A HISTORY OF SAN JOSE CALIFORnIA'S "FIRST"CITY

Artist: Millard Sheets (1977 and 2013) 

In 1977, the San José Mercury News commissioned artist Millard Sheets to create a 20 x 30 foot mural for the Airport as a gift to the people of San José to celebrate the City of San José’s 200th birthday and the 125th birthday of the newspaper.

The mural presents scenes that paid tribute to the area’s heritage. Intended to be read counterclockwise, starting at the bottom left-hand corner is a group of Ohlone people, the indigenous settlers of this Valley and Spanish colonists are shown on the bottom right. The scene shifts to the top right, presentation of the original Santa Clara Mission, and then left to the days of Mexican rancho life in the Valley. Moving further left, the mural depicts blooming orchards, and in the upper left-hand corner the beginning of modernization of San José, represented by the building of San José Normal School (now San José State University). San José historic downtown 237-foot electric light tower, built in 1881 and demolished in 1915, is the focal point of the upper left.

The mural was originally located in Terminal C, however, with the construction of Terminal B, the original building was demolished and the mural had to be removed and relocated. In 2013 it was restored and relocated to the Airport's International Terminal by Tony Sheets, the artist's son.

District: 3

Report a Concern: (408) 793-4330 or publicart@sanjoseca.gov.

Documents

• A History of California's "First" City - Fact Sheet

Features

• (Public Art) Airport
• (Public Art) Permanent Artworks