Finding a Home for the Heart of Mission Viejo
Nestled in the greenery outside the main entrance of the Norman P. Murray Community & Senior Center sits a big red metal heart. Created by father-and-son artists John and Nico Meyer, the sculpture wasn’t originally intended for this place of honor.
When the city purchased the “Heart of Mission Viejo” in 2019, it planned to place the sculpture along the Lakeside Promenade on Alicia Parkway. Even the best-laid plans sometimes go awry. The depth and width of the sculpture’s final footings potentially could have affected the stability of the Lake Mission Viejo dam, so the city had to find another home for it.
The Heart of Mission Viejo took the Meyers more than three years to create. They used strands of twisted metal to form the heart, then coated it with zinc to reduce rusting and painted it a vibrant red.
The sculpture is 15 feet wide, 13 feet high and weighs approximately 500 pounds, so it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
