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Old San Juan

Old San Juan

Randy Morgan, 2021

The Capistrano Plaza art installation, Old San Juan is a seven-panel project that measures 11 feet high by 17 feet long. It captures the diverse 200-year history of San Juan Capistrano and Orange County. Dan Almquist, a local businessman commissioned the piece.

The seven panels, that make up the mural, weigh roughly 100 pounds each and took six months for Morgan and his team to complete. The panels cover such key historical events as the Portola Expedition by colonial Spanish explorers in 1769 and the establishment of the Los Rios Historic District in 1794, plus scenes of everyday life depicting Vaqueros.

One of the panels, entitled Taming of the Bear is about how bears in 1860 would become a sort of sport for the Vaqueros, where they would rope them from varying angles and pit them against bulls for entertainment.

Another panel called The Portola Expedition. It was first land-based exploration by the Spanish to establish Catholic missions and to create a Spanish (European) foothold in California (Alta California).

The Acjachemen/ Putuidem Village is another one of the seven panels. The village of Acjachemen and the close proximity to Putuidem would provide a workforce for the building of the Mission and souls to convert to Christianity.

Category: Mural; Panel

Medium type: Bronze

Date created: 2021

Dimensions: 11' x 17'

Location

31751 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA, 92675