The Grand Central Art Center is a collaborative effort between the City of Santa Ana and the fine arts program at nearby university Cal State Fullerton. In addition to the gallery space it boasts a project room, theater, printing press, cafe, classrooms, computer lab, and live/ work lofts for students.
It certainly raises the standard for art being created and exhibited in the area, but it's also received criticism for encouraging "gentrification" at the expense of the large Mexican population that dug roots there over half a century ago.
In response, the GCAC has recently opened an exhibit to encourage a dialogue between these seemingly opposing communities : "Divested Interest: Exchange Dialogues with Cognate Collective & Ramiro Gomez."
It contains sculptures and collages which discuss the dichotomies that are born when cultures collide: vintage toys juxtaposed with an iPad, Mexican maids scrubbing floors in extravagant American houses and a clipboard with photos of what Santa Ana used to look like.
The theme seems to be estrangement; people cleaning homes they do not live in, technology's tendency to distract children from the present and sentimental photos displayed in a gallery that has transformed the place they were taken.
Once a week the museum holds a free, open discussion for locals to come and discuss their feelings about the implications of Santa Ana's evolution.
While the attempt at social capital is certainly well-intentioned, its irony is transparent. No one's going to go to McDonald's for a class on nutrition.
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