Precita Eyes Muralists
Murals: 2006-2012
"Center for Vulnerable Populations Mural" 
​©2012 Precita Eyes Muralists

Interior mural, 11’ x 22’, wall board with acrylic paint
Mural Directors: Susan Kelk Cervantes, Yukako Ezoe and Max Allbee
Contributing Artists: In collaboration with CVP staff, faculty and outpatients
Location: San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, Building 90, San Francisco, CA
Description:
Healthy urban living is the central theme captured among the dense imagery of the Precita Eyes mural design for the Center for Vulnerable Populations. San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate bridge with California’s golden hills provide a backdrop along with imagery of CVP’s immediate neighbors, Bernal Hill and the Potrero del Sol recreational park. The large “caring heart” including in it a DNA path, opened by a chain being broken by the Caduceus is a symbol of CVP’s goals to help citizens break free of disease and sickness, rising up the path of life through healthy eating, exercise and preventative care. The mural is also displaying a relationship of how natural food can be locally grown at our community farms and made accessible at our local markets. The large painting demonstrates how community members actively living a healthy lifestyle can create a better life for themselves in a easy and enjoyable way.
"Past, Present and Future" 
​©2012 Precita Eyes Muralists

8’ x 59’, Acrylic on Stucco
Mural Directors: Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong
Contributing Artists: In collaboration with the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital
Location: St. Francis Hospital, 900 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA
DESCRIPTIONS:
 The Saint Francis Hospital Staff wanted a mural that reflected their past as well as highlighted the advancements that they have made in the medical field. They are known for their excellent burn unit and their physical therapy program. They also wanted to represent every unit in the hospital and the community that they serve.

Working with nurses, doctors, janitors and community we came up with the design that integrated all those elements. In the center of the mural is a phoenix holding the hospital in its wings that also are in the shape of a heart. This represents the burn unit and the Saint Francis Hospital rising from the ashes of the original hospital that burnt down in the 1906 earthquake. In each window is a different department of the hospital. (Physical therapy unit, Burn unit, OR, ER, research and the children's unit.
Surrounding the phoenix is a map of the area that the hospital is surrounded by. The St Francis is an important part of the city because is serves so many neighborhoods, Nob Hill, Chinatown, Tenderloin, and Downtown. They also have satellite clinics in Marin, Glide and the Giants Stadium.

In the far right is a scene of the past with nurses in older gowns and doctors. In the back of the figures is the original hospital that is shown burning down.

The left if the mural depicts their future and the people of the present and the future. The butterfly is flying forward and on its wings are the Hospital's five values, dignity, excellence, stewardship, collaboration and justice.
The man reading from an Ipad shows the technology and future.
"True Colors" 
​©2012 Precita Eyes Muralists

22’ x 28’, Acrylic on Stucco
Mural Directors: Susan Cervantes
Contributing Artists: Ariana Terrence, Kristine Keller, and Chelsey Ramirez in collaboration with the students from the Canal Alliance ForWods Program.
Location: Canal Alliance Office. 91 Larkspur Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Description:
There is a lot of culture in our community, but have you ever stopped and taken a look at it? Students from Canal Alliance did and they wanted to show it in a mural. They all came up with this great idea that not only shows their culture, but their lives. This little place, the Canal, is full of Hispanics. This place also has small proportions of every four corners of the world. This is not just some random drawing. It has a story.

People from other home countries migrated to the United States. They started as thirteen colonies. They fought for their independence from Great Britain and became the United States. The West Coast was a part of Mexico. Mexicans were already here in the United States, even in the Canal neighborhood area. The United States wanted to get bigger and conquered the West Coast. During the years the United States became stronger and everyone in the world wanted to have a little piece of the American Dream.

This is where our mural comes from, a little place called the Canal. People from the North, South, and Central America have migrated to the United States. Coming to the U.S. is not easy because people suffer by not eating, walking for days, and jumping the border to have a better future with their families. In the mural the kids playing soccer have mascots representing the different schools they go to in San Rafael, California. The cactus represents people who have traveled through the desert coming to the Canal. There is a road that turns into fabric that symbolizes the four corners of the world.

Down at the bottom of the flower, there is a book that says, "I like to go to the Canal Alliance" and "Learning is an achievement in life." This is what the students respect and look up to. The flower has two sides, a positive side, which is shown by the live leaves and a negative side, which is shown by the dead leaves. The leaves on the tree of the positive side have faces of our leaders. These leaders have changed our way of life. They have all given their lives for our better future. The leaders are Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Che Guevara, Pancho Villa and Rigoberta Menchu.
On the other side of the border there is an anti-gun meaning that we don't want any violence, only peace in the Canal. The heart symbolizes the lives that have passed away in the Canal and that won't be forgotten. We put our native plant, the Pickleweed in the mural because we are surrounded by weeds. We are surrounded by the most famous bridge in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge and we are also connected to the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge.

