The hedge maze on the Oso Creek Trail has a new center. It is a mosaic obelisk standing 10 feet tall on a 4-foot base. Its four Venetian-tile panels show the Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence, a Revolutionary War soldier, and an eagle beside a California bear. The obelisk was dedicated on July 4 for the nation's 250th anniversary. It stands on a trail that draws about 7,000 visitors a week, according to the Orange County Register.
The America250 piece that residents made with their own hands is a different object in a different building. It is a red, white and blue quilt, sewn in blocks by residents on sewing machines the Mission Viejo Library recently added. It will be unveiled on Friday, November 6, at 6 p.m.
Who Made the Obelisk in the Hedge Maze
The obelisk came from a partnership between the Mission Viejo chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the City of Mission Viejo. According to the DAR's project page, the four panels were designed by Maryann Rudolph Herrera, a past chapter regent and the chapter's artist. Joseph & Sons Mosaic Artists, a third-generation family of mosaic artists based in Los Angeles with more than 60 years in the trade, made the mosaic.
The work was split clearly. The city prepared the site, built the obelisk structure and installed the signage. The DAR chapter paid for the design, fabrication and installation of the mosaic, along with the America 250 Patriot Marker at its base. Tracy Bryars, the chapter's America 250! chair and treasurer, led the collaboration.
So the obelisk is a commissioned piece. A civic group paid for it, a professional studio made it, and the city placed it where the most people would see it. It sits on a trail where most of the art was made a different way.
The Trail Art That Residents Built
Genesis Hansen, Mission Viejo's director of library and cultural arts, described the city's approach to the Register. "It gives people a sense of ownership of the art," she said. "It ties them into the community." You can see that approach along the roughly 5.5 miles of trail and connector paths near Marguerite Parkway, La Paz Road and Pavion Street.
- Bears About Town. From 2012 to 2015, artists Joy Aldrich and Aileen May guided more than a thousand community members as they tiled nine life-size mosaic bears, according to the city's mosaic bears page. One of them, the Lion & Sun Bear, honors Mission Viejo's Persian community with paisley, saffron and lion-and-sun motifs.
- Tunnel Vibration. Residents helped paint this high-contrast mural inside the Jeronimo Tunnel in 2023. The colors are arranged so the walls seem to vibrate as you walk through. The tunnel has hosted Pacific Symphony and a silent disco.
- Celebration Garden. These columns date to 1997 and were made by a number of local artists. The pillars and garden path were built from concrete recycled from the city's sidewalk replacement project. The last pilaster, "Pillars of the Earth," is by Misha Ma'Heo and was dedicated by the Juaneño.
The obelisk is now one of two on the trail. The other is the long-standing Peace Obelisk near the community center. With a professionally made monument now at the center of the maze, a city used to making its own art needed another way to take part in the anniversary. That turned out to be a quilt.
How the Quilt Came Together
The quilt began with equipment. The library added sewing machines through the EmPOWERing Access Project, and community members could learn basic quilting skills there, Patch reported in August. The year went like this:
- January 21. An Intro to Quilting class at the library taught the basics through a patriotic log cabin-style square. Completed squares could be selected for the community quilt.
- August 4. A second Intro to Quilting class had participants make a 9-inch block that could be selected for the quilt.
- August 31. Blocks were due. The city invited residents to take part through [email protected].
- November 6. The finished quilt is unveiled at the library.
City spokesperson Kelly Tokarski explained the idea to Patch. "Through individual quilt blocks created by community members, this project celebrates patriotism while capturing the unique spirit of Mission Viejo," she said. "Together, the blocks will create a one-of-a-kind work of art featuring the colors of red, white and blue."
The city looked back on the project in a statement Patch published October 27. "What began with the addition of sewing machines at the library blossomed into a wonderful community collaboration," it said. "Throughout the year, residents came together to learn basic sewing and quilting skills, participate in classes and create red, white and blue quilt blocks to contribute to the project."
The mosaic bears followed the same pattern. A small group of experienced makers set up the tools and a format. Then residents with no special training each added a piece, and the city assembled those pieces into something larger. Over a decade later, the bears' tiles have become the quilt's fabric blocks.
The Two America250 Pieces Side by Side
| Mosaic Obelisk | Community Quilt | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Hedge maze, Oso Creek Trail | Mission Viejo Library, 100 Civic Center |
| Designed by | Maryann Rudolph Herrera, Mission Viejo DAR | Community members, block by block |
| Made by | Joseph & Sons Mosaic Artists, Los Angeles | Residents, after library classes |
| Material | Venetian tile | Red, white and blue fabric |
| Organized by | Mission Viejo DAR chapter with the city | City of Mission Viejo Library |
| Debut | July 4, 2026 | November 6, 2026 |
Both pieces mark the same anniversary in the same city, about four months apart. Visitors to the trail will see the obelisk for years. The quilt shows how the city's participatory art program works when the medium is something anyone can learn in an evening class at the library.
Friday Evening at the Library
The 250th Community Quilt Unveiling Celebration runs from 6 to 7 p.m. on Friday, November 6, at the Mission Viejo Library, 100 Civic Center. Library doors open at 6 p.m. Patch reports that the evening includes music, light refreshments and brief remarks marking the anniversary.
If you'd like to see the obelisk the same weekend, the main trailhead lot is at 25104 Marguerite Parkway, and parking is free. The trail is open 24 hours, and access through Oso Viejo Community Park closes at 10 p.m. Along the way you'll pass the butterfly garden and the hedge maze with the obelisk at its center.
Where the Fabric Goes Next
The quilt project ends Friday, but the library's fiber arts programs continue. On Saturday, November 14, from noon to 4 p.m., the Fall Arts Festival at the Potocki Center for the Arts, 27301 La Paz Road, offers free workshops in Zentangle, macramé and sewing. There will also be live demonstrations of fabric dyeing and weaving, plus fabric ornament making and textile printing.
The Fabric & Yarn Swap runs during the festival. Visitors can take home free fabric, yarn, thread, notions and other supplies. Donations of new or gently used supplies are accepted November 2 through 12 at the Mission Viejo Library or the Potocki Center, and there is no early entry to the swap. If you have leftover red, white and blue fabric from a quilt block, you still have a week to drop it off.
About two weeks after the festival, the city's holiday season starts at Civic Center Plaza, 200 Civic Center Drive. Santa's Arrival & Lighting is on Sunday, November 29, with activities beginning at 3 p.m. and Santa arriving at 6 p.m.
Part of Arbor's work is keeping up with how places like the Mission Viejo Library and the Oso Creek Trail add to life here. If you'd like to talk about the Mission Viejo you know, or the one you're planning around, Arbor Real Estate is happy to start that conversation. Let's Connect.
