The Manteca Mural Society set about 24 years ago to find suitable downtown walls to turn into canvases for public art.

But in reality, it is more than just art.

Nearly three dozen murals — from “Crossroads 1918” on the wall of Century Furniture to the whimsical “Manteca Snow” that offers a massive window to delicate almond blossoms blanketing the Manteca across the street from Library Park — grace downtown walls.

You can get a good inkling of Manteca, culture, people, past, and economy from a leisurely walking tour.

That was the vision that led to the first mural in 2002.

As was a desire to instill civic pride.

And as murals go, the murals are a cut above.

It is why the Manteca Mural Society’s endeavors are chronicled in Kevin Bruce’s book “Large Art in Small Places: Discovering the California Murals Towns.” 

Other mural cities outlined in the book include the likes of Big Bear Lake, Twenty-nine Palms, Bishop, Lompoc, Lemore, Porterville, Chico, Eureka, and Crescent City among others.

The Manteca Mural Society was launched in 2002 after Tom and Gayl Wilson returned from a vacation that took them to Chemainus, British Columbia.

They were impressed by murals in the picturesque artisan village. They also noticed other people were impressed as well, often lingering to take them in up close as they strolled between village stores.

The Wilsons thought murals would be a perfect addition to downtown.

But they also wanted to make sure they would stand the test for time as well as be the result of a deliberate process designed to tell Manteca’s story.

The result were competitions to secure professional muralists who researched the subjects the society wanted explored and them submitted proposals in a competition.

The murals often cost between $15,000 and $25,000 between proper wall preparation and commissions.

As such, they represent a community investment approaching $750,000.

The most ambitious — and highest profile — are the five murals along the eastern facing wall of the Manteca Bedquarters on the corner of Yosemite Avenue and Main Street.

Military officials believe it is the largest veteran mural project in California.

The success of the Mural Society is the net result of dozens of people dedicated to public art as well as a small army of volunteers that have assisted included during several Mural in a Weekend projects.

Those murals — such as the transcontinental railroad mural on the side of the Spin Cycle in the 100 block of East Yosemite, the Pitching Pumpkins Mural in the 100 block of North Main, and Free for All in the 100 block of South Sycamore — were all designed by professional muralists who oversaw volunteer painters from the community.

While the Wilsons during their induction into the Manteca Hall of Fame credited the success of the mural project to a community effort, the husband-and-wife team committed extensive time and resources to the effort playing pivotal roles in fundraising, securing artists, and community participation.
Tom was the driving force behind securing wall space and raising funds while Gayl served as the key collaborator in working with muralists and local artists as well as developing the contents of the murals.

Those tasks have since been assumed by others.

 For more details on the murals and the society, go to www.Mantecamurals.com

To contact Dennis Wyatt at dwyatt@mantecasbulletin.com