If you look up in the right hand corner of the mural you will see the earth that has a yin yang line in the middle that represents our earth's balance. Recycling is part of what we do at the Canal Alliance and what we are telling others to do to help our environment. We are still not there yet, but we are definitely going to get there in the future. The earth gives us the power and strength we need everyday.

The pyramid gives power to the earth which symbolizes the strength of our people and our ancient culture. You can see the roots of the pyramid in the lightning which are causing it to rise up.
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In the central part of the mural there is the face of a beautiful woman. If you look into her right eye, you can see what the students want in their future- a diploma! In her left eye she cried because of stress and fear. Her face is made of many puzzle pieces of various colors of skin tones and races. She rises out of a sunflower that symbolizes hope for the future.
"Hope, Strength, Love and Faith Mural" 
​©2012 Precita Eyes Muralists

Mural Directors: Brenda Miller and Ronnie Goodman
Contributing Artists:Maire Marshall and input and assistance from CW residents and staff.
Location: Glide Community House, 434 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Description:
Cecil Williams Glide Community House is located in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco and is a housing community for formerly homeless San Francisco Residents. The mural is located on a wall on the roof, which occupies a beautiful organic roof garden with fruit, herbs, flowers and vegetables for the CW House residents to enjoy. The mural measures approximately 5’ x 33’ and is situated on the wall starting at 8’ off the ground. The garden was a huge influence in the input that the residents gave for the mural. They submitted drawings and all of them were around the themes of garden, growth, healing and community. They has specific plants that they wanted illustrated and they wanted health and happiness to be represented by images of children. Moving left to right, the mural begins with vintage seed packets and on each says Hope, Strength, and Love. The seeds falling from the Love packet are hearts and are being planted in “Faith” in the dirt. Small sprouts begin to grow, strawberry plants move from flowering youth to abundant with fruit. Corn, representing community strength, shows from sprout to harvest. In the background is an urban cityscape of buildings and some of these buildings are turning into bean stocks growing up into the sky. This illustrates their desire to see gardens on every roof to manifest a healthy city. The vibrant blue sky and sunrise is only shadowed by one rain cloud, needed for the health of the planet. In the center of the sun is The Glide Church and CW Community House and across the top is the word community. On either side of the sun is a monarch butterfly and a goose, both images of hope chosen by the residents. Sunflowers, roses, grapes, tomatoes, pumpkins, eggplant, poppies, basil, echinacea, and an apples tree are the other plants of abundance, happiness and health that were chosen. The grapes sit directly above a trellis where grapes are already growing. Also included in this landscape is a hummingbird and four children representing the various ethnicities of the residents. The children were illustrated to be vibrant and healthy and are situated to appear to be jumping off the mural and down into the garden. The mural communicates a vibrant healthy community life and hope and healing for all.
"What's Going On?" 
​©2012 Precita Eyes Muralists

8’ x 55’, Acrylic on Stucco
Mural Director: Christy Majano
Contributing Artists: Raul Audelo, Catrina Sida, Rachel Heidenry, Oracio Adames, Andre Bravo Misty Albrecht, Ronnie Goodman, Alexa Razma, Max Villanueva, Sasha, Chelsea, Tyler Anderson, Ariel Clay, Rosa Cazadores, Lana Skritic, Annamarie Cervantez, Carla Wojczuk, Lindsay Parkinson, William Bravo and Gonzalo de Sepulveda. In collaboration with San Francisco Clean City Coalition and Revere Neighbors. Funded by the S.F. Community Challenge Grant Program. Special Thanks to the Major's Office, S.F. Clean City Coalation, D.P.W., Cal Trans, Mohammed Nuruh, Katherine Looper, Gia Grant and the neighbors of Revere St.
Location: Revere and Selby Streets at Bayview Neighborhood, San Francisco, CA


Description:
 "What's Going On" is the title and theme of the Bay View neighborhood community mural. Marvin Gaye's song is the inspiration. His song spoke about a different era but the message is still relevant today.

Bayview has rich history and has gone through several transformations over the years. The mural depicts these changes chronologically from the right to the left. The images reflect history and our future aspirations. Beginning on the right side we see images of a not too distant past. The stream depicted is the Islais Creek, as it would have looked like before it was buried under the city. The grazing horses are remembered by several of the senior residents in the neighborhood. In the center of the mural we see a movement towards our present day landscape. The automobile replaces the horse and the natural landscape is being carves up to build roads and urban dwellings. As the scene progresses we see Bayview as it is today. Multicultural symbols have been places on buildings to display the diversity that is found in the neighborhood. Ultimately the urban setting blends back into the natural environment. The mural ends in a cluster of Redwood trees showing the cyclical nature of life.

