AN OASIS OF SERENITY

BIOGRAPHIES

Stella Trujillo Cordova was born and raised in Belen, New Mexico. Upon graduation from Belen High School in l954, she married Sam Cordova and moved to the Los Angeles area and has lived in Sylmar, California since l96l. Since a very young age, Stella dreamed of getting a college degree. In l980, twenty-six years after graduation from high school and after raising a family, three sons and two daughters, she started attending Mission College.

In l983 Stella received her AA Degree and graduated Suma cum Laude. She transferred to California State University At Northridge where she earned her BA Degree in Fine Arts in l988; graduating with honors. Stella is still a member of the Golden Key Honor Society.

For many years, Stella, her husband Sam and their son Steven, were volunteer tour guides at the San Fernando Mission. It was this that first inspired Stella and her son Steven to start the San Fernando Mission Art Collection; the collection would take people on a visual tour, using paintings and photographs. They also have a smaller collection of artwork and photographs on the San Juan Capistrano Mission.

The San Fernando Mission Collection has been exhibited at many venues, including The Los Angeles County Museum Of Natural History, the San Fernando Mission, the San Juan Capistrano Mission, Century Gallery in Sylmar, Four Seasons Gallery, in Wrightwood, California, etc. The exhibit was to be on display for one month at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, but was so well received by the public that it was exhibited for one year.

STEVEN MARK CORDOVA

Steven Mark Cordova was born on July the 9^th, 1955 in Los Angeles, California. Attending St. Ferdinands Catholic School for his elementary education, it would most likely amuse the nuns who were his instructors to know that their influence is still profoundly felt.

Graduating from Sylmar High School in 1973, Steven went on to Los Angeles Valley College where he received his Associate of Arts Degree. In 1975 Steven began his studies at California State University at Northridge where he attained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History.

For years, Steven was a voluntary tour guide at the San Fernando Mission, which is a few miles from his home in Sylmar; a suburb in the Northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. It was during this period that he accumulated most of the photographs viewable on this website.

A self-taught photographer, Steven has worked for such local Los Angeles music magazines as BAM, The Village View and Music Connection. Photos of Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and Phil Collins were among those published at this time.

Throughout the 1980s, Steven worked for various boxing promoters in Southern California, his shots published in the programs, flyers and posters used in promoting shows. It was at this time that one of his photos of Mike Tyson appeared in the Los Angeles Times newspaper. It was also during this period that Steven's photos were published in Boxing Magazine and KO Magazine.

For two years Steven worked as a photographer for such local community newspapers as the San Fernando Sun, The Record Ledger and the Valley View. In the mid-'80s his sports shots appeared weekly in such Spanish language newspapers as El Echo Del Valle and El Sol. In addition to gaining valuable experience taking pictures taking pictures, this period provided Steven with the opportunity to run the dark rooms for all of the above publications.

Over the years Steven has had the opportunity to take the pictures of many famous people. In 1986, he was chosen to be one of the photographers when the Pope visited the San Fernando Mission. For American Fitness Magazine, he took pictures of Arnold Schwartzneggar, Governor Pete Wilson, Sugar Ray, Leonard and Bruce Jenner.

As a salesman for California Sports Incorporated in the mid -'80's Steven was given access to the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and Los Angeles Kings hockey club. It was Steven's good fortune to be given photo passes at a time when the Los Angeles Lakers were winning championships under the leadership of such players as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Michael Cooper and James Worthy. Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Bernie Nichols were playing for the Los Angeles Kings during this period.

The photos included in this website have been exhibited at the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, as well as the San Fernando Mission. The exhibit at the San Fernando Mission was held in conjunction with the 500-year anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing on Hispaneola in 1492. For a year these photos were on display at the Natural History Museum in downtown Los Angeles.

Currently working as a salesman of Internet websites, as well as an advertising coordinator for the 6^th largest Flower Company in the United States, Steven still has an interest in photography. He continues to live in Sylmar, California.