The Fullerton Museum Center is presenting “Sips and Stories: Art and Architecture of Ancient Mexico,” a four-part lecture series that invites guests to enjoy drinks while exploring the history of Mesoamerica.
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Led by art historian Megan Lorraine Debin, a Fullerton College professor with a Ph.D. in art history from UCLA, the series was inspired by Debin’s experience with “The Social Study,” a company that stages lectures in bars, breweries and wineries. The sessions aim to pair scholarly depth with a casual, social atmosphere.
“We spend so much of our days scrolling on our phones online, looking at laptops when we’re working. People really want a human in-person connection and interaction,” Debin said, adding that attendees were “wanting not to just get drunk at the bar, but to have a drink while learning something and expanding their minds.”
The program launched June 18 with “The Olmec Mother Culture,” and continues Thursday, June 25, with a session on classic Maya architecture. Debin will discuss sites such as Tikal in Guatemala, considered one of the largest Maya archaeological sites, as well as Uxmal, an ancient Maya city and UNESCO World Heritage site situated in Yucatan, Mexico.
Guests can purchase drinks at the museum’s beer garden and bring them into a candlelit classroom for a roughly hour-long talk anchored by a slideshow. The format is designed to be a “casual,” informal lecture, welcoming absolute beginners while still engaging seasoned enthusiasts. Attendees are allowed to ask questions at any point during the presentation.
Debin said she provides an overview of each culture before highlighting recent archaeological discoveries.
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“What I learned in grad school 20 years ago might be different from what people are saying now because of recent discoveries,” she explained.
Upcoming sessions include “Mixtec Codices: Images and Writing in Ancient Mexico” on July 2, and “Art of the Mexica Empire” on July 9. Each lecture runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. inside the Fullerton Museum Center’s classroom space at 301 N. Pomona Ave. Free parking is available in the Wiltshire Parking Structure.
Single tickets are $46 per lecture, or visitors can save $24 by purchasing a series pass.
The series has proven popular enough that Debin says she plans to partner with the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach to present her “Women in Mexican Art” series in August.
Additional information, including a link to purchase tickets, can be found at fullertonmuseum.com
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