Face your fears at Fullerton Museum Center’s ‘Final Rites’ exhibition
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If you are a generally anxious person, visiting Fullerton Museum Center’s latest exhibition, “Final Rites: Death, Mourning, & Beyond” might not seem like the best idea.
The show, on view now through Jan. 3, opens with an interactive display of venomous animals, poisonous plants, toxic substances and other every day objects that can potentially kill a person.
A sculpture of a mosquito, accompanied by an anatomical illustration of its make up is titled “Deadliest of Them All,” since the annoying insect is responsible for more human deaths than any other animal. Other creatures discussed include snakes, bats and mountain lions, depicted through more anatomy diagrams and even taxidermy specimens. The installation continues, touching on car accidents, heart disease and other common killers.
The facts surrounding each object might offer a little solace, though. Between a fossil of a shark jaw lined with jagged teeth and a vending machine stacked with snacks and skeletons, a place card informs the viewer that death by vending machine is more likely than death by shark attack.
“The idea behind this exhibit was to approach the topic of death through a scientific and physiological approach,” said museum curator Georgette Collard, at the opening of the exhibition on Sept. 5. “The first section that you encounter are these everyday dangers that we face, presented in a cheeky way that is humorous. You learn that our fears are not always threats.”
The exhibit then transitions into a replica of a traditional Victorian mourning parlor, with fashions and practices surrounding the grieving process on view. Funeral objects, memorial portraits and even clothing and accessories play a role in how we pay our respects to the dead.
displays the practice of covering mirrors during a time of mourning.
“It is really fascinating, how we come up with these different ways to process loss and have a positive way of celebrating life,” said Collard.
The final area examines divination through practices used to communicate with a loved one’s spirit, like séances, spirit photography, ouija boards, tarot card readings and more.
“This addresses our fascination with what happens once we are gone. We all have different beliefs, different religious backgrounds, but there is always some sort of question with how we can communicate with the dead and can they still come and visit us,” Collard said.
There are rituals represented in this section are most commonly associated with Spiritualism, a 19th-century religious movement that gathered momentum following the surge in lives lost during the Civil War. Numerous family members left behind without answers or much closure turned to mediums and spirit guides to help them send and receive messages to the other side.
Fullerton’s own haunted history materializes in the exhibition too, through ghost stories and local folklore. For a deeper dive into city’s spooky past, the museum will host Haunted Fullerton Walking Tours each Wednesday and Friday from Oct. 5 to Oct. 31. Tickets to the tour will include access to “Final Rites,” a drink coupon, light bites and a chance for a tarot card reading along with the 1.5 miles walking tour around Downtown Fullerton, visiting sites with stories such as Villa de Sol and the Fox Theatre.
Other special events tied to “Final Rites” include a performance of “A Hollywood Horror Story,” a play written by and starring Ingrid Garner on Sept. 25 and a schedule of hands-on taxidermy classes.
Despite the morbid subject matter, Collard emphasizes that “Final Rites” isn’t intended to be scary.
“It’s very family friendly and its a fun way to approach talking about death with anyone, at any age,” said Collard.
While the idea of death may continue to make the average individual anxious, “Final Rites” invites visitors to face their fears and maybe even find comfort in the rituals of grief.
“Final Rites: Death, Mourning, & Beyond” is on view now through Jan. 3 at the Fullerton Museum Center, 301 N. Pomona Ave. Fullerton. For hours and tickets, visit fullertonmuseum.com.
