The Grand Central Art Center will host and screen ~The Stolen Dove~ & the premiere of ~ Who Killed Alex Odeh?~ November 5, 2026. Details below

 Check for the updates for GCAC's programs below.  Going to a screening. See the times Belwo.

HOSTING + SCREENING THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5

THE STOLEN DOVE COMMUNITY HOSTING +  SANTA ANA PREMIERE OF WHO KILLED ALEX ODEH? THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2026 | SANTA ANA, CA A Collaborative Evening with Grand Central Art Center & The Frida Cinema  7:00–8:00 PM – Free Community Gathering & The Stolen Dove Hosting Grand Central Art Center Free and open to the public; light desserts provided by Knafeh Queens 8:30 PM – Film Screening: Who Killed Alex Odeh? The Frida Cinema – Tickets required (film tickets not included with dove-hosting event) Purchase tickets: https://thefridacinema.org/movies/who-killed-alex-odeh/  Join Grand Central Art Center and The Frida Cinema for an evening that connects art, community, memory, and the pursuit of justice through The Stolen Dove, an ongoing project by artist Jon Rubin, and the Santa Ana premiere of the award-winning documentary Who Killed Alex Odeh? The evening begins at GCAC with a free public hosting of The Stolen Dove, offering space to gather, share stories, and reflect on the life and legacy of Alex Odeh—a Palestinian American poet, teacher, CSUF alumnus, and civil-rights leader assassinated in Santa Ana in 1985. Developed through GCAC’s Artist-in-Residence program, The Stolen Dove reactivates Odeh’s story through the journey of a dove originally stolen from the monument honoring him outside the Santa Ana Public Library, inviting communities to carry his story forward and reflect on collective memory and justice. We will then walk together to The Frida Cinema for the 8:30 PM Santa Ana premiere of Who Killed Alex Odeh?, directed by Jason Osder and William Lafi Youmans and produced by Watermelon Pictures. The film revisits Odeh’s assassination and follows renewed efforts to uncover the truth behind a case that remains unsolved. It received the Special Jury Award for Journalistic Excellence at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. This evening holds particular significance in Santa Ana, where Alex Odeh’s life was taken. We invite our community to come together around his story, the ongoing pursuit of justice, and the importance of keeping his legacy alive. Additional daily screenings of the film are scheduled at The Frida Cinemathrough November 10. The Stolen Dove is developed through Grand Central Art Center’s Artist-in-Residence program, supported in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Segerstrom Foundation, and Swinerton Foundation in collaboration with the Odeh Family, the City of Santa Ana, and original monument artist Khalil Bendib. EVENT DETAILS

OPENING RECEPTIONS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7

RENIEL DEL ROSARIO BAROTOY’S TIKI N’ TRADING POST November 7, 2026 – February 14, 2027 Opening Reception: Saturday, November 7, 7–10 PM Los Angeles-based artist Reniel Del Rosario presents Barotoy’s Tiki n’ Trading Post, an installation exploring exotification, conquest, and cultural erasure through the fictional setting of a tiki bar. Combining ceramics, satire, and references to Filipino history and family, Del Rosario examines the legacy of American imperialism in the Pacific and the often-overlooked Filipino contributions to tiki culture. Through an array of ceramic objects, tiki mugs, masks, and works inspired by family photographs, the exhibition challenges romanticized narratives of tropical culture while reclaiming histories at risk of being forgotten. ABOUT THE ARTIST Born in Iba, Philippines, Reniel Del Rosario is a multidisciplinary artist whose work uses ceramics, quantity, and satire to explore commodification and value. A 2025 NCECA Emerging Artist, his work has been exhibited internationally and featured in ARTFORUM, Sculpture Magazine, and Bon Appétit. Curated by Bella Marinos, GCAC Curatorial Associate. EXHIBITION DETAILS

ALLEGRA HANGEN AMÉRICA November 7, 2026 – February 14, 2027 Opening Reception: Saturday, November 7, 7–10 PM AMÉRICA is a bilingual video by Mexico City–based artist Allegra Hangenthat explores how language, images, and cultural identity shape our understanding of one another. Using poetry translated between English and Spanish, including a reinterpretation of Allen Ginsberg’s America (1956), alongside found archival footage from Mexico and the United States, Hangen examines how meaning shifts across cultures, whose stories are represented, and what gets lost in translation. Accompanied by music from Rob St. John, the work invites viewers to consider how representation, memory, and cultural understanding are continually reshaped. ABOUT THE ARTIST Allegra Hangen is a multidisciplinary artist based in Mexico City whose practice spans experimental video, installation, photography, sound, and sculpture. Her work investigates the relationships between images, infrastructure, power, and perception, and has been exhibited internationally, including at the Giardini della Biennale in Venice. EXHIBITION DETAILS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 CONTINUING  EXHIBITIONS / PROJECTS + DOWNTOWN SANTA ANA  FIRST SATURDAY ARTWALK

