Lancaster has a wonderful commitment to the arts. The Museum of Art and History (MOAH) has their main gallery on the corner of Elm and W. Lancaster in the revitalized downtown area known as The BLVD. Across the street and two blocks away, they also run Cedar Center for The Arts.
Currently, Cedar is featuring the work of a Lancaster local, Wyatt Kenneth Coleman, who has been a photojournalist for over half a century. The timely photography exhibit is titled Peace, Love and Equality.
Coleman’s photos document the human side of the Civil Rights movement, protests and marches beginning decades ago and continuing on into more recent times.
The photos are stunning and thought provoking. Whether the subject is looking directly at the camera or completely unaware of the photographer, he captures emotional depth of the moment perfectly. The meaning becomes more poignant the longer you look at each photo.
I recognized many famous faces in the photographs – Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson, Rep. John Lewis … There were also many images of regular, ordinary people taking a stand for social justice through peaceful protest.
Cedar is housed in a repurposed old building. The stark white walls and vintage architecture are a good setting to showcase these beautiful black and white photographs and the story they tell.
The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday from 2pm to 8pm. This exhibit runs through March 4th.
Cedar Center for The Arts
MOAH
44851 Cedar Avenue
Lancaster, CA 93534
