An underwater scene reveals a healthy kelp forest and a thriving fish population, including Garibaldi and Coho Salmon, species native to the northern Monterey Bay. The Monterey mountain range is visible behind a sea otter mama and her pup, happily floating along. Una escena submarina revela un saludable bosque de algas marinas y una próspera … Continue reading Panel 1- Monterey Mountains & Sea Life / Las Montañas de Monterey y Vida Marina

This panel depicts a glimpse into what the Beach Flats Area looked like before Spanish explorers first encountered the San Lorenzo River in 1769. During this time it was inhabited by the Awaswas-speaking Ohlone people, and the river flowed over what is today the Beach Flats neighborhood. The constant flow of the river symbolizes the … Continue reading Panel 2 – Ohlone Village / Aldea Ohlone

The surfer is Prince David, one of the three Hawai’ian princes who came to surf the river mouth in 1883. This historical occasion marks the arrival of surfing to the mainland. The characters on the right are from a photograph taken by George Lee, who documented the Chinese immigrant experience in Santa Cruz in the … Continue reading Panel 3 – Historic Contributions to Santa Cruz / Contribuciones Históricas a Santa Cruz

This wall speaks to signs of growth and prosperity in the Beach Flats community. A pregnant mother and her two daughters, based on actual neighborhood residents, look fondly on the children playing in the thriving garden. The children holding brooms and rakes remind us of how the neighborhood’s youth transformed this space from a dumping … Continue reading Panel 4 – Garden and Children / El Jardín y Los Niños

This scene illustrates community empowerment and the resilient spirit of the neighborhood. Large crowds of neighbors come together holding banners that read “Together We Cultivate Peace” and “Dignity for Everyone.” People gather in the streets to celebrate the traditional festivities of Día de Los Muertos and Las Posadas, revealing the vibrancy of the neighborhood. The … Continue reading Panel 5 – Neighborhood Scene / Escena de la Vecindad

Honored here is the sanctity of motherhood and the womb as the place of creation. A school bus transports children to school. In the center, Nicole, a young community organizer and artist born in the Beach Flats, embraces her grandfather. A colorful variation of the Mexica Sun Stone, or calendario, represents the Mesoamerican contributions to … Continue reading Panel 6 – Mexica Calendar / Calendario Mexica

This colossal stone head is a monument that recognizes the presence of the olmecas–one of the oldest known civilizations of the Americas. This head anchors the mural in antiquity, and speaks to the powerful existence of cycles that move us forward while connecting us to the past. The significance of the olmeca head lies in … Continue reading Panel 7 – Olmec Head / La Cabeza Olmeca