Mission San Miguel Arcangel and the Munras Murals
Mission San Miguel Arcángel: A National Treasure
Midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the rural farm country of San Luis Obispo County, Mission San Miguel Arcángel is one of California's most authentic reminders of the past. Founded in 1797 as the sixteenth of California's famed twenty-one Spanish missions, Mission San Miguel was part of the first European settlement of what is now California, a hallmark of the powerful reach of the Spanish colonial empire in North America. Mission San Miguel is one of only a few surviving missions that remains largely unaltered since construction, giving modern Americans a unique glimpse of the past.
Designated a National Historic Landmark, Mission San Miguel is a masterwork of Spanish Mission art and architecture, containing the only surviving example of original Spanish Colonial and Native American art in the California missions. Salinan Indian converts living at the mission painted architectural murals, ceiling beams, and a remarkable altar back in the mission church under the direction of Spanish-born artist Esteban Munras. Now known as the Munras Murals, the paintings make Mission San Miguel Arcángel's interior glow with color and remain nearly untouched since their completion in 1821.
A Resource Under Threat
In December 2003, the 6.5 magnitude San Simeon Earthquake heavily damaged Mission San Miguel, deeply cracking the adobe walls and undermining the building foundations. Inside the church, the Munras Murals began separating from the walls, the nearly 200-year old pigments turning to dust. Since the earthquake, concerns about structural safety have closed the mission to the public, meaning that each year thousands of students and tourists who visit San Miguel are unable to experience first-hand the exuberant, original Native American decorations and painting it contains. The possibility that Mission San Miguel and the Munras Murals could be lost forever led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to include Mission San Miguel Arcángel among America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2006.
The Munras Murals Conservation Project
Since 2003, Mission San Miguel has been in a race against time to preserve and protect the mission complex and the Munras Murals. Future earthquakes could destroy the already damaged mission buildings, burying the murals in the rubble. The Franciscan Fathers of California and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey have gathered a team of nationally recognized structural engineers, art conservators, adobe specialists, archaeologists, and architects to develop and execute a phased and comprehensive plan to repair, restore, and preserve Mission San Miguel. Their goal is to open Mission San Miguel Arcángel to parishioners and the public once again.
A critical piece of the plan to restore Mission San Miguel is the Munras Murals Conservation Project. This cutting-edge art conservation project includes specialized investigations into the materials used to paint the murals, an assessment of the impacts of seismic damage on the artwork, and restoration of damaged areas. The $1.8 million effort must be completed to prevent further damage and loss of the murals before repair work can be completed on Mission San Miguel Arcángel's adobe walls.
A Key Partnership
In response to the urgent need to protect the Munras Murals, the Western Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the California Missions Foundation (CMF) have joined together to help Mission San Miguel raise the $1.8 million necessary to conserve the murals. In 2007, the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation awarded a $250,000 challenge grant to support conservation of the Munras Murals. The National Trust and the CMF have taken the challenge and established the Munras Murals Campaign to help raise the funds necessary to ensure the preservation of the Munras Murals and Mission San Miguel Arcángel for future generations.
A Chance to Make a Difference
Please join us in supporting Mission San Miguel Arcángel and efforts to preserve the unique artwork created by Spanish and native peoples for future generations. To make a tax-deductible donation to the Munras Murals Conservation Project please visit the California Missions Foundation secure online donation page, or contact Anthea Hartig, Director of the Western Office of the National Trust at wro@nthp.org.
Read more about the Munras Murals and Mission San Miguel in "Mission Impossible?" by Christopher Hall, featured in Preservation Magazine.
