The artisit, Julie Engelmann created a very detailed mural that captured various parts of Colma history. On April 10, 2024, The Town celebrated with a Ribbon Cutting of the Centennial Mural along F Street. The first of it’s kind, and certainly a one-of-a kind piece of art that so appropriately captures Colma’s rich history over its first 100 years of incorporation.  Below, Julie elaborates on the meaning of each section of the mural.

"The beginning illustrates Colma's history, starting with the Ramaytush Ohlone Natives. The headpiece and neckpiece were drawn from photos specific-to Ramaytush Ohlone tribes to maintain as much accuracy as possible. The geometric patterns are inspired by their basket weaving designs. Next to him is a red tailed hawk, an animal significant to the Ohlone philosophical belief system and still spotted in the area today. The whole scene is encircled by a native pine tree branch.

The scene transitions into the Spanish "Ranchero" influence and farm fields. I included a landscape of Colma as it was in the past with farm fields peppered with purple violets, the San Bruno mountain backdrop, and the notorious fog nestled along the baseline of the mountain.

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I included this Celtic knot in a stained glass effect to represent the Irish people and one of the first settlers in Colma. The knot also symbolizes birth, death, and rebirth. Flowers of camellias, primroses, and violets were included to illustrate the nursery industry as they're faded and enmeshed in the Celtic knot. I also hid an Italian flag in the backdrop of the hands and bouquet to represent the Italian influence that led to the nursery industry. This section also represents the numerous florists and flower shops in Colma to this day. The above section illustrates the transportation era, with the historic train and depot (now Bart) and a car driving its way from the nursery to drop off bouquets in San Francisco.

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I wanted to create something with a unique aesthetic specific to Colma. I highlighted 3 themes: flowers, stained glass, and stone sculptures. I took Colma's old circle logo/seal and remixed it with violets in the middle, cascading outward. I wanted to give it an illusion as if you were looking at a stained glass ceiling, but on a wall.

Framing the logo are stone sculptures, inspired by the hundreds of angles and statues seen just by taking a quick drive through the area. The angel is holding a stained glass bouquet of violets and the statue is holding a stained glass dove, symbolizing peace. The left top section has a foo dog to represent the Chinese culture and is a symbol of a guardian. The right top section has the American and California flags fading into Colma's Police Department building, another symbol of guardianship.

All four corners of the centerpiece are complimented by iconic buildings in their Spanish-Mediterranean architecture. Roses and lillies (the most popular funeral flower) represent the thousands of flowers placed on tombstones throughout Colma. They interact throughout in both realistic and stained glass forms.

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To conclude the mural, I painted these colorful roses I wanted to open up the scene again revealing the San Bruno mountain, but present it more modern-day with tombstones, cypress trees, and ravens (second slide). The children playing in the sunset light represents the younger generation and the future of Colma, whereas the start of the mural represents the history. I also placed an old school funeral trolly that can  be spotted in some of the cemeteries throughout Colma."