Frequently Asked Questions

Community Arts Center ~ Mural Tours ~ About Volunteering ~ Community and Private Mural Production ~ Mural Requests ~ About PMAC In General ~ Mural Restoration ~ About Precita Eyes ~ Publicity ~ Art Programs/Classes ~ Administration

COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER

Q: "What are your Center hours?"
A:Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM;
Saturday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM;
Sunday 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

Q: "What is your location?"
A: Main Location: 2981 24th Street @ Harrison
Studio: 348 Precita Avenue.

Q: "How long does it take to get paint and supplies if you have to order them?"
A: All orders are filled ASAP and if the supplier has items in stock, then it should be no more than 3-5 days. All special orders are filled ASAP and are subject to availability.

Q: "Do you sell maps?"
A: Yes. Only maps of the Mission District Murals. $3.00 + tax.

Q: "Do you carry posters?"
A: Yes.

Q: "Do you have China Markers, SG's, Streakers, Tips/Caps?"
A: No, but we should.

Q: "Where can I get scaffolding?"
A: We have (2) two level rolling towers ($100/mo., $150 with installation), anything bigger call ACCESS SCAFFOLD CO. @ 415 822-5036.

Q: "What does "Precita" mean?"
A: Little Dam; (SEE: ABOUT PRECITA EYES for a more elaborate answer)

Q: "Good places to eat?"
A:There are several good places to eat within walking distance of Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Center.

Sit Down: St. Francis (Olde Thyme American Style) CLG, (Chili-Lemon-Garlic, Thai), Punjab (Chinese), Taqueria Vallarta

To Go: (Good, Fast and Inexpensive) Farolitos Taqueria, Casa Sanchez, La Palma

MURAL TOURS

Q: "When are your public tours?"
A: Saturday 11:00 AM, See over 60 murals in a ten block walk. Meets at Café Venice 3325 24th Street at the 24th Mission BART Station Plaza. ($10 adults, $8 college students w/ID, $5 seniors& youth (12-17yrs), $2 children under 12.

Saturday and Sunday 1:30 PM. Includes a brief slide presentation on the history and process of mural art and walking tour. Meets at Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center 2981 24th Street. ($12 adults, $8 college students w/ID, $5 seniors and youth 12-17, $2 children under 12).

Sunday 11:00 AM. See over 50 murals in an 8-block walk. Meet at Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center 2981 24th Street. ($10 adults, $8 for college students w/ID, $5 seniors and youth 12-17, $2 children under 12).

Q: "Do you schedule tours during the week?"
A: We can schedule private tours on any day. We also schedule private tours as school field trips for students of all ages, from pre-school through senior groups. To schedule a tour call our general number at 415 285-2287 and ask for Patricia Rose, Tour Coordinator.

ABOUT VOLUNTEERING

Q: "How can I get involved?"
A: Come in and fill out a volunteer form. If you are an active volunteer you get to figure out your place within the organization while getting a better idea of how we work. Precita Eyes is a volunteer based program and we continue to use that philosophy in our training of new muralists and employees. We also accept internships and community service programs for credit.

COMMUNITY and PRIVATE MURAL PRODUCTION

Q: "How many murals does Precita Eyes create each year?" "How many of these murals are commissioned?" "How many are created through youth workshops?" "Through community mural workshops?"
A: Approximately 15 30 new murals are created each year. 70% of them are commissioned and the remainder are done through youth and community mural workshops.

Q: "How much does a mural cost?"
A: Every wall is different, with its own specific demands. The way we calculate cost is by the square foot, but this fee can vary significantly depending on many different things. Will scaffolding be necessary? Do we need to do wall repair first? These and other special considerations can factor into the total cost. We usually start at about $15 -25/square foot, but it could be higher under certain circumstances. The mural fee includes all paint, materials, repairs, equipment, and payment for the muralist(s).

MURAL REQUESTS

Q: "Does Precita Eyes receive a large number of requests for murals?" "How does it prioritize and track these requests?" "What criteria are used?"
A: Precita Eyes receives requests for murals every week. We take down specifics of each request and make site visits to meet with potential clients and take accurate measurements and photographs. Once a budget is approved we match a Precita Eyes Muralist with the project. The project is scheduled depending on the artist's availability, the client's time frame, and seasonal considerations. All projects are documented

ABOUT PMAC MURALS IN GENERAL

Q: "How long does it take to paint a mural?"
A: There is no one answer to this question. In general, it will take longer to paint a large mural than a small one. The number of people on the mural crew makes a difference, too: ten people can paint a wall faster than a solo muralist could. Here at Precita Eyes, we have often completed murals (even really large ones) in one or two days, when we have a large enough crew to pull this off. But at the opposite end of the scale, Michelangelo took more than forty years to complete the murals inside the Sistine Chapel.

Q: "What kind of paint do you use?"
A: Truthfully, you can paint a mural with anything, and different artists use all kinds of different materials. Here at Precita Eyes, we want our murals to last as long as possible, so we try to use the highest quality paint available. For us, that would be Precita Eyes Mural Colors paint, a very high quality, heavily pigmented acrylic that is specifically made for outdoor mural use. The paint is extremely strong and durable, and most colors resist fading as well.

Q: "How do you protect murals?"
A: We coat all of our murals with a very hard varnish that serves as an anti-graffiti coating. It also has an ultra-violet shield that protects against fading. This excellent varnish is called "Sheercoat" and it's available in our art center.

Q: "Why are some murals peeling and fading?"
A: It's often because they are old, although not always. Sometimes murals fade rapidly because the paint is not high quality (spray paint also fades very quickly). Sometimes the paint peels because the wall was not properly prepared and primed.

