New Compton Community Museum combines art and history to remove stigma and showcase culture

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) — A new community museum in Compton is showcasing local art designed to inspire young people. For founders of the Compton Art and History Museum Marquelle and Abigail Lopez-Byrd, this is a long-time dream come true.

“We’re standing in something that once was a vision,” said Marquelle Byrd.

The Byrds run a non-profit called “Color Compton,” which helps young people build community through art and history. Last summer, they came up with the idea of having a museum to support their projects.

“Realizing we don’t have a creative space in the city – we don’t have a museum that highlights local art and history in the city and we constantly had to leave to have these conversations around black and brown art,” said Abigail.

So when a space opened up in their office building, they made their vision a reality. They did most of the physical work themselves, but there were a few roadblocks.

“One day I came in and all of our tools were gone. Somebody came in, broke in and took all of our tools,” said Marquelle.

A burglary wouldn’t stop them. They still met their goal, with the doors opening on Feb. 18, during Black History Month. The hope is to inspire young people to beat the stigma sometimes attached to Compton.

“We hear this rhetoric that you have to leave in order to make it, and I think about that for young creatives of why aren’t we preparing young people?” said Abigail. “We all are looking for where we belong. How we identify ourselves by the places that we inhabit. The places and the spaces we navigate.”

The museum highlights items like archives from Cal State L.A., murals and paintings and other local art that showcases what life is like in Compton, from their point of view.

“Anything they want to achieve in their heart truly – they can now come to a museum and see themselves and say hey, I’m not that far away,” said Marquelle.

You can visit the Compton Art and History Museum at 306 West Compton Boulevard Tuesday through Fridays from 10am to 3pm.