Two key components of our mural are the Sun and the contemplative young man. The sun is the Hunab Ku or Galactic Butterfly, a Mayan yin/ yang symbol. This is the sun that shines on the mural symbolizing balance between nature and our urban city. One way that we can help manifest this balance is through community gardening as illustrated. The young man is a Revere Street resident who assisted in the mural process. He represents the youth, questioning and reflecting on "what's going on" in their community.
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Our hope is that people receive this beautiful imagery and consciousness. Furthermore that we all become motivated to build a balanced community in the Bay View/ Hunters Point neighborhood.
2011
"La Mision/Block Party" 
​©2010 Precita Eyes Muralists
13’ x 8’, Acrylic on Stucco
Mural Director: Directed and designed by Marina Perez-Wong in collaboration with the Mural Arts Program students
Location: 13 Lucky Alley, SF CA
The Body's Sun
​©2010 Precita Eyes Muralists 

Directed by: Christy Majano
Special Thanks to: McKesson Corporation and Marta Ayala
"San Francisco General Hospital Mural" 
​©2010 Precita Eyes Muralists

7’ x 211’ Barricade Fence, acrylic on panel
Mural Directors: Susan Cervantes, Marina Perez- Wong and Marta Ayala
Contributing Artists: In collaboration with SFGH staff, outpatients and Buena Vista Elementary School and in partnership with Webcor Builders.
Location: Potrero Ave between 22nd and 23rd streets, San Francisco, CA
2009
City of Dreams
​©2009 Precita Eyes Muralists

Directed by: Marina Perez-Wong
Borderlands Book Store
©2009 Precita Eyes Muralists
China Trip
​​©2009 Precita Eyes Muralists
"The San Francisco You Should Know Mural" 
​©2009 Precita Eyes Muralists

8', 6"’ x 62', 6"’, acrylic on stucco
Mural Director: Jason Gilmore and Cory Calandra-Devereaux
Location: Central Drug Store, 4494 Mission St., SF, CA 94112
Description:
"The San Francisco You Should Know” acknowledges the proud history of the Excelsior District and the heritage of its residents. It traces the development of the area beginning with its earliest forms of transportation symbolized by the streetcar. The streetcar comes from the fields, and carries families and workers to their various destinations. The truck farmers represent the influx of European immigrants who came and made their living by growing vegetables in the fertile rolling hills of the Excelsior. Entertainment came to the neighborhood when the circus arrived on Cayuga Street. Prize fighting (boxing) was (and still is) the sport of the day. In addition, the mural celebrates the legacy of the area with its diverse people and places that make the community unique and memorable. One feature that everyone recognizes as it runs throughout the mural, is the street signs of country names that run north- south and cities that run east-west.

Neighbors fondly remember the original Corpus Christi church built in 1898, and proudly list Cleveland Elementary School and Balboa High School as indicative of their interest in education. In the schoolyard and the classroom, students of all backgrounds play, learn and study the world around them. Both current and past business, and buildings that may be gone as well as those still standing contribute to the heritage of the Excelsior District. While the ever-present “blue tower” presides over the landscape, local heroes such as Jerry Garcia are still alive in the neighborhood’s consciousness.

​As Jerry’s guitar points to the future, the youth of the community express their vision of the neighborhood. While it builds on the past, this Excelsior also looks forward with youthful enthusiasm. This vision includes the new home of the Excelsior Art School, full of fun and creativity, as well as a Comics Shop. It has a Community Center where all are welcome ; it is clean and green with a theater and swimming pool, both outdoors. Lastly the future Excelsior District is a place that values the diversity of its residents, its constantly changing weather, and provides all with a healthy and safe place to live.
"So a Child Thinketh" 
©2009 Precita Eyes Muralists
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25’ x 6’, acrylic on plywood
Contributing Artists: Susan Cervantes, Malik Seneferu and Suaro Cervantes in collaboration with the tenants of Alice Griffith Opportunity Center
Location: Interior wall, 1814 Gaynor Ave, Richmond, CA
Description:
The mural from left to right is composed of a “Community in Harmony”, gardens, playground, and green living spaces with solar panels. In the center is the “Tree of Knowledge” (a symbol of the Alice Griffith Opportunity Center) above the earth with a peace symbol going through and around it with children playing. Below are the roots of the tree and water creating a pair of hands caring for the earth and preserving nature. From the bottom is a parent helping a youth go up the ladder to becoming a peacemaker. In the background is a time machine representing our time here on the planet. Bridges are formed over the waters of the arms so children can be encouraged to become peacekeepers with phrases of hope such as “Don’t Take Life for Granted” and “Keep It Respectful”. On the right hand side is a maze of life to find your own path. A young girl is carrying a balloon that reads, “Stay in School”. A young girl’s face appears in the sky who is remembered and whose spirit is like the butterfly in front of her. The bench of Double Rock (Alice Griffith Housing Development) and the vast SF Bay in the background receives the light and hope for this community.
"The Gift You Take is Equal to the Gift You Make" 
​©2009 Precita Eyes Muralists

