[NoHo Arts District, CA] – This month’s LA Art blog takes a look at m/other at MOAH: Rethinking Motherhood Through Art, running through August 31.
The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) is currently presenting m/other, a thought-provoking exhibition running May 10 through August 31, 2025, at its downtown Lancaster location. This compelling group show reframes motherhood beyond the traditional nuclear family, spotlighting queer, Indigenous, and spiritual mothering. The artists explore caregiving, kinship, and creation in non-traditional frameworks, offering expansive visions of what it means to “mother” in contemporary society.
m/other brings together the work of five accomplished artists, each offering a unique lens on the exhibition’s themes. Tanya Aguiñiga, based in Los Angeles, uses cotton, wool, and natural fibers in sculptural installations that address gender, identity, and nationality. Photographer and filmmaker Zackary Drucker delves into queer and trans futures through portraiture, performance, and narrative explorations of identity. Nike Schroeder, a German-born artist now living in Los Angeles, blends textiles, paint, and ceramics to highlight materiality and the emotional resonance of care and creation. Marthe Aponte contributes delicate mixed-media work inspired by lace and her Spiritual Elevation series, reflecting on time, perception, and quiet beauty. Gina Herrera completes the group with eco-conscious assemblage sculptures rooted in Native American heritage, environmental justice, and spiritual connection, transforming discarded materials into narratives of resilience.
The exhibition weaves together cultural traditions, personal histories, and contemporary perspectives to subvert patriarchal and colonial narratives around motherhood. By reclaiming maternal power and highlighting alternative networks of kinship and sustainability, m/other challenges viewers to rethink their assumptions about family and community.
The official opening reception for m/other was held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, giving guests an opportunity to connect with the artists and see the work firsthand. Later, on June 29, 2025, MOAH hosted MOAH Fest 2025, a vibrant community event tied to the exhibition. The festival featured interactive workshops such as weaving mug rugs and embroidery on custom tote bags, along with “Tangal,” a moving performance by Adrian Clutario that drew on Filipino folklore to explore queer identity, grief, and transformation. The free event brought together artmaking, storytelling, and audience participation in celebration of care, creativity, and communal connection.
One of the most compelling aspects of m/other is the interplay of media historically associated with “female” creation – textiles, weaving, ceramics, and other traditionally domestic craft forms. Yet the works in this exhibition subvert expectations by rejecting the polished, beautified forms typically linked to femininity. Macramé, for instance, is revisited in rougher, more imperfect iterations that feel alive with experimentation rather than decorative flourish.
These reimagined forms reflect a refusal to conform to traditional aesthetics of softness or delicacy, instead embracing complexity, irregularity, and strength. Through this deliberate roughness, the artists expand the narrative around craft and motherhood, emphasizing resilience and transformation over perfection.
By connecting craft and activism, the featured artists offer work that is both tactile and socially conscious, revealing how the act of making can also be an act of care. Anchored in Lancaster and the broader Antelope Valley, m/other demonstrates how regional cultural engagement can foster dialogue around identity, resilience, and community connection.
Visiting Info
- Exhibition Dates: May 10 – August 31, 2025
- Location: Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH), 665 W. Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster, CA
- Admission: Free for all visitors
- Hours:
- Tuesday–Sunday: 11 AM – 4 PM
- Thursdays: Extended hours until 8 PM
- Museum Size: Three floors spanning approximately 20,000 square feet
- Programs: The museum offers workshops and book club tours that complement m/other, often focusing on fiber art, identity, and decolonial storytelling
https://www.lancastermoah.org/exhibitions-page/mother
m/other is a timely and resonant exhibition that invites viewers to reimagine mothering through inclusive perspectives, artistic craftsmanship, and community engagement. By centering experiences outside of mainstream definitions, it illuminates maternal power, resilience, and kinship in thoughtful, dynamic ways. If you are in Lancaster or planning a visit this summer, it is a must-see.