CCF Supports Coronado Historical Association's Mural for America's 250th Birthday

June 18, 2026

Through its Fall 2025 Arts & Culture Grant Program, The Coronado Community Foundation invested in projects that celebrate creativity, inspire learning, and strengthen Coronado's cultural landscape. The CCF Board of Directors awarded more than $42,000 in grants to seven local nonprofits, supporting initiatives ranging from music and performing arts to arts education and community traditions. Among the funded projects was the Coronado Historical Association's collaborative mural celebrating America's 250th birthday, bringing residents together to honor our nation's history through public art and community engagement.

Christine Stokes, Executive Director of the Coronado Historical Association, shared more about the project's goals, community involvement, and lasting impact:

"The Coronado Historical Association (CHA) proposed "Coronado Celebrates America's 250th Birthday," a collaborative public art project. The organization requested grant funding from the Coronado Community Foundation (CCF) to execute this initiative, which aligned directly with CCF's Arts and Culture priority. The project engaged 200 unique Coronado residents and families in the creation of a Patriot Flag Mural Mosaic.

The initiative was framed by the nation's semiquincentennial in 2026 (also known as the America 250 Project). This project honors the founding principles of the United States while bringing together the creative expressions and personal perspectives of Coronado citizens. The completed mural will serve as the central feature of CHA's major America 250 exhibit."

The Coronado Community Foundation team with their painted tiles for the America 250 mural.

Christine Stokes went on to state, " The total project engaged 200 unique Coronado community members or family units in the collaborative creation of the artwork and partnered with multiple nonprofits, schools, and city departments. During the workshops, participants were prompted to reflect on historical themes that reflected their perspectives and interpretations of Coronado’s place in American history, visually representing their theme through symbols, color, and textures. Portraits were taken and written narratives were collected for the exhibit.

Art can be very personal, participatory, and lasting. Each individual mosaic piece is  distinguished and unique. What makes this collaboration so special is the act of linking one piece of art from one person’s perspective with that of hundreds of others. This participatory approach results in a profoundly original collage and message. The final mural, made through deep engagement with our community, connects people across all backgrounds, ages, and abilities. The creation emphasizes how the community, much like our country, comes together in all its diversity to form something quite powerful.

The finished mural will be assembled and installed by July 4, 2026, in the CHA Museum's main gallery. The exhibit will not only feature the collaboratively created artwork but also include photographic portraits of all participants and interactive initiatives to provide audiences with access to background information and expanded individual stories."

Our team at CCF was delighted to support and contribute to this project celebrating America's 250th birthday. We were honored to participate by creating our own mural tiles alongside fellow community members. To learn more about the Coronado Historical Association and its programs, please visit their website: https://coronadohistory.org.

To learn more about CCF and how you can get involved, visit ccfcoronado.org.