12.8’ x 18’ x 68’, acrylic on stucco
Mural Directors: Directed by Catalina Gonzalez- Hill & Cory Calandra Devereaux. (s)
Contributing Artists: Marta Ayala
Location: Exterior wall, 191 Golden Gate Avenue (at Leavenworth Street) San Francisco, CA 94102
Description: ​
Funded by the City And County of San Francisco Community Challenge Grant Program & San Francisco Clean City Coalition. “The Gift You Take is Equal to the Gift You Make” celebrates the gifts that the community brings and receives in the Tenderloin (TL) neighborhood including diversity, varied backgrounds, and rich cultural heritages and experiences. The “SS” New Tenderloin breaches the turbulent ocean and arrives from distant lands, bringing the various people who make the neighborhood their home. As the children leave the ship, they join others, and grab the rope (a common TL practice) to traverse the streets. They head for “ National Family Night Out” a scene of fun, art and entertainment for all. As they cross the space, they approach neighborhood landmarks such as the Hibernia Bank, and the Cadillac Hotel with its portrait of community leaders, Kathy and Leroy Looper. At National Family Night Out in the TL, children’s art is everywhere, and its spirit carries over to the classroom. In the school room our heroes, the teachers encourage and guide children of all ethnicities. In the background, the roses signify the color and added life that will come by adding more gardens and greenery to the neighborhood. The Black Hawk Jazz Club is a tribute to the past and the musicians are a nod to the current efforts to revitalize the music and art in the neighborhood. The mural also honors the gifts that the community receives, and shows the residents, workers and activists breaking the chains of containment to demonstate for the needs of the neighborhood. In this Tenderloin, there are health services, affordable housing (such as Essex Hotel), work opportunities, a clean and safe environment, interactions among neighbors, services offered to all, and “Community not Containment”. All of these gifts become available as the sun shines in the TL.
Borderland Book Store
​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists
2008
"Mission Celebrations" 
​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists

8’ x 45’, Acrylic on Stucco
Mural Director: Susan Kelk Cervantes
Contributing Artists: Cory Devereaux, Patricia Rose, Yukako Ezoe, Henry Sultan, and Laura Campos
Location: Cesar Chavez & Mission Streets. San Francisco, CA 94110
Description: 
Celebraciones de la Mission" is a mural that honors Cesar Chavez, founder of the United Farm Workers Union, and celebrates all the things we love the most about our beautiful Mission District. At the top, center, is a smiling milagro of the sun, on a bright, beautiful Mission day. The sky is full of light refracting into all the colors of the rainbow, shining over a huge Mission celebration.

We also honor our neighborhood's history in this mural: at the far left is the old Mission Dolores, as it looked 200 years ago, and at the lower left we see the "precita" or little dam, from which Precita Park, Precita Avenue, Precita Valley, and the Precita Eyes Muralists all get their names. From the door of the old Mission, we see Ohlone people, the original inhabitants of the neighborhood, walking through the palm trees toward the central celebration. They join bicyclists, a low rider, and costumed figures celebrating Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Carnaval (Mardi Gras), as well as everyday people and workers from the community. One celebrant, with a painted face, holds a poster of Cesar Chavez.

From the right side of the mural, we see a monumental portrait of Cesar Chavez, community leader and organizer, and behind him the fertile farms of California with farm workers laboring in the fields. "El Volado" (the Mexican Bus) makes its way toward the central celebration, right behind a diverse group of marchers playing drums and demonstrating their solidarity with farm workers, in support of Cesar Chavez. A "paletero" is there too, with a cart full of popsicles (paletas), and musicians [one of the musicians is Berta's father, including some Mission District mariachis. Above the mariachis, hanging on a ladder, wall dancers perform acrobatics.

The Victorian building at the center of the mural is a depiction of the building that once stood at this intersection, where the mural is painted. In front of the building Aztec dancers greet the four directions and perform a dance of blessing for the community.
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The decorated frame that surrounds the mural features milagros, both traditional and innovative. Milagros are small devotional offerings that are used in prayer, and they represent the substance of our prayers. Some of the traditional milagros that we've included show hearts, hands, feet, the sun, the moon; we also include milagros of non-traditional shapes: our artists' palettes, a paintbrush, a shooting star, a spray can, and even a taco.
Hope, Strength, Love and Faith
​​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists

