Fullerton Museum of Art was the former city library which had outgrown its usefulness. The architecture reminds me of a WPA building built sometime in the 1930's with touches of Art Deco, Latinate motifs, topped with red Spanish tile.

There are two large rooms for showing of traveling art exhibits & the other smaller rooms are dedicated to Leo Fender, inventor, innovator of the electric guitar not to mention other electrical, music innovations. He was a local son of Fullerton & so is honored in being the permanent exhibit.

Alfonse Mucha: The Spirit of Art Nouveau

Alfonse Mucha, a Bosnia Herzegovinian, was a much admired Art Nouveau artist in his day at the fin de dix-neuvième siècle/turn of the 19th century based in Paris France. He made many posters of and for Sarah Bernhard not to mention many other works fo Art Nouveau.

Art Nouveau & the Crafts Movement were both reaction to the Industrial Age which mass produced characterless, products of impersonal distinction. Art Nouveau was more organic with a personal touch & aesthetics that harked to a more genteel, halcyon era. It was a short era that lasted from around the 1880's to WWI, but it affected most areas of Western culture.

We went to the opening of this pleasant, eye pleasing exhibit for a donation of $10. Later we were surprised that it also included a "free" crêpe from Crêpes de Paris that was the catering company for that event. Nice staff that was well organized, courteous, and friendly.

We had a choice of Chicken & Spinach in a crème-cheese sauce; Saint Louis w/ bacon, mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella cheese; Veggie w/ feta cheese, red bell pepper, tomato, mushrooms. Also water or soft drink was supplied. We also ordered a Kölsch beer for $5.

A fun band, Pint Sized Cocktail Orchestra, played many unknown songs that were probably popular in the teens & 1920's.

This special event brought out a large crowd of mostly Fullertonians. Very inexpensive way to spend about 3 hours hobnobbing with a nice representative cross section of the local population. Look on their website for the next exhibit opening & attend a pleasant event w/ a hometown Orange County feel. 4 stars.