Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitor Center
Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 
Downloadable ​PDF

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Q. What are your store hours?
A. M-F 10 am-5 pm; SAT 12 am-4 pm; SUN closed
Check out our Online Store for paint and mediums 

Q. What is your location?
A. Heart of the Mission in San Francisco; 2981 24th Street @ Harrison

Q. How long does it take to get paint and supplies if you have to order them?
A. 3-5 days

Q. Do you sell maps?
A. Yes. Only maps of the Mission District for $5.00, tax included.

Q. Do you have posters?
A. Yes, a collection of old & new Mission community posters.

Q. What types of merchandise is sold at the store?
A. We carry discount art materials available to all artists, both professional and beginners. Our prices are competitive, and we offer discounts to our members.
We sell Precita Eyes colors, which are highly-pigmented and durable exterior/interior acrylic paint available in many brilliant colors in 4 oz., pints, quarts and gallons; brushes both inexpensive student grade to professional grade. TYVEK paper, which is a fiber spun paper that is weather-resistant and tear-proof. It is excellent for acrylic mural painting in the classroom, portable murals, and other artistic uses. We also carry Sheer Coat Varnish, Cleverclean (to remove graffiti), as well as many other assorted art supplies. We also sell a variety of mural merchandise such as postcards, posters, t-shirts, maps, candles, magnets, books, etc.

Q. Is there someone knowledgeable who can answer questions about murals?
A. Most of our staff at Precita Eyes are muralists, you can call in at (415) 285-2287 or stop by the store with questions you might have about murals. We have offered technical support and mural supplies since 1988.

Q. Where can I get scaffolding?
A. Standard 2 platform rolling tower ($80/month) does not include delivery or installation. Anything larger contact CITY SCAFFOLD CO. @ (415) 822-5036

Q. Good places to eat?
A. Sit down: Roosevelt Tamale Parlor, Gracias Madre (vegan), El Tomate Eterna Primavera, Basa Seafood
To go: (Good, fast, and inexpensive) Farolitos, La Palma, La Vallarta,

TOURS

Q. When are your mural tours and how much are they?
A.Tours are offered by appointment, most days of the week. For current tour information including prices, capacity limits, and availability, please email [email protected] or visit the TOURS page.

$25/General Admission; $15/Seniors 65 and over; $10/youth 17 and under
Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours

Precita Eyes Mural History Tour
On the 3rd Saturday of the month, 11:30am

Saturday Morning Special Tour
Certain Saturdays 11:30am

​OG Classic Mural Tour Led by Patricia Rose
Saturdays, 1:30pm

Q. Do you schedule tours during the week?
A. We schedule private tours on any day of the week except for holidays. We schedule private tours and school field trips for students of all ages. Private tours are available for individuals and groups of all kinds.

VOLUNTEERING
Q. How can I get involved?
A. Fill out a volunteer form either online (add a link) or drop by the store.

Q. What are the benefits of volunteering?
A. Up to 15hrs of service can grant you a free class for the Community Mural Workshop.

COMMUNITY MURAL PROCESS
Q. How many murals does Precita Eyes create each year?
A. We create roughly 20-30 murals per year, 50% commissioned murals, 50% children and youth commissioned murals.

Q. How do you request a mural?
A. Make request by email to [email protected] include information such as size of wall, location & participants

Q. How much does a mural cost?
A. We base everything on square footage. Minimum fee: $6,000 for a mural 100 sq. ft. or less Instant Mural: $500-$1,500.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Q. What does Precita mean?
A. We are called Precita Eyes because our original base is on Precita Avenue, our original studio is at 348 Precita Ave. In front of Precita Park, and that neighborhood is known as Precita Valley. Otherwise, “precita” is the Spanish word “presa” which means, “dam.” Thus “precita” means “little dam,” and refers to a small dam that once crossed Precita Creek, which now flows underground, approximately where Cesar Chavez Street is now located.

Q. How long does it take to paint a mural?
A. Anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months.

Q. What kind of paint do you use?
A. Precita Eyes uses the best, most highly pigmented acrylic paints available. We make our own blends from NOVA color & sell the Precita Eyes Colors in our store.

Q. How do you protect murals?
A. We coat all of our murals with 4 coats of “Sheercoat”. We also use B72, a durable conservation coating & “Cleverclean”, a mild solvent to remove any graffiti.

Q. Why are some murals peeling and fading?
A. It can be because of the type of paint being used or lack of wall preparation.

Q. Who pays for a mural?
A. The funds for a mural come from different sources, such as the community, grants & other private & public sources.

Q. How do you get permission to paint a mural on a building?
A. Every mural that Precita Eyes has created has been by request of the community or by the building owners.

Q. Do you need special permission to paint on a wall?
A. You need to get written permission from the property owner.

ABOUT MURAL RESTORATION
Q. How many murals are restored each year?
A. There seems to be more and more every year. The murals are cultural assets that need to be taken care of in order to preserve them. Even though there are very few resources to lead the efforts, Precita is contracted to work on at least 2 murals a year and to continue some minor mural maintenance and graffiti removal in the neighborhood.

Q. What criteria is used to select which murals are restored?
A. The priority of the restoration is determined by the community.

Q. How are mural restoration costs sourced?
A. Property owners or grants usually. It depends on the situation. Sometimes maintenance is factored into the budget.

ARTIST RIGHTS
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 muralist/s 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 laws. 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; copyright law then protects it.

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 that just because the public can see a mural 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/s proper credit?
A. Captions including the artist’s names should appear near the reproduction, or in the film credits. It is also important to include the artist’s copyright notice: ©, 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.

MEMBERSHIPS
Q. What are the membership benefits ?
A. Members will receive a discount on art materials, maps, posters, and most classes. Members will also receive announcements and invitations to Precita Eyes Muralists special events. The annual membership is $60 for the individual, $100 for family, and $150 for organization.

PROGRAMS/CLASSES
Q. Where are mural workshops and mural classes conducted?
A. We hold all of our toddler, kids, and youth classes in the art studio. The Community Mural Arts Education Workshop and Community Mural Painting Workshop are both held at our main location.

Q. How many youth are served by PEM each year?
A. An average of 400-500 youth per year.

Q. How are students recruited?
A. Word of mouth, the neighborhood, social media, the website, etc.

Q. What classes for adults does Precita Eyes offer?
A. The Community Mural Arts Education Workshop and the Community Mural Painting Workshop. The Community Mural Arts Education Workshop shows the collaborative community mural process by providing hands-on experience to participate in directing, designing, and planning of a community mural. It is a 2 hour workshop that happens every 3rd Tuesday of every month from 7:00-9:00 p.m. It is $75 per session, and $60 for members.
Will be announced soon: The Community Mural Painting Workshop allows participants to learn the community mural art process through a 7-week intensive hands-on project at a designated site. It teaches collaboration techniques, theme development, wall preparation, drawing transfers, and painting. Each class will use these techniques to create a community mural. It is held for 7 consecutive Thursday evenings. It costs $450 for the general public and $360 for members.

ADMINISTRATION
Q. How is PEM funded?
A. Grants, city and state, memberships, private donations, tours, the store, arts education workshops, and mural commissions.

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