5’ x 33’, Acrylic paint on stucco
Directed By: Brenda Miller Holmes
Assistant/s: Painted byBrenda Miller Holmes andRonnie Goodman. Assisted by Maire Marshall.
Designed By: Brenda MillerHolmes with input from CW House residents and staff.
Location: Cecil WilliamsGlide Community House, 333 Taylor Street, SanFrancisco, CA 94102
Funding source/s: Glidethrough the SF Zen Centerand City & County of SF 
DescRiption
Cecil Williams Glide Community House is located in the Tenderloin District of SanFrancisco and is a housing community for formerly homeless San Francisco Residents.The mural is located ona wall on the roof, which occupies a beautiful organic roofgarden with fruit, herbs, flowers and vegetables for the CW House residents toenjoy. The mural measures approximately 5’ x 33’ and is situated on the wallstarting at 8’ off the ground. The garden was a huge influence in the input thatthe residents gave for the mural. They submitted drawings and all of them werearound the themes of garden, growth, healing and community. They has specificplants that they wanted illustrated and they wanted health and happiness to berepresented by images of children.Moving left to right, the mural begins with vintage seed packets and on each saysHope, Strength, and Love. The seeds falling from the Love packet are hearts and arebeing planted in “Faith” in the dirt. Small sprouts begin to grow, strawberry plants move from flowering youth to abundant with fruit. Corn, representingcommunity strength, shows from sprout to harvest. In the background is an urbancityscape of buildings and some of these buildings areturning into bean stocksgrowing up into the sky. This illustrates their desire to see gardens on every roofto manifest a healthy city. The vibrant blue sky and sunrise is only shadowed byone rain cloud, needed for the health of the planet. In the centerof the sun isThe Glide Church and CW Community House and across the top is the word community.On either side of the sun is a monarch butterfly and a goose, both images of hopechosen by the residents. Sunflowers, roses, grapes, tomatoes, pumpkins, eggplant,poppies, basil, echinacia, and an apples tree are the other plants of abundance,happiness and health that were chosen. The grapes sit directly above a trelliswhere grapes are already growing. Also included in this landscape is a hummingbirdand fourchildren representing the various ethnicities of the residents. Thechildren were illustrated to be vibrant and healthy and are situated to appear tobe jumping off the mural and down into the garden. The mural communicates a vibranthealthy community life and hope and healing for all.
"Determination Mural" 
​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists

21’ x 19’, Acrylic on Wall Board
Mural Directors: Susan Cervantes and Catalina Gonzalez in collaboration with the staff and residents of East Oakland Community Project Homeless Shelter
Location: 7515 International Blvd, Oakland, CA
"Seeds of Peace" 
​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists

17’ x 46’, acrylic on stucco
Mural Directors: Susan Cervantes and Miranda Bergman.
Location: Exterior wall, Good Earth Natural and Organic Foods. Fairfax CA
"Coming Together Through Sports" 
​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists

11’ x 8’ x 120’, acrylic on stucco
Mural Directors: Cory Calandra, assisted by Marina Perez-Wong, Linda D'Avirro and Debbie Ledet.
Location: 579 Madrid St, SF CA
"Google Mural" 
​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists

5’ x 20’, acrylic on TYVEK
Contributing Artists: Susan Cervantes and Marina Perez Wong, in collaboration with Google staff
Location: Interior wall, 345 Spear St, San Francisco, CA

Description: ​
The mural consists of three major aspects based on the ideas of several members of the Google staff. The first being education, we’ve places a child on the far right, educating herself on different places to visit in San Francisco. The child gets information by typing “San Francisco” in the search box of Google’s homepage. She first sees the city and all the hills. Her search leads her to five different locations, The Castro, Vermont Street, The mission, Glen Park Canyon, and the Alemany Farmer’s Market. These destinations were chosen to enlighten the child and viewers on slightly less popular “treasures” found in San Francisco. The second aspect is the Community in and around these areas. Many of the Google staff ride their bicycles to and from work so we included a variety of riders and on their bicycles. On the far left, two businessmen walk past a homeless man who stands on a crumbling wall. Behind the brick wall is the traffic congestion that is common to city dwellers and commuters. Above the businessmen, many gather at the Alemany Farmers Market and to the right of them a woman walks her dog along the beach. The Person closest to the center if the mural is a farmer. This brings us to our third aspect, which is the environment. Many of the staff believes that Google is like a cloud. The Cloud we’ve included is filled with 1s and 0s to represent the Google Staff. Emitting from the cloud are tubes, which weave in and out of locations and morph into vines that connect to tuber plants. The farmer is harvesting them to sell at the farmers market. The tube vines traveling throughout the city are a representation of Google’s connection to the city itself. It creates its own growth through these three aspects.
"Abundance and Prosperity" 
​©2008 Precita Eyes Muralists

Acrylic on stucco
Mural Director: Susan Kelk Cervantes and Jason Gilmore
Location: 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Description:  ​
This mural is on the original building that housed China Books and Periodicals, Inc for over 30 years. The imagery for the mural came from an old poster that used to be in the original store. It depicts Carp that are being released from a fisherman’s net.

2007
Green Olympic Spirit
​​©2007 Precita Eyes Muralists
Description
Green Olympics Children’s Mural: Creative Approaches to Caring for China’s Environment
 
May 1, 2007
By Lila Buckley
 
Last month, in a creative new approach to China’s environmental protection efforts, U.S. artists joined Chinese students and teachers to participate in a group mural design and painting experience. The project brought together 88 children from 11 schools in Beijing, Hangzhou, Hebei, and Shanghai to design, plan, and paint a mural on the “Spirit of the Green Olympics” at the Beijing campus of the China National Children’s Center. It represented a joint effort of the Children’s Center (an initiative of the All-China Women’s Federation) and two California-based organizations, the 1990 Institute and Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitor Center.
 
