LANCASTER — The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) has a mix of food, outdoor and art events planned for the coming weeks and months.
Myrtie’s Chili Cookoff
The first event is the annual Myrtie’s Chili Cookoff at the Western Hotel Museum, 557 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. Antelope Valley restaurants, caterers and culinary entrepreneurs will compete for the title of Myrtie’s Best Chili Champion.
Visitors can sample chili from around the valley and vote for the people’s choice award, while official judges select other winners. Live music and access to the Western Hotel Museum are also part of the evening.
Tickets are required because tasting space is limited. Those interested in entering the competition can register through the museum.
Bird walk
A bird walk will take place at Prime Desert Woodland Preserve, 43201 35th St. W., Lancaster, near Avenue K-8, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.
The walk is led by city staff and members of the Antelope Valley Audubon Society. It is open to bird watchers of all ages and experience levels. Participants are asked to bring binoculars if they have them, wear comfortable walking shoes, dress for the weather and arrive on time for the opening briefing. Walkers are asked to stay on designated trails and follow Leave No Trace principles.
Moon walk
A moon walk will take place at the preserve from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. The program combines nature and astronomy. Jeremy Amarant, director of the Palmdale School District’s SAGE Planetarium, leads visitors on a one-mile walk through the preserve while teaching about the stars and constellations. Weather permitting, members of the AV Astronomy Club will set up telescopes.
Exhibitions
Four exhibitions are on view at the museum, 665 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster.
“Barrio Science: Chicanismo and Speculative Experiments in Art” and “David Alabo: I found us in the future…” both opened Sept. 26 and continue through Jan. 3, 2027.
“Barrio Science,” in the Main Gallery and South Gallery, features nine artists who use everyday materials and imagery from Chicano/a/x and Latine culture to explore identity, healing, spirituality and the often-overlooked labor of urban communities. The artists are Abel Alejandre, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., Felicia ‘Fe’ Montes, Jaime Muñoz, noé olivas, Rubén Ortiz-Torres, Verónica Preciado, Natalia Rocafuerte and Jacqueline Valenzuela.
“David Alabo: I found us in the future…” presents Afrofuturist work by Ghanaian-Moroccan artist Alabo, who combines digital environments and bronze sculpture with mythology, folklore and possible futures for African diasporic communities. The show centers on imagined relics from future civilizations and alternate timelines.
“Daisy Patton: Flowers, Fruits, and Birds” runs Sept. 26 through April 25, 2027. Patton alters found photographs and archival portraits of women with floral embellishment, drawing on personal memory and family history. The title comes from a passage in Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex,” and Patton reworks its imagery of flowers, fruits and birds as symbols of growth, resilience and creation.
“Emanations: Light, Growth, and Renewal in the Lancaster Museum of Art and History Collection” runs May 16 through April 25, 2027. It draws on MOAH’s permanent collection, including luminous paintings, glowing photography, undulating sculpture and works on paper about growth. The pieces explore illumination, emergence and transformation.
Hours and admission
Admission to MOAH is always free, though donations supporting exhibits and educational programs are appreciated. The suggested donation is $5 for general visitors and $3 for seniors and students.
The museum’s winter schedule begins in November. From November through March, MOAH is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. It is closed Mondays, holidays and during periods of installation.
For more information, call (661) 723-6250 or visit lancastermoah.org.
Source: Lancaster Museum of Art and History event and exhibition information