MISTY CHOI A CUPPYBREAK: A CUP OF MY OWN ongoing   Misty Choi’s CuppyBreak: A Cup of My Ownn explores how everyday gestures, familiar objects, and moments of disorientation can open new possibilities for connection and adaptation. Through sculpture, performance, books, and installation, Choi embraces failure, material experimentation, and bodily vulnerability as ways of challenging habitual relationships with objects and space. The exhibition will culminate in a participatory café created in collaboration with Artists Village Café, where visitors’ movements and interactions will inform a future performance activation.  SUPPORT CuppyBreak: A Cup of My Own is supported in part, through Misty Choi’sartist-in-residence at GCAC, by The Segerstrom Foundation and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.    EXHIBITION DETAILS

ARYANA POLAT A BOUNDRY MEANT TO SEPERATE extended through November 15, 2026   A Boundary Meant to Separate transforms the gallery into a contemporary ruin, inspired by Aryana Polat’s research on Cold War infrastructure and how its meanings shift long after its military function has ended. Cast concrete walls, lightened and deliberately weakened through customized material processes, become fragments suspended between preservation and collapse, evoking Los Angeles’s Nike Missile Program—a ring of now-defunct nuclear missile sites scattered throughout the region during the Cold War. Their highly visible placement served as both a material threat to the USSR and a psychological reminder of nuclear danger to American citizens. Many sites have since been demolished and paved over, leaving scars of a once-mythic infrastructure and enduring containers of Cold War politics that resonate with today’s geopolitical entanglements. Read Sarah Mosqueda's recent review of the exhibition for the LA Times/Daily Pilot/TimesOC.   Curated by Bella Marinos, GCAC Curatorial Associate. EXHIBITION DETAILS

ANTONIO PALOMO TAKEN FROM EARTH GCAC Project Wall through November 8, 2026 Taken From EARTH reflects on the rocket’s double meaning as one of humanity’s most powerful inventions—once a childhood symbol of wonder and discovery, now complicated by its normalization as a tool of destruction. The installation pairs oversized collaged figures of a family and their dog—built from imagery of everyday interests—with monumental rocket forms to show that technology is inseparable from us, shaped by our values, desires, fears, and choices. Here, the rocket becomes both promise and warning: it can propel imagination and exploration beyond Earth, yet also erode compassion through war and violence, with larger rockets evoking an imagined future and smaller ones pointing to present realities. Ultimately, the work is not a rejection of progress but a call to question what we are beginning to accept as normal, and to consider whether, as we reach for other worlds, we are leaving behind the humanity that gives that journey meaning.   EXHIBITION DETAILS

PABLO HELGUERA THE ESPERANTO PROJECT ongoing Artist Pablo Helguera's The Esperanto Project consists of typographic posters featuring short aphorisms written by Helguera and translated into Esperanto, presented under the first series heading “Auxiliary Criticism.”Rather than proposing Esperanto as a universal language, the project uses it as a metaphor for multilingual criticism and cultural understanding—asking how meaning shifts as ideas move between local and international contexts.  PROJECT DETAILS THROUGH PABLO'S WRITING

JON RUBIN THE STOLEN DOVE hosted convenings throughout the community It’s a dove that was once stolen off the only monument of an Arab American in the United States — let me tell you the story. Located in front of the Santa Ana Public Library in California is a sculpture to Palestinian American poet, teacher and civil-rights leader Alex Odeh (CSUF MA - PoliSci). Alex was assassinated in 1985, and the sculpture—created by Khalil Bendib and supported through a fund-raising effort led by radio personality Casey Kasem—remains the only public monument of an Arab American in the U.S.  Read Matt Stromberg’s recent review of the project in Hyperallergic. The Stolen Dove is developed through Grand Central Art Center’s Artist-in-Residence program, supported in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Segerstrom Foundation, and Swinerton Foundation in collaboration with the Odeh Family, the City of Santa Ana, and original monument artist Khalil Bendib. EXPLORE THE STOLEN DOVE PROJECT WEBSITE

