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 Manteca Mural Tour
N 37° 47.839 W 121° 13.001
10S E 657006 N 4184825
Ten Large murals in downtown Manteca, California
Waymark Code: WM34NZ
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 02/09/2008
Views: 62
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There really is not much to see in Manteca, actually, an inside joke calls it "a beautiful town in the rear view mirror." But then, there is the Manteca Mural Society, a group of artists and sponsors founded in 2003 and dedicated to beautifying downtown Manteca. The group was inspired by the Manteca High School Mural Museum, an art class at Manteca High school that started in 1996. since then, that class created over 150 murals on the high school campus. Following their example, the mural society has turned ten formerly gray, concrete walls into larger-than-life murals. All of them are within four blocks of downtown Manteca – a 15-minute walk through the history of California’s Central Valley.
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Crossroads
The first mural, created in 2003 is located where Manteca's history started – at the corner of Yosemite Avenue & Main Street. The mural depicts the intersection at the time of Manteca's incorporation in 1918.
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Pumpkin Harvest
Manteca is one of the largest pumpkin growing areas in the country. The second mural, created in 2004 pays tribute to the Central Valley’s rich agricultural history.
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This was the societies first "Mural in a Weekend" project, where volunteers finished the mural under supervision of artists.
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Sierra’s Crown
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Golden Gateway to Manteca
Two smaller murals, both created in 2005, point out Manteca’s location in "the heart of California" – half way between the coast (San Francisco) and the Sierra Nevada (Yosemite).
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Sevice Above Self
Another mural created in 2005 was a joint project of the Manteca Mural Society and Manteca’s Rotary Club’s celebrating the 100th anniversary of this global network of community volunteers.
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The 2005 and 2006 "Mural in a Weekend" projects are both located at the former location of Manteca's first business - "The Creamery". This dairy was so successful that in 1911 it received its own railroad stop. The stop was supposed to be called Monteca (Spanish for cream) but a railroad-misprint turned it into Manteca (Spanish for lard). The error was never fixed and for the last 100 years, our town has been called "Lard."
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Our Bountiful Valley
2007’s mural depicts the richness of California’s Central Valley, also called “The Salad Bowl of the World” and honors Native Americans, trappers, farmers and everybody else who left a mark here.
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Art in the Park
Since 2006, muralist Terri Pasquini leads a children’s project in Wilson Park where local children so far have created two murals.
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Manteca’s Cruising
The 2008 project is 145 feet wide and 12 feet high. It depicts real-life people who for one reason or another became a part of Manteca's folklore.
We are sure there are more beautiful pieces to come and we hope enjoyed our little tour.
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Recommended Time for this WayTour: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Stop Coordinates:
Click on any title above will take you to the waymark of the respective mural
1. Crossroads N 37° 47.839 W 121° 13.001
2. Pumpkin Harvest N 37° 47.917 W 121° 13.025
3. Sierra’s Crown N 37° 47.865 W 121° 12.887
4. Golden Gateway to Manteca N 37° 47.848 W 121° 13.075
5. Sevice Above Self N 37° 47.904 W 121° 13.066
6. Community Dairy N 37° 47.829 W 121° 13.124
7. Free For All N 37° 47.784 W 121° 13.059
8. Our Bountiful Valley N 37° 47.882 W 121° 13.134
9. Art in the Park N 37° 47.885 W 121° 13.190
10. Manteca’s Cruising N 37° 47.892 W 121° 12.960
Starting Address for this WayTour:
Corner of Yosemite Ave and Main Street
Manteca, CA USA
95336
Number of Stops: 10
Website of stops: Not listed
Stop Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
You must include an original photo showing one of the stops along the tour route.
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