Corona’s First City Mural “Home is Circle City” Unveiled

Connor Forbes
Connor Forbes
6 Min Read
Famed international artist/muralist and Corona Resident Eliseo Art Silva, in front of Panel #2, speaks at the unveiling of his 4-panel mural at Promenade Park in Corona on Saturday. City Council members Jacque Casillas, holding her daughter, Ellie Vu, 2, and Wes Speake, look on. Photo by Jerry Soifer

Corona’s First City Mural “Home is Circle City” Unveiled

CORONA – As the City of Corona continues its re-branding efforts to capture the history, unique characteristics, and culture of the Circle City, it unveiled the first commissioned mural last Saturday created by resident and internationally recognized artist, Eliseo Art Silva.

The four walls of the bathroom facility at Promenade Park celebrate the city’s founders, architecture, destinations, events, culture, arts, heritage, and milestones.

A native of the Philippines and a 30-year resident of Corona, Silva’s murals are staples in cities across the U.S., and California and are the welcoming east and west gateways to Filipinotown in Los Angeles. His art is recognized around the globe.

“I have a longstanding interest in art, painting and community-based and participatory approaches to urban design and public art,” Silva writes. “In my work as a mural artist, I always find pedagogical (teaching) ways for youth and community members to bring in their cultural perspectives, knowledge, and imagination into the creative process.”

Back in 2022, the city solicited local artists to capture the community’s roots, development, and evolution over the century-plus of cityhood. Silva’s vision was selected by the community as the first commissioned city mural, “Home is Circle City.”

Silva says he spent 33, eight-hour days bringing his vision to life. 

Unveiled on Saturday, the four walls of the Promenade Park building begin with a montage of city founders, R.B. Taylor, George L. Joy, Samuel Merril, A.F. Garretson and Adolph Rimpau and the purchased lands of the La Sierra Rancho of Bernardo Yorba, the Temescal Grant of Leandro Serrano,that founded the citrus colony and town of Corona. It also commemorates Chief civil engineer H.C. Kellog, who designed the unique layout of the streets, with a standard grid enclosed by the circular Grand Boulevard where the city got its nickname, “the Circle City”

The second panel represents a welcome to the city illustrating the Temescal Hotel, Corona’s first and the 1st orange tree in the colony, planted in 1887. Also depicted is Corona School, the City’s first educational site built in 1889, later renamed Lincoln School in 1911; images showcasing the last of the three major road races held in the famous 3-mile circular Grand Boulevard, on April 8, 1916; Glen Ivy Hot Springs with scenic views of the Temescal Valley and warm pools, surrounded by oranges and roses, one of Southern California’s top resorts.

Corona’s First City Mural. Local Arts and Heritage - Maestra Maxine Piester (black and white standing figure with her painting on an easel), a well-loved City of Corona local legend who chose to immortalize, document and honor the beautiful City of Corona as the subject of many of her works of art; Maxine Piester and Dominick Frascella, established the Corona Art Association during the 1960s and is still doing work in the community today; Top left: A reproduction of one of her paintings depicting Corona’s first school bus with Mabel Dryer, a close friend of the Piester Family; Shown Below: W. H. Jameson House, Corona’s oldest house (still standing today) - built in 1887; A mid-1930s parade along Main Street is depicted at the central part of the mural. A stylized recreation of the iconic poster for the City’s first Corona Road Race (1913) surfaces a female figure revealing the mural’s title: “Home is Circle City” on her right hand; A small portion of the Corona Train Depot (1937) is on the furthest right. Credit: City of Corona
Maestra Maxine Piester (black and white standing figure with her painting on an easel), a well-loved City of Corona local legend who chose to immortalize, document and honor the beautiful City of Corona as the subject of many of her works of art; Maxine Piester and Dominick Frascella, established the Corona Art Association during the 1960s and is still doing work in the community today; Top left: A reproduction of one of her paintings depicting Corona’s first school bus with Mabel Dryer, a close friend of the Piester Family; Shown Below: W. H. Jameson House, Corona’s oldest house (still standing today) – built in 1887; A mid-1930s parade along Main Street is depicted at the central part of the mural. A stylized recreation of the iconic poster for the City’s first Corona Road Race (1913) surfaces a female figure revealing the mural’s title: “Home is Circle City” on her right hand; A small portion of the Corona Train Depot (1937) is on the furthest right. City of Corona
Corona's First City Mural. Cultural Markers and Milestones The magnificent Carnegie Library graces the top left of the mural, which served Corona residents from 1906-1971. The interior and exterior of the Corona Theater, the only pre-Depression Theater (still standing) in Corona are centered in this wall. Early Classical Hollywood Stars and comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy (left in black and white) graced the opening of the 900-seat theater on September 29, 1929. On the right end of the mural is the incomparable legend of Country and Rock and Roll singer and songwriter, Johnny Cash, who, along with his wife, June Carter Cash, and various other family members performed onstage at the Corona High School Football Stadium on September 14, 1986, to celebrate the City of Corona’s 100th Birthday (Corona Centennial) Credit: City of Corona
Cultural Markers and Milestones – The magnificent Carnegie Library graces the top left of the mural, which served Corona residents from 1906-1971. The interior and exterior of the Corona Theater, the only pre-Depression Theater (still standing) in Corona are centered in this wall. Early Classical Hollywood Stars and comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy (left in black and white) graced the opening of the 900-seat theater on September 29, 1929. On the right end of the mural is the incomparable legend of Country and Rock and Roll singer and songwriter, Johnny Cash, who, along with his wife, June Carter Cash, and various other family members performed onstage at the Corona High School Football Stadium on September 14, 1986, to celebrate the City of Corona’s 100th Birthday (Corona Centennial). City of Corona

To read more about artist Eliseo Art Silva and view his wide-ranging murals and studio art, visit https://www.eliseoartsilva.com/. His latest mural “Home is Circle City” is at Promenade Park, 615 Richey Street in Corona.

For More Arts News Visit www.zapinin.com/arts.

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