New Mission San Juan Exhibit Features 18th and 19th Century Art

Mission San Juan Capistrano’s newest exhibit Journey to Renewal is a collection of early Spanish colonial liturgical artwork conserved with funding by Jan and Honorable H. Warren Siegel between 2003 - 2022. Produced in-house, the exhibit in the Mission’s West Wing is a testament to the couple’s desire to protect and ensure the religious and historical value of the Mission’s artworks in a 21st-century preservation.

Journey to Renewal includes Spanish Colonial era religious paintings from the Mission’s museum collection including two 19th century paintings recently returned from conservation “Jesus Falls for the First Time” and “The Betrayal” never before exhibited.

“The Siegel’s support has been transformative and unwavering for decades and our new exhibit provides a modern-day chance to thank them and perhaps inspire or educate others, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, about the importance of protecting the historic, religious and educational value of Mission San Juan Capistrano through its arts conservation and site preservation work,” said Mission San Juan Capistrano Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence Adams.

Since 2004, Mission San Juan has succeeded in the preservation, site restoration, interpretation, and art conservation of 41 paintings that were directly and privately funded.

The Resurrection of the Crucifixion Made Possible by a Jewish Couple (2013)

A significant restoration project supported by the Siegels was the investigation of the Station of the Cross XII in the Serra Chapel. The long-awaited restoration began in 2013 when the Siegel’s funded an art conservator that ultimately unveiled a hidden painting dating back to the 1800s. A carefully restored replica of the original art is part of the Journey to Renewal exhibit.

Mission Preservation Foundation President George O’Connell said at the time, “It is with a sincere sense of gratitude that Jan and Warren, with no religious ties to the Mission, could give such a meaningful gift to the world at large.”

Both Jan and Warren have a long-standing interest in history and art. The longtime San Juan Capistrano residents (they now live in neighboring Rancho Mission Viejo) have been highly engaged volunteers working to ensure the city’s art and history.

For more information about the Journey to Renewal exhibit or Mission San Juan Capistrano, visit www.missionsjc.com.

About Mission San Juan Capistrano

Known as the “Jewel of the Missions,” Mission San Juan Capistrano is a historic landmark and museum that features exhibits, five-language audio tour, festivals and public programming. As Orange County’s only mission, the site is home to Serra Chapel, the Ruins of The Great Stone Church (circa 1796), and original padres’ quarters.

Founded on November 1, 1776, by Saint Junipero Serra as the seventh of 21 California missions established by Spain, Mission San Juan Capistrano is owned by the Diocese of Orange and receives no church or state funding. The Mission Preservation Foundation, comprised of business and community leaders, is its fundraising entity committed to ensuring education, preservation and its long-term historic and religious significance.

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