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<\/p>\nIf you are a generally anxious person, visiting Fullerton Museum Center\u2019s latest exhibition, \u201cFinal Rites: Death, Mourning, & Beyond\u201d might not seem like the best idea.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
A sculpture of a mosquito, accompanied by an anatomical illustration of its make up is titled \u201cDeadliest of Them All,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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An anatomical illustration of the bat. <\/p>\n
(Sarah Mosqueda)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea behind this exhibit was to approach the topic of death through a scientific and physiological approach,\u201d said museum curator Georgette Collard, at the opening of the exhibition on Sept. 5. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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A display at Final Rites at Fullerton Museum
displays the practice of covering mirrors during a time of mourning. <\/p>\n
(Sarah Mosqueda)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is really fascinating, how we come up with these different ways to process loss and have a positive way of celebrating life,\u201d said Collard.<\/p>\n
The final area examines divination through practices used to communicate with a loved one\u2019s spirit, like s\u00e9ances, spirit photography, ouija boards, tarot card readings and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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,\u201d Collard said.<\/p>\n
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Attendees read about tarot cards and the ouija board at Final Rites at Fullerton Museum. <\/p>\n
(Sarah Mosqueda)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Fullerton\u2019s own haunted history materializes in the exhibition too, through ghost stories and local folklore. For a deeper dive into city\u2019s 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 \u201cFinal Rites,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Other special events tied to \u201cFinal Rites\u201d include a performance of \u201cA Hollywood Horror Story,\u201d a play written by and starring Ingrid Garner on Sept. 25 and a schedule of hands-on taxidermy classes.<\/p>\n
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Traditional mourning clothing on display at Final Rites, a new exhibition at Fullerton Museum Center.<\/p>\n
(Sarah Mosqueda)<\/p>\n
Despite the morbid subject matter, Collard emphasizes that \u201cFinal Rites\u201d isn\u2019t intended to be scary.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very family friendly and its a fun way to approach talking about death with anyone, at any age,\u201d said Collard.<\/p>\n
While the idea of death may continue to make the average individual anxious, \u201cFinal Rites\u201d invites visitors to face their fears and maybe even find comfort in the rituals of grief.<\/p>\n