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 NOCHE DE ALTARES ORGANIZED BY  EL CENTRO CULTURAL de MEXICO

NOCHE DE ALTARES Saturday, November 7 | Noon–10PM Historic Calle Cuatro / Fourth Street between Ross Street and Broadway, Downtown Santa Ana. organized by El Centro Cultural de México Grand Central Art Center holds deep respect for El Centro Cultural de México and its extraordinary work bringing community together through Noche de Altares, one of Santa Ana’s most meaningful cultural traditions. We wholeheartedly encourage everyone to experience this beautiful, community-led Día de Muertos celebration, featuring altars honoring loved ones. Join in celebrating the power of remembrance and community! EVENT DETAIL

NOVEMBER 6 & 7 BLADING CUP ORGANIZED BY  JON JULIO - THEM SKATES

BLADING CUP | NOVEMBER 6–7, 2026   Make a day of it in Downtown Santa Ana! Returning November 6–7, Blading Cup has grown since its 2011 debut from a small local skate event into an internationally recognized celebration of rollerblading, attracting competitors and spectators from more than 20 countries. Founded and organized by renowned skater, designer, and THEM SKATES owner Jon Julio, the Blading Cup brings together the global skating community for high-energy competitions, skate brand vendors, product showcases, demonstrations, and community events throughout downtown.   It’s another great reason to spend the day exploring all that Santa Ana has to offer on Saturday, November 7, then join us at Grand Central Art Center that evening for our First Saturday opening receptions from 7–10 PM! EVENT SCHEDULE

THE STOLEN DOVE OCTOBER HOSTINGS

HOST Asuka Hisa Los Angeles, CA Gathered around a shared dinner in Los Angeles, Asuka Hisa welcomed family and friends into her home to host The Stolen Dove, sharing the story of the project and reflecting on the life and enduring legacy of Alex Odeh. Over a thoughtfully prepared meal by Mid East Eats chef Summer Durkee, guests came together to share conversation, learn about the project, and consider the importance of keeping Alex’s memory alive.   We extend our sincere gratitude to Asuka for opening her home and bringing family and friends together for this meaningful gathering. We also thank Summer of Mid East Eats, who also generously prepared the meal for The Stolen Dove hosting at Clockshop earlier this year, for once again helping make the evening a warm and welcoming celebration of remembrance, community, and hope.

HOSTS Diana Kalaji and Amy Muwalla Irvine, CA In Irvine, Diana Kalaji and her mother, Amy Muwalla, welcomed friends into their home for an intimate hosting of The Stolen Dove,. Among those gathered were friends deeply engaged in their local community, sharing a dinner lovingly prepared in its entirety by Amy.   Throughout the evening, Diana shared readings from her own writing alongside selections from Alex’s work, creating a personal and moving connection between their voices. She also led guests in folding paper cranes, a symbolic gesture of peace, hope, and solidarity that offered another way to reflect on the project’s enduring message.   In a particularly poignant moment, Amy revealed that she had attended Alex’s funeral as a young person. Through a youth group she belonged to, she had attended a gathering where Casey Kasem was also present. Kasem encouraged the young people to attend Alex’s funeral and honor his life and legacy. Decades later, Amy’s personal recollection brought a powerful, firsthand connection to the story the gathering sought to remember.   We extend our heartfelt thanks to Diana Kalaji and Amy Muwalla for opening their home and creating such a meaningful evening.

HOSTS Professor Dany Doueri, Director of the Center for the Study of Muslim & Arab Worlds Nicole Scalissi, Associate Professor of Art History and Global Cultures Deanna Kashani, Lecturer in Art History CSUSB, San Bernardino, CA Faculty and students gathered at California State University, San Bernardino, to share the story of The Stolen Dove and reflect on the life and enduring legacy of Alex Odeh, a Palestinian American poet, teacher, and civil rights leader. Joining the gathering via Zoom from Pittsburgh, artist Jon Rubin shared insights into his artistic practice, how it led to The Stolen Dove, and the project's ongoing journey of remembrance, connection, and dialogue. Participants also read from the booklet created for the project, featuring selections from Alex Odeh's poetic writings, Little Thoughts, offering a meaningful opportunity to connect with Alex's words and legacy.   Over coffee, tea, and delicious desserts generously provided by Knafeh Queens, faculty and students came together in conversation, sharing space to remember Alex and consider the ongoing importance of his story.   Together, these acts of hospitality and participation help The Stolen Dovecontinue its journey as a living symbol of remembrance, connection, and hope.   We extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Dany Doueri, Nicole Scalissi, and Deanna Kashani for welcoming The Stolen Dove to CSUSB and creating such a thoughtful and meaningful gathering for their faculty and students. The Stolen Dove is supported in part, through Jon Rubin's artist-in-residence at GCAC, by The Segerstrom Foundation and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. FOLLOW THE STOLEN DOVE JOURNEY

