zoom
Prime Desert Woodland Preserve
Hey JTree (https://www.heyjtree.com) is an ongoing participatory art research project and mock on-line dating site for meeting Joshua trees.
Museum of Art and History
“There’s Nothing Here Except Everything,” addresses our relationship with the desert, with an emphasis on Joshua trees, not only as a complex and crucial environmental ecosystem, but as a spiritual center with influence that reaches much further than its physical presence.
For more information, additional programming and to RSVP, please visit www.lancastermoah.org/desert-forest-community-hub.
Published by Inlandia Institute
With generous support from Getty, Lancaster Museum and Public Art Foundation, and Creative Research Fund.
On the occasion of the exhibition of the same title and PST ART: Art & Science Collide, an initiative of Getty.
Edited by Sant Khalsa and Juniper Harrower
Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees is a collection of essays and imagery that illuminates our deeply entangled relationships with the Joshua tree. Leading scientists, artists, indigenous culture bearers, historians, conservationists, policy makers, and creative writers, share their multidisciplinary research to spotlight the Joshua tree in response to the growing threat of climate change and the explosion of development across Mojave Desert lands. Following the trails of beneficial plant kinships as well as the damage done by ongoing extractions, they share desert cosmologies through this unique icon—all while bringing us closer to the being that is Joshua tree. This book is for everyone concerned about the unfolding impacts of human actions in the natural world and how we can find better ways of living together through acts of care and repair.
To purchase, visit the Vault at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History or shop online at lancastermoah.org/thevault.
Read about the history of our valley on MOAH’s history blog, which covers a diverse array of topics. To learn more, visit lancastermoah.org/news
Join Western Hotel Museum staff for an educational tour on the history of Lancaster centered around the City’s oldest building, the Western Hotel Museum. Book your tour at lancastermoah.org/tour-request
Learn basic hand sewing techniques in a group Sewing Bee, hosted at the historic Western Hotel Museum! Open to children and adults.
View the schedule at lancastermoah.org/events
This free event invites the public to taste and vote on local restaurants finest chili recipes to crown the 2024 Chili Champion while enjoying live music in the backyard of Lancaster’s oldest building. View the schedule at lancastermoah.org/events
For more information about the Western Hotel Museum visit lancastermoah.org/western-hotel-museum
Experience a magical night of nature and astronomy combined! Jeremy Amarant, Director of Palmdale School District’s SAGE Planetarium, will take you on a journey through the mysterious night sky teaching about the stars and constellations as he leads visitors on a one-mile tour of the captivating Prime Desert Woodland Preserve.
To learn more, visit lancastermoah.org/events
Staff and members of the Audubon Society will lead you on the trails at Prime Desert Woodland Preserve for an educational bird watching experience. The day will begin in the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center with an informative description of the birds native to the Antelope Valley and their habitats, then continue on to the trails of the preserve. Bring your binoculars!
To learn more, visit lancastermoah.org/events
Join us at the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center for nature presentations! Learn more about the flora and fauna of the Antelope Valley and other scientific topics. Participate in hands-on activities and crafts for the whole family. Topics include reptiles, birds, archeology, and more!
To learn more, visit lancastermoah.org/events
For more information about the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center visit lancastermoah.org/elyze-clifford-interpretive-center
Nathaniel Ancheta: Echoes of Nature
August 3 - September 15, 2024
Nikolas Soren Goodich: Luminous Mysteries Human Symmetries Ground Zero
September 28, 2024 - November 24, 2025
Thinkspace Ceramic Exhibition
December 14, 2024 - February 2, 2025
Permanent Collection Highlights
February 22 - March 16, 2025
From music and dancing, to skits and comedy, Spotlight Café, MOAH:CEDAR’s open mic night, is the place to express yourself, held every fourth Friday from 5 - 9 PM. Come by Cedar Hall on the night of the show to sign up.
