Over the last five decades, the Fullerton Museum Center has served as a cultural and arts destination, providing inspiration and entertainment for the community.

Located in the heart of downtown, the FMC is considered as the central hub, celebrating the different forms of art seen in the area.

“Well we don’t really consider ourselves an art museum, we consider ourselves a pop-culture museum. Right now it’s a community art project, ‘The FMC and ME’ exhibit, where people are sharing their thoughts on the museum over the years,” said President of the FMC Board of Director’s Kirk San Roman.

Local community members like Karina Lopez and Rahul Wadwa participated in the current exhibit by picking up wood panels and returning them with their artwork where they will be showcased every Thursday.

“We were going to create artwork just to share with each other and encourage each other to be more creative. We weren’t expecting the exhibit to happen so soon but it’s nice that it did,” said Wadwa.

Other events include the “Kids Art To-Go” art kits, being offered as a curbside pick-up for children ages 6 to 12. Every week, a popular artist is featured in each kit as well as all the materials needed to complete the artwork.

In June, the Fullerton City Council voted to temporarily defund the FMC as a measure to offset a loss in revenue due to the pandemic, according to an article in The Fullerton Observer.

“The main thing is they’ve taken away our employees. It’s a real challenge cause we’re doing a lot of things that we used to do with volunteers, board members, and docents,” said San Roman.

The galleries are not officially open so the museum has turned to host art exhibits outside every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in order to follow CDC guidelines for social distancing.

“I love our downtown area and I feel like this really is a cultural place and this is just part of it. When else would you be able to be exposed to everybody else’s creativity,” said Lopez.

The museum has received money through grants and gifts, giving them the ability to maintain a community presence.

“If you value the museum, and we consider it the hub of downtown, please support us,” said San Roman.

For a full calendar of events, visit the FMC’s Facebook page and if you would like to volunteer, email [email protected] for more info.