After being shuttered for more than three months to complete the initial stages of a multimillion-dollar makeover, the Fullerton Museum Center is reopening, having blended restored original aesthetics with modernized enhancements to the 84-year-old building.
Two exhibitions kick off the museum’s grand reopening on Saturday, Nov. 22: “Crazy World Ain’t it: The Art of John Van Hamersveld” and “A Man Named Charlie: Fender’s Unsung Hero.”
Upgrades to the building include movable walls and widened archways, enabling gallery space to be modified for each new exhibition.
New lighting and electrical systems and a modern security system are also among the improvements to the museum, which was originally constructed as a New Deal-era Works Progress Administration, or WPA, project.
A Sonos wireless, multi-room audio system has also been installed.
Restored historical features, which had been hidden behind walls or covered over for years, include original stained-glass windows and bookshelves from when the Spanish Colonial building served as the Fullerton Library. The 12,000-square-foot building served as the city’s main library for more than 30 years before the library was moved to its current location adjacent to City Hall in 1973.
“We were really excited that we were able to keep the integrity of the building,” said Georgette Collard, the museum center’s curator. “Being a Spanish Colonial building, we wanted to make sure we were able to maintain the originality of it.”
The original cement floors have been stripped and waxed and the Corinthian capitals atop the columns, which had been covered by several layers of paint, have been stripped to reveal the original concrete details.
“We really wanted to honor the architecture,” said Elvia Rubalcava, the museum center’s executive director. “What a great treat we’re giving to Fullerton and Orange County to expose these beautiful pieces of art.”
The Leo Fender Gallery, named for the Fullerton-born inventor of the modern solid-body electric guitar, has been redesigned to better showcase exhibits and improve visitor flow, the director said.
While the gallery will remain Fender-focused, it will also highlight Fender’s legacy in music more broadly, Rubalcava said.
And exhibits in the gallery, which had been on display for up to three years, will now be changed out more frequently, she said.
“We have a lot of great ideas and a lot of great opportunities, so we want to expose more people to the different types,” Rubalcava said. “It’s always going to be somewhat Fender-related, and some part of that is also showing some of the competitors.”
A new mural is being painted in the children’s classroom as part of the renovation and a mosaic by local artist Katherine England has been installed in the patio. The two additions are part of the museum center’s effort to add lasting, visible art to the grounds.
Most of the funding for the renovations came from a $4.5 million state grant Sen. Josh Newman (D–Fullerton) helped secure in 2023.
The Fullerton Museum Association was founded in June 1971 by members of the Youth Center Board of Trustees and other interested citizens after signing a lease with the city.
In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum center had come dangerously close to being shuttered permanently after the Fullerton City Council voted unanimously to cut more than $305,000 in annual funding for its operating costs.
The funding loss forced the museum’s closure, but after months of uncertainty, the council approved partial funding to enable the museum to reopen on a reduced schedule.
Along with current funding, the museum center will continue to apply for grants and seek other funding sources, Rubalcava said.
Future upgrades include the addition of a second vault along with renovation of the existing vault, the director said.