Creative Pollination is a space for artists of all levels to share your art, build your network, and expand your skills. Gatherings will be held every third Thursday of the month at 5 PM with special guest speakers. Entrance is at the Artist Garden patio.
Join us for free figure drawing sessions offered the second and fourth Sunday of the month in Cedar Hall. Beginner and Advanced Sessions are available. Visit moahcedar.org to learn more about this program and to see the full figure drawing schedule.
moahcedar.org
Andrew Freider Creative Space makes art accessible to all by providing the tools, materials, and workspace necessary to develop and expand artistic skills. Drop in and make art in the free-touse studio during regular MOAH:CEDAR hours.
schedule.
665 W. Lancaster BLVD
Lancaster, CA 93534
661.723.6250
lancastermoah.org
Scan the QR code or visit our website to learn more about exhibitions, workshops, free events, activities for kids & families, and much more!
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 11 AM to 4 PM
Wednesday – 11 AM to 4 PM
Thursday – 11 AM to 8 PM
Friday – 11 AM to 8 PM
Saturday – 11 AM to 4 PM
Sunday – 11 AM to 4 PM
Closed Holidays and During Installations
ASL interpretation is available for most of MOAH’s regularly scheduled programming. Please notify the Museum’s Guest Services staff 10 business days prior to the date of the program with your request. Guest Services staff may be reached at moah@cityoflancasterca.gov.
No touching art. Stay one foot away from any artwork at all times. No backpacks allowed. No food or drinks allowed. No flash photography. No horseplay. No running. No shouting.
By entering the Museum, guests grant MOAH the right to film, video, record or photograph them on Museum property for any reason without payment or consideration. MOAH requests that all photographs or video taken by our guests be used for their personal use and enjoyment only. Any use, reuse or reproduction for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the Lancaster Museum of Art & History is strictly prohibited. MOAH reserves the right to refuse to allow photography of any kind. No commercial photography of any kind is permitted. Guests must have written permission to use photographs and/or videotape of MOAH images for commercial broadcasting, advertising, marketing or publishing in any medium.
Designed for participants ages 18+, the adult tour gives guests an in-depth look at the exhibition(s) currently on view at MOAH’s main location, MOAH:CEDAR, and the Western Hotel Museum. Tours are $3 per person. Please book tours two weeks in advance.
To book, visit lancastermoah.org/tour-request
The Lancaster Museum of Art and History offers a Visual Language Tour for each exhibition at MOAH’s main location. Visual Language Tours are led by a MOAH guide, who is accompanied by a certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Please register in advance.
Contact (661) 723-6085 or moaheducation@cityoflancasterca.gov for more information.
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.
For more information please contact the Alzheimer’s Association at (661) 243-3191 or (800) 272-3900.
El Museo de Arte e Historia de Lancaster ofrece recorridos en español cada segundo viernes del mes durante las fechas de exhibición en la ubicación principal de MOAH. Los recorridos comienzan a las 5 de la tarde y duran entre 30 y 40 minutos. Regístrese con anticipación: el espacio está limitado a 20 participantes. Comuníquese (661) 723-6085 o moaheducation@cityoflancasterca.gov para obtener más información.
Tailored especially for school-aged audiences, the Arts for Youth tour is a guided overview of the current exhibition(s) at MOAH or MOAH:CEDAR. A free art activity is available upon request. Tours are $3 per student, group leaders and chaperones are free. Please book tours two weeks in advance.
To book, visit lancastermoah.org/arts-for-youth-tours
The Museum of Art and 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 and scientific topics. Available for education sites, youth organizations, and more!
To learn more and to book, visit lancastermoah.org/discover-trunks
Young Artist Workshops are free art activities for youth ages 3-17 held at MOAH and the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center. Workshops at MOAH are every first Thursday of the month from 3 to 7 PM, and workshops at ECIC are every third Sunday from 12 to 4 PM. Art activities take about 10-30 minutes to make; seating and supplies are first-come, firstserve.
To learn more, visit lancastermoah.org/young-artist-workshops
