WEST ADAMS, Calif. – History tells us the best way to engage with a foreign country is either through sports or the arts.

“So now, we will make our way to ‘Shengjing Panorama,’” said Sara Velas, founder of The Velaslavasay Panorama, to a group of curious visitors.

To that end, artist Sara Velas decided to partner with China through an artistic collaboration. After many years working with the Luxun Academy of Fine Art in Shenyang, China, Velas is revealing the “Shengjing Panorama,” a sweeping depiction of the city of Shenyang from 1910-1930.

“I’ve always loved painting and drawing since I was little,” said Velas. “And when I went to art school in St. Louis, I discovered the panorama which was a medium that made going to see a 360 degree painting a lot like going to see a movie.”

Velas’s passion for panoramas seems destined. Born in Panorama City, Velas studied painting at the Washington University School of Art where she found out about panoramas while studying the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

“In the city here, you can see the former city wall,” said Velas during her tour.

She then returned to Los Angeles to create a venue to specifically exhibit panoramas.  

“Part of what’s magical about the panorama is seeing where the two-dimensional meets the three-dimensional,” said Velas. “So in this scene, you can see a few beautifully crafted horses. These were made by artist Anna Tanner and she actually wove together human hair to create the mane of the horse.”

Nowadays, everybody can snap panorama photos on their smartphones, but the panorama medium is an artistic expression that dates back to 1791. Panoramas faded in popularity with the rise of cinema, so it is fitting Velas is exhibiting at the Union Theater, which she converted into a multi-use visual space.

“If you were to visit Shenyang today, you can go to this train station which was built at the end of the 19th Century and recognize this structure,” said Velas.

“Shengjing Panorama” is the only panorama painting in the United States west of the Mississippi so take a trip back in time before it’s too late.