The project was conceived with a variety of ends in mind. “Not only did this mural project display excellent artistic abilities of children and artists,” explained Zhou Xiaoqiao with the All China Women’s Federation at the project’s closing ceremony. “It also promoted the exchanges of Chinese and American societies and further stimulated children’s thinking and awareness of environmental protection in China.”
 
Ma Jiang, head teacher of the project, agreed that, like other environmental art projects in China, the mural engaged students to think about their role in the welfare of the planet. “You are the future of China,” she told her students at the closing events. “And your activities are going to determine the quality of life and our environment. Without your hard work, we won’t be able to solve environmental problems.”
 
The project also sought to provide a platform for cross-cultural exchange between U.S. and Chinese participants. “When young people of two cultures meet and collaborate creatively in the universal language of art and environmental concerns, lasting bonds are formed that impact the future of individuals as well as nations,” explains William Lee, director of the 1990 Institute’s environmental arts project. Lee, a retired architect and environmental designer who describes himself as a “pragmatic idealist,” moved to the United States from China at the age of 14 to attend Andover Academy in Massachusetts. He applies the school’s motto of non sibi—“not for self”—to all that he does, and sees the mural project as part of a larger effort to use cross-cultural connections to tackle global problems. “China is still my mother,” he explains. “The U.S. is my father, and I want my parents to get along.”
 
Lee is particularly concerned about China’s rapid economic development and its implications for resource conflicts around the world. But, he believes, once people from different societies have “basic good feelings” toward one another, they can resolve anything through conversation. “That is why I am focusing on children and the environment,” he explains. “Young people’s friendships that form around a common concern for the environment can make a profound positive difference in the future of the planet and lead to a more sustainable and peaceful future world.”
 
Lee engaged the All-China Women’s Federation in the project because, he believes, “women tend to care about the environment, children, the future, and building relationships.” And by using art as a vehicle to bridge the gap between languages and cultures, he says, “you can establish good feelings toward the other, and you get beyond the differences and the intellectual barriers.” This is a unique approach to environmental education in China, which traditionally focuses solely on imparting facts or information.
 
While Lee agrees that educating people about specific environmental problems and their solutions is important, he cautions that straight education has its limitations. “Information is powerful, but knowledge can also be dangerous if used in the wrong way. So you have to move beyond the intellect, to establish good intentions, and then build knowledge from there.” He believes it is more important to establish good relations first, and then set an example through his own actions. “I am not a scientist or an engineer, but I can still do things to protect our planet. If kids like and respect you and they see that you respect the environment, then they will too.” Lee believes that only when there is public pressure to solve environmental problems will the government devote the resources and research energy to do it.
 
Lee and other project organizers say the strength of the mural medium is that participants can teach and learn from one another through art, even if they do not share a written language. “Participants help each other see what they see, both fears and hopes,” Lee explains. “And together they find ways to preserve the beauty and diversity in nature ... and in human societies, yet allow them to improve themselves.” Yu Chuansheng, a coordinator for the project, also stresses the importance of art as a medium: “Sometimes images convey meaning better than words. Murals are open air, public, and engaging.”
 
Nearly 100 students from participating schools were asked to submit their own artistic interpretation of the “Green Olympic Spirit.” They submitted designs of urban buildings, athletes jumping through hoops, the cartoon Olympic mascots (known as the “Five Friendlies”), as well as images of pollution, traffic congestion, and human and animal suffering. The students then worked with U.S. muralist Susan Cervantes and her colleagues from Precita Eyes to work their drawings into a cohesive whole that could be placed on the wall. At the closing ceremony, Cervantes expressed her wish that the project would have a ripple effect for muralism in the country. “This collaboration plants a seed, and that seed will grow and spread more seeds,” she said. “That is our hope. That you have enjoyed your experience and will do more projects like this in the future, and collaborate with more friends in the future to express your feelings through art.”
 
Students, too, expressed enthusiasm for the many levels of meaning depicted in the mural. “I was really excited about this project,” said 14-year-old Wang Jianwei of Beijing. “Painting murals is really cool, I’d never experienced it before. And the theme is really important. If we continue the way we are now, with the environment, then we are going to become a desert really soon. There won’t be any way to live. We already have so many problems. So we have to protect the environment.” Zhu Mingjia, a 13-year-old middle school student from Shanghai, described the experience as both challenging and rewarding. “Seeing these walls, full of color and meaning, gives us a sense of accomplishment,” she explained. “It was hard work and it required the collaboration of everyone. We had to adapt many different styles of painting into one complete painting.” Zhu also stressed the lessons behind the process. “This process has taught us the importance of working together to achieve things, and this is how we will achieve a clean environment and a green Olympics. Like we have done with this mural, the world will have to do together for the environment.”
 