Q: "Who pays for a mural?"
A: Generally, it is the property owner who pays. When the mural is on a public building, such as a school or library, it is often paid for with public funding, or grant money. When a mural is commissioned by a business, it is usually the owner of the business who pays. When a mural is in, or on, a private home, it is usually the homeowner who pays. Under certain special circumstances, public funding can sponsor murals on private property or businesses.

Q: "How do you get people to let you paint on their building?"
A: Precita Eyes Muralists have been painting murals since 1977. We have an excellent record of honoring our commitments and doing extremely beautiful work. Getting mural commissions is not really a matter of us knocking on people's doors asking for permission to paint. Precita Eyes gets calls every day from individuals and organizations that want to hire us to create a mural or direct a mural project.

Q: "Do you need special permission to paint on a wall?"
A: We always get written permission from the property owner for every mural we paint. If you don't have permission, there is a different word for it. That word is "graffiti."

Q: "How does PMAC cover costs for the murals? Is a mural funded by a particular foundation grant that can only be used for that mural? How are non-commissioned murals funded?"
A: Some murals are privately funded by the organizations, businesses, or private owners who commission them. Others are funded through grants for specific projects, or private donations.

MURAL RESTORATION

Q: "How many murals are repaired each year?"
A: That's a good question. Unfortunately, granting sources such as state funds and foundations are not as likely to fund the restoration of an important community mural as they are to help create a new one. Most budgets do not include a maintenance fund

Q: "What criteria are used to select which murals are to be repaired?"
A: If a mural is important to the community, painted by a master muralist, or is in jeopardy of being painted out it may be selected for restoration

Q: "How are mural repair costs covered?"
A: Through city funding or private donations.

ABOUT PRECITA EYES

Q: "What does Precita Mean?"
A: This frequently asked question has two answers. Usually when people ask this, they really mean, "Why are you called Precita Eyes?" We are called Precita Eyes because our original base is on Precita Ave, our classroom studio is at Precita Park, and that neighborhood is known as Precita Valley. Because we are community muralists, we take our name from our neighborhood and our community.

Literally, "precita" is the diminutive form of the Spanish word "presa", which means "dam".Thus "precita" means "little dam", and refers to a small dam that once crossed Mission Creek, which now flows underground, approximately where Precita Park is now located.

PUBLICITY

Q: "What is copyright protection?"
A: Federal law protects original works such as murals, paintings, books, music, sculptures, movies, etc. Copyright law gives the artist exclusive rights to: make copies, distribute copies, make derivative works (taking a picture of a mural and then selling it), publicly perform the work, and publicly display the work. Visual artists also receive a separate bundle of rights - the right to get credit for their mural and to determine in what context the mural will appear. As a result, the artist and only the artist, may give you permission to use a reproduction of a mural in your film or publication. Doing so without permission is not only a violation of the law, it is disrespectful to the muralists who work for months creating San Francisco's murals.

Q: "What is the difference between the Golden Gate Bridge and a Mural?"
A: A mural is a piece of fine art, for which Congress has granted federal copyright protection. Congress did so to encourage artists to contribute their talent to our culture. By law, artists are entitled to compensation for reproductions of their work. Photos of older architectural structures, like the Golden Gate Bridge, are not protected by copyright law, recently however, even architectural designs have been protected by Congress.

Q: "When does copyright protection begin?"
A: The copyright protection in a mural exists from the moment the artist paints the mural; it is then protected by copyright law.

Q: "How may someone other than the artist use the artist's work?"
A: In order to use the artist's work, you must get the artist's permission.

Remember: Just because a mural can be seen by the public does not mean everyone can use it in any way that they want.

Example: When someone has a flower garden in the front yard, others are not free to pick the flowers, even though the flowers are visible and easily accessible to the public. Similarly, just because a car is parked on the street, it is not public property. Neither are murals.

Q: "May tourists take photos of the murals without permission?"
A: Yes, as long as no reproduction for profit is intended. If it is purely for private use, a tourist may take a photo of the mural without permission.

Example: If a newspaper art critic writes a critique of a mural, then the newspaper could publish a photo of the critiqued mural. Art criticism would be considered fair use. Freelance travel writers who intend to sell articles with mural photos must get permission and pay a license fee.

Q: "Once you get permission, how can you give the proper artist proper credit?"
A: Captions including the artists'© names should appear near the reproduction, or in the film credits. It is also important to include the artist's copyright notice: Copyright symbol, the muralist's names, and the year the mural was completed. Precita Eyes will provide you with this information.

Q: "For how many years does the artist have these exclusive rights?"
A: Under federal law, the artist enjoys these rights for his/her lifetime. Even after the artist's death, the copyright continues to exist for another 50 years. So, the artist gets copyright protection for a total of life of the artist plus 50 years.

ARTS PROGRAMS/CLASSES

Q: "How many youth are served by PMAC each year?"
A: Approximately 100 youth are served in our arts programming classes and workshops, 3,000 in our tour program and 500 during various events and festivals.

Q: "How are youth recruited?"
A: Youth are recruited through outreach to schools and community centers, during festivals and events, through word of mouth and the visibility of our public mural projects.

Q: "How much are your youth workshops?"
A: $12 for each class, $40 for five classes or a 20% discount with membership. Scholarships are available; no one is turned away for lack of funds.

ADMINISTRATION

Q: "How are you funded?"
A: Grants, city, federal and state, volunteers, members and private donations.

Q: "How do you get a mural?"
A: In order to answer this question, we need to know what you want. What kind of mural do you want? One artist? A large group? Involve the community? Do you have a budget? Are you willing to raise money? We see that the more you are willing to do to get the mural done, the more we are delighted to work with you. (SEE: FAQ ABOUT MURAL PRODUCTION)