RYMAN ARTS  AT GCAC

RYMAN ARTS AT GCAC: CREATIVITY IN ACTION! Grand Central Art Center is thrilled to once again host Ryman Arts for a series of drawing workshops that began earlier this month, bringing free, high-quality arts education directly to students in the Santa Ana community. Led by Ryman Arts team members and artists Patricia Esquivel and Eduardo Aispuro, these workshops help students strengthen foundational drawing skills, learn to draw from observation, and build confidence as young artists. GCAC is especially proud of its longstanding relationship with Ryman Arts, having played an instrumental role in bringing the organization’s full program to the Cal State Fullerton campus in 2013. Today, that program continues to provide talented high school students with free, college-level drawing and painting instruction, mentorship, and pathways to future creative opportunities. We absolutely love hosting these workshops and supporting Ryman Arts in making meaningful arts education more accessible to the next generation of artists! RYMAN ARTS PROGRAM

THANK YOU FOR  JOINING US!

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US MIRANDA LASH CURATOR TALK Thank you to everyone who braved the threat of rain to joined us on October 22 for an engaging and insightful conversation with Miranda Lash, Ellen Bruss Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Miranda generously shared her journey from her early experiences in New Orleans and the beginnings of her curatorial career to her current work at MCA Denver and with the Joan Mitchell Foundation. She also offered a fascinating look into her curatorial process and her experience co-curating The Future Is Present, the Harbinger Is Home, the sixth edition of Prospect New Orleans (2024–2025), alongside artist and curator Ebony G. Patterson. We are grateful to Miranda for sharing her experiences, perspectives, and thoughtful reflections on the evolving role of curators in contemporary art. Special thanks to the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) for its continued collaboration and for helping make our ongoing Curatorial Lecture Series possible. Through these conversations, we bring together leading voices from across the field to share their research, creative processes, and insights into the exhibitions and projects shaping contemporary art today. We look forward to continuing the conversation through future programs in the series!

SCHEDULE YOUR GROUP TOUR TODAY!

OCSA INTEGRATED ARTS - CREATIVE WRITERS STUDENTS  VISIT GCAC We welcomed students from the Orange County School of the Arts’ Integrated Arts Creative Writing class for an afternoon of exploration and inspiration at Grand Central Art Center! After curator-led tours of our current exhibitions and an introduction to the story behind The Stolen Dove, the students set off on their own to develop creative writing projects inspired by the artists, ideas, and stories unfolding throughout GCAC.   It was wonderful to see our current projects spark new perspectives and creative possibilities. Thank you to OCSA teacher Shannon Brady and her students for bringing their curiosity and imaginations into our space!   Interested in bringing a class to GCAC? Call 714-567-7233 or email grandcentral@fullerton.edu to arrange a group engagement.

OUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN ENDS SOON - DONATE TODAY!

FUEL CREATIVITY, INSPIRE COMMUNITY Support Artist Residencies at GCAC Our month-long crowdfunding campaign is still active.  Thanks to your incredible generosity, we’ve already reached our initial goal. Every dollar beyond that goal continues to directly support artist residencies, community-engaged projects, and student learning at Grand Central Art Center. As we head into the final days of the campaign, two quick updates: Scheduled Website Downtime – Thursday, October 29 Our crowdfunding site will be temporarily unavailable on October 29 from approximately 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time due to scheduled maintenance by Encoura ScaleFunder. During this window, visitors won’t be able to access campaign pages or make gifts, but the site will be back online shortly after. Crowdfunding Extended Through November 2 Good news: the campaign has been extended through Monday, November 2, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. This gives you a few extra days to make your gift and deepen the impact of our work. If GCAC has ever surprised you, challenged you, or made you curious about what might happen next, please consider making a gift—of any amount—before November 2. Every contribution helps us continue creating space for artists to experiment, communities to connect, and new ideas to take shape. Thank you for helping make what happens next possible. CONTRIBUTE TODAY!

GCAC's current exhibition season and artists-in-residence are supported in part through the generosity of the following:

Cal State Fullerton's Grand Central Art Center is dedicated to fostering innovative artistic practice and meaningful community engagement. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, artist residencies, and dynamic exhibitions, GCAC serves as a catalyst for cultural dialogue and creative exploration. By amplifying deverse voices and embracing experimental approaches, the center seeks to inspire, educate, and connect communities within and beyond Southern California.

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