While much of the mural portrayed hopeful paintings of strong athletes and thriving urban scenes, the children did not ignore the darker side of China’s environmental problems. Describing his idea behind a section of the mural themed “Don’t Let the Earth Cry For Our Actions,” 14-year-old An Jiyu spoke passionately about the negative effect of humans on the environment. “There are so many environmental problems,” he explained, looking at his finished panel and citing pollution, global warming, and species extinction as major concerns. “They say that the coasts will be flooded, the trees will all die, the farmers won’t be able to grow food. Who knows if this children’s center will even be here in a few years. These problems are so serious. Humanity is ruining it for everyone. That’s why I designed that section.” He pointed to mural images showing dirty water and fish, and an eye tearing from smoke.
 
But despite Jiyu’s  concerns about impending environmental disaster, he still finds hope. “Then on the right,” he continued, pointing to a brighter section of the panel, “you have kids in a class. They are studying about ecology and recycling. This is what we need to focus on now.” At 14, Jiyu seems to have already developed an acute sense of his own obligations to the future. “Painting the mural was awesome,” he said. “You feel like you are really leaving your mark when you put your ideas on the wall. I’m going to bring my grandchildren here and show them what I did when I was young.”
 
If more children across China have their say in protecting the nation’s environment, An and his peers may very well get his wish.
"Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Mural" 
​©2007 Precita Eyes Muralists

8’ x 66’, acrylic on stucco
Mural Directors: List of Mural Director(s)
Fred Alvarado and Ronnie Freeman in collaboration with the Ella Baker staff and community
"Vamos Gigantes Mural" ©2007 Precita Eyes Muralists

8’ x 100’, Acrylic on Stucco
Contributing Artists: Designed and directed by 13 Mission artists and youth, Fred Alvarado, Ernesto Aguilar, Joshua Stevenson, Kristen Foskett, Marina Perez- Wong, Suaro Cervantes, Ricardo Lazo, Jaime B, Eli Lippert, Mauricio.
"Be the Change You Want to See in the World" ©2007 Precita Eyes Muralists

15’ x 70’, acrylic on stucco
Directed by: Susan Cervantes  with students at Precita Eyes Community Mural Workshop. 
Contributing Artists: Tracy Clark, KuKu Kamal, Lisa Hall, Kelly Donnelly, Kelly Barrett, Kristen Foskett, Robert Jimenez, Sasha Gainor, Grace D'Anca, Rachel Lee Holstein, Ernesto Aguilar, Andrea Barry, Mary Lou Spiegelman.
Location: exterior north and east facades at 25th and Bryant Streets, SF
Description: ​
Theme of Cultural Diversity and Peace In the center of the mural are the portraits of two strong women back to back. They anchor the tree of knowledge whose leaves are made of multicolored hands around an eagle spirit representing the power of vision and creativity in the world above. On the far left side of the mural is a flowing design of a pigeon moving in space. Above is a storyteller "You can walk straight when the road is bent". Below is a mission neighborhood scene with Mariachis and children. On the other side of the tree it pays homage to the indigenous people, colorful flower motifs and crystal spirits. Over the window is a figure "Rising Up" to begin anew. She faces a wall/ barrier border that divides people particularly pointed at the Middle East crisis but also representing all people who wish to find sovereignty in their homelands. On the banner above the reaching arms says "Be the change you want to see in the World" a quote from Mahatma Ghandi.
"Dante's Divine Comedie: Inferno"
©2006 Precita Eyes Muralists

