The Palette of Patriotism: Member Appreciation Event Recap | Mt. Soledad
Every year, we set aside a day to say thank you to the members who make Mt. Soledad possible. This year, we did it with paint.
Held high above the Pacific, Palette of Patriotism: History, Honor, & Art Meet at Mt. Soledad brought six regional artists to our grounds for a live painting experience unlike anything we've hosted before, part of our ongoing commemoration of America's Semiquincentennial, 250 Years of Valor, Etched in Stone.
Rather than a single stage or seated program, easels were spread across the memorial's walkways, each artist capturing a different view, from the cross to the coastline to the honor walls, as it unfolded in real time. Members were invited not just to attend, but to wander, explore, and watch the summit come to life stroke by stroke.
The afternoon opened with a welcome from Rebecca Evleth, our Events & Volunteer Program Manager, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Operations Director Denise Larkins and opening remarks from Executive Director Neil O'Connell. Marketing & Communications Director Trevor Wessman-Lavelle recognized our newest members before artist Michaela Jean Upp introduced the afternoon's featured painters, and Board of Trustees President Phil Kendro closed out the program.
According to our events team, the shift in format made all the difference. Members didn't just glance at the artwork in passing. They stopped, lingered, and struck up conversations with the artists themselves, curious about process and style as each piece took shape. The result was an energy unlike our typical gatherings: more relaxed, more exploratory, and filled with a quiet curiosity as guests moved from easel to easel across the grounds.
If there was a single moment that captured the spirit of the day, it wasn't any one thing. It was the whole picture. Art unfolding across the summit. Music drifting between conversations. Members gathered together against one of San Diego's most iconic views. As our events team put it, the day was less about any single feature and more about bringing our community together, a celebration of everyone who helps keep Mt. Soledad's story alive.
In their words: it was a beautiful and memorable afternoon where art, music, community, and the incredible setting of Mt. Soledad came together to create something truly unique.
Meet the Artists
Six Southern California artists brought their craft to the summit for the day:
Michaela Jean Upp works in oil and watercolor, drawing on influences from Monet to Beatrix Potter to create soft, dreamlike landscapes inspired by the California coast.
Thomas O'Brien, a San Diego-based landscape painter and active-duty Marine Corps Engineer Officer, blends plein-air and studio techniques with a sharp eye for color and composition.
Sherry Roper, an award-winning California native, has spent two decades moving between watercolor and classical oil realism, with work featured in American Art Collector magazine.
Liz Lancaster brings a background in creative direction and brand strategy to her painting practice, exploring memory, place, and identity through layered, textured surfaces.
Michelle Montrose, a member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, captures Southern California's landscapes, from Balboa Park to the coast, with vivid color and expressive brushwork.
Sean Hnedak, a USC graduate and San Diego-based visual artist, specializes in coastal plein-air painting, capturing the shifting light and movement of the California shoreline.
Become Part of the Story
This year marks a milestone 250 years in the making, and our Charter Membership is our way of inviting you to be part of it. Join today and you'll receive a commemorative lapel pin and coin, a lasting piece of this year's celebration.
