Old Mission Santa Ines Church can now proudly display this beautiful Spanish Colonial painting. For over 50 years, this painting of Christ with the Samaritan Woman was tucked away in a closet. It was in such poor condition with paint loss, holes and wrinkles that the wonderful bible story painted in 17th century Mexico could not be displayed.

Thanks to a generous grant from the California Missions Foundation and the patient skill of the South Coast Fine Arts Conservation Studio in Santa Barbara, the painting now has a place of prominence in the Mission Church.

In anticipation of the 200th anniversary celebration in 2004, several other paintings are being restored with the financial help of the California Missions Foundation. Prior to the current push to conserve the entire museum collection before 2004, a new security system also funded by the CMF has been installed to assure the collection is enjoyed for many generations to come.

The above photos show the original condition of the painting, conservation in progress and Victor Bermudez and crew hanging the painting in the Church on May 16, 2002.

For additional information, call 688-4815

A self-guided tour of the Museum & Gardens is open daily from 9 am - 4:30 pm. Admission is $4.00 per adult, no charge for children under 12.

---

Community groups are allowed to use Mission facilities for public functions such as the annual Story Telling Festival and the yearly Rancheros Vistadores horse-riding event, and the Mission grounds are used as the staging area for parades and cycling events. The popular annual Fiesta benefits restoration work at the historic Mission.