30’ x 10’, Acrylic on Sheetrock
Designed and painted by: Susan Cervantes and Ellen Silva.
Location: Dante Building, St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA
Description: ​
The dark forest in the background at the top of the design is where the story begins of Datnte’s journey through the nine circles of hell guided by Virgil. Leaping out of the wood on the far left are the beasts representing temptations symbolized by the lion, a leopard, and a she wolf. There he has lost his way symbolized by the dim sunlight behind the mountains This place also represents the first circle of hell known as Limbo where there are fields and a castle where Minos dwells who judges all souls of sinners. This is where Dante and Virgil take a ferry across the river Acheron to Hell proper piloted by Charon. Dante falls asleep in the ferry and does not wake until he is on the other side. In the center of the design is the Gate of Hell with the words over it Lasciatae ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate” (“Abandon all hoe, ye who enter here”). The Gate of Hell is formed by a single tree on top whose roots turn into the stonewalls of hell. Above the tree is a horrific storm cloud that is blowing everything over, pelting rain, fire and lightening constantly. The circles of hell are concentric, each one going deeper and deeper toward the center of the earth where Satan is held bound up to his waist in frozen ice. Satan is the central figure in the mural. He is described as having three heads and six eyes. You view him from the back therefore only seeing two heads a yellow one and a red one with boils and ooze through matted and rough ragged fur all over his body. His six bat like wings are dark red and transparent so you can see the circles of hell through them. He constantly flaps his wings to try and get loose from his bondage that causes everything to get colder and more chaotic. The Second circle shows lustful souls who are constantly blown around by the storm above. The Third Circle guarded by the three-headed monster Cerberus is gluttons forced to lie in the mud under continual cold rain and hail. The Fourth Circle are the avaricious who have to push weight against weight of their material possessions. The Fifth Circle is the swamp water of the river Styx where the wrathful fight each other on top of the surface. Dante and Virgil cross the river to the lower circles of hell. The city of Dis is visible here where lower hell begins. The Sixth Circle is the heretics trapped in their flaming tombs. The Seventh Circle housed the most violent divided into three rings. People in the first ring are immersed in boiling blood. The middle ring is the suicidal that are turned into gnarled thorny bushes. The inner ring are those against nature and art in a desert of flaming sand and fiery rain from the sky From here Dante and Virgil descend into the last two circles of hell by riding the back of Geryon a winged monster with a head of a man and body like a scorpion stinger. The Eighth Circle is made up of 10 ditches with bridges between them. The First Ditch is made up of seducers walking in separate lines in opposite directions. Ditch Two of flatters steeped in human excrement. Ditch Three are placed head first in the rocks with their feet in the air with flames burning on their soles. Ditch Four – Ten. The Ninth Circle is where the giants reside and among them the largest being Satan himself in Zone 4 Here the two poets escape by climbing the ragged fur of Satan and passing through the center of the earth emerging in another hemisphere beneath a starry sky.
"Dante's Divine Comedie: Purgatorio" 
​©2006 Precita Eyes Muralists

30’ x 10’, Acrylic on Sheetrock
Designed and painted by Susan Cervantes and Ellen Silva.
Location: Dante Building, St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA
Description:  ​
Virgil guides Dante to the outskirts of Purgatory and arrives at St. Peters Gate, which is represented in the center of the mural design illuminated in golden light symbolic of the celestial Air. On the right side of the design Dante enters Purgatory where an angel strikes him 3 times on the chest and paints 7 P’s on his forehead entering the element of Fire. After completing a terrace on Mt. Purgatory an angel will remove a P from his forehead and he becomes lighter and lighter. The base of Mount Purgatory is surrounded by Water. At these shores Dante and Virgil are attracted by a musical performance, which is symbolized by the sound and speech glyphs that surround Virgil on the left of the design. Virgil guides Dante through the seven terraces of Purgatory. It is a bright mountainside on the outskirts of heaven where they see people recovering and improving their lives. The First Terrace shows the Proud who have to carry heavy weights on their backs. They cannot stand up straight and have to keep their eyes on the carved stories in the pavement below. The Second Terrace of the Envious is faces of souls with their eyes sewn shut. The Third Terrace is the Wrathful who are walking around in acrid smoke shows how their judgment has blinded their vision. The Fourth Terrace of the Slothful is continually running a marathon to be forgiven. The Fifth Terrace of the Avaricious are found lying face down on the ground unable to move learning to turn away from material things. The Sixth Terrace of Gluttons who cannot have any food or drink to master their desire to eat. The Seventh Terrace is the Lustful burning in an immense wall of flames where they are purified. The journey up Mt. Purgatory ends at the top where the Garden of Eden stands before Dante. A large procession of souls circle around the garden. This is where Virgil’s guidance ends and Dante meets his new guide Beatrice. The river Lethe and the river Eunoe are in the background behind Dante and Beatrice under the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. They look toward the stars and anticipate the ascension to heaven.
"Dante's Divine Comedie: Paradiso" 
​©2006 Precita Eyes Muralists

30’ x 10’, acrylic on sheetrock
Designed and painted by Susan Cervantes and Ellen Silva.
Location: Dante Building, St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California
Description:  ​
Beatrice guides Dante through the nine spheres of Heaven. The mural represents this vision in the center with the Cosmic Rose created by angels in ten layers of petals in white and gold light. The Beautific Vision emanates from the Tree of Life behind it representing the earth with circles of air and fire. This is the culmination of their ascent to the highest heaven. At first they entered the Sphere of the moon whose cycles are seen moving around the Tree of Life. The Second Sphere to the Ninth Sphere in concentric circles are heavenly souls of the planets and corresponding colors, Mercury (orange), Venus (yellow-orange), Sun (yellow), Mars (yellow-green), Jupiter (green) where the angels create the words DILIGITE JUSTICIAM, Saturn (blue-green), Fixed Stars (blue), Premium Mobile (violet) Beatrice and Dante are in awe of the glorious vision. The Blue Madonna appears to Dante on the right side of the mural. God is represented as three large rings of light, the center orange, then yellow-orange to yellow-white on the outside.
People Making the World Better with Their Art
​​©2006 Precita Eyes Muralists
More Murals:
Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Center
2981 24th St., San Francisco CA, 94110  •  415.285.2287  •  General Info: [email protected]
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