But for many years it was not this way. For many years, starting in 1964, there were shuttles that would bus people from Cal State Fullerton to Fullerton College, to Downtown Fullerton galleries, to the Hunt Branch and elsewhere for a night of pure creativity and community. In an effort to better understand this history, I've been talking to Dorian Hunter and Marjorie Kerr about their recollections of the heyday of "A Night in Fullerton." Today I visited the library and scanned documents from their extensive collection of "A Night in Fullerton" things. I am currently working on writing a more extensive history of "A Night in Fullerton" with hopes that the current Downtown Fullerton Art Walk, and all its many members, might draw inspiration and ideas of what is possible, what has been done, historically. In the meantime, here are all the flyers the library had, beginning in 1964 and ending in 2009. Ironically, the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk started in 2010, one year after A Night in Fullerton ended. I feel as though I am part of a larger history I didn't even know existed. Anyway, check out these flyers. They start out with awesome designs, and then, well, you'll see...
1964
1965
1966
1967
1969
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
Early 80s graphic design lull...
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
And now for something completely different...
1985
1986
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
In 1994, the co-founder of A Night in Fullerton, Florence "Flossie' Arnold, passed away at 94.
1997 (Costco?!)
1998 -- 34 years so far...
1999
2000
2001
2002
Around 2004, the year I moved downtown, they just printed paper flyers. Looking over these flyers, and the pale shadow the event had become, it's no wonder I never took it seriously...
Around 2006...
And in 2009, A Night in Fullerton came to an end, not with a bang, but with a Chevron-sponsored whimper.
Tune in for a more in-depth history of A Night in Fullerton! If you are interested in the arts in Fullerton, here's a question to ponder...what lessons can we learn from the past? On Saturday, Dorian Hunter and I will be hosting a very special event called "LIFE & FRIENDS & ART." Our goal is to promote dialogue across the generations of artists, gallery owners, and patrons of the arts in Fullerton. Visit the facebook event HERE.