Opening Reception: “Telling Stories of Mexican California: Real Life & Myth Making”

Join us to celebrate the opening of ?Telling Stories of Mexican California: Real Life & Myth Making,? a revealing new exhibition that highlights the true stories of California?s Mexican period, which lasted from 1822-1846, and holds them up alongside the fantasy depictions used by early stakeholders, who viewed California's history through the lenses of their own experiences and chose to present narratives that suited their purposes. One of the most pervasive narratives was a picture of an idyllic bygone era of ranchos where dons and doñas enjoyed lives of abundance, a memory that fails to include native peoples, Franciscan friars, and hard scrabble facts of early setlements.