Argus Gallery

The Argus Gallery is home to a variety of temporary exhibits and offers an ever evolving home for art, history, natural science, and photography.

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Current Exhibit

Previous Exhibits

Out of the Past

Ridgecrest is a relatively new town with the earliest known settlers homesteading in the 1910s. Ridgecrest stayed a small desert town until 1943 when the Navy built a research facility in the Indian Wells Valley.  The influx of construction workers followed by researchers affected the size of Ridgecrest with businesses springing up to accommodate the increase of personnel stationed at the Naval Ordnance Test Facility.  The Maturango Museum has quite a number of high-quality photographs from 1911 to the early 1950s showing what the town looked like before and during the growth of the town due to the Navy establishment.  Mark Pahuta, a professional photographer, videographer, museum volunteer, and supporter, organized this exhibit.  Photos of early businesses that are on display include the Bamboo Club (1949), Atomic Cocktail Lounge (1949), the first Ridgecrest Post Office (1950), the first school in the Indian Wells Valley (1911), and Bentham’s Corner (1940).

WILD LIFE IN MY BACKYARD

Photographer Michael Walsten highlights local animals seen in his backyard with his stunning close-ups of various wildlife that lives in this desert environment. From insects to mammals, Walsten has patiently captured these animals as they move about on their daily routine for survival. By looking at these photographs, one can see the variety of feather patterns on the California quail, the details of the head of a dragonfly and the scales on the face of an iguana lizard. This exhibit is definitely well worth a close-up look!

Faces of Southeast Asia

In 2019, local photographer Dave Kurdeka exhibited photographs from his many travels to Southeast Asia. Dave is drawn to the region’s extraordinary scenery and the colorful culture. Dave captures the region’s remarkable cultural richness showing ethnic people wearing unique and colorful clothing. His photographs are quite intriguing and draw you in to study the faces, the clothing and scenes of this region.

Women’s Auxiliary of the Commissioned Officers Mess (WACOM)

WACOM, a local social and service organization was founded in 1945 by Mrs. Sherman E. (Kay) Burroughs.  The women of the “Auxiliary” as it was called in the early days, wanted to create an organization for both military wives and wives of scientists and researchers working at China Lake.  This organization took the place of the “Officers’ Wives’ Club” usually found on Navy installations and the “Faculty Wives Club”, a club for wives for male faculty members.  In this case, the “Faculty Wives Club” was for women whose college educated husbands came to China Lake to carry on the research mission.  The women felt that the organization provided a way for civilian and military wives to get to know each other and work together for the good of the community.  They took their community service seriously and provided many opportunities for social gatherings and community service.  Over 70 years later, WACOM still provides camaraderie, community service, and raises money to support the Navy Relief Fund, local charities, and non-profits.