Precita Eyes Muralists
Mural Projects: 2019-2020
Community Spirit and Legacy of Precita Eyes
©2020 Precita Eyes

Size:12’-25’ high x 88’ long, excluding garage doors (these will be replaced in the future)

Designed with the residents of the three buildings on the site, members of the community, and Precita Eyes staff, students, board members and volunteers.

Location: Corner at 344-346-348 Precita Avenue and Treat Streets

​Artists: Fred Alvarado, Teresa Benson, Xavier Bess, Julia Barzizza, Susan Cervantes, Elaine Chu, Yoshua Cordoba, George Crampton, Yuka Ezoe, Diego Irizarry, Kiry Luc, Marisa Mariscoti, Max Marttila, Dennis MacKenzie, John Morrow, Naoki Onodera, Henry Sultan, Deirdre Weinberg, Jude Pagpaguitan, Estefanie, and more.

History of the location:
The latest community mural designed by Precita Eyes Muralists wraps around 344-348 Precita Avenue.  Precita Eyes founder, Susan Kelk Cervantes, has taught children, youth and mural art classes in the Bernal Heights/Mission studio since 1979.

“This is our original Precita Eyes Muralists studio where hundreds of children and youth have been transformed by realizing their own creativity and imagination through the arts” by Susan Cervantes, Founding Director, Precita Eyes Muralists Association, Inc.

Mural process:
This mural is a culmination of a collaborative effort by Precita Eyes youth, staff, board,  tenants of 344- 346-348 Precita and community residents.  Over 20 artists, community and youth have contributed to the mural design concept and many more participated in the painting process.  Community mural design workshops started in October 2019 and the mural design concept was completed January 2020.
Description
Starting on the north facing wall of Precita Avenue
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Flaming Paint Brush
A flaming  paintbrush is held by hands of generations of artists who worked with Precita Eyes Muralists. The flaming brush symbolizes the passion to create art across the generations.

Children Painting the Precita Eyes Logo
The Precita Eyes logo, being painted by three children, represents our children, youth  and community mural  arts programs that has been continuous for decades.

Anna's Hummingbird
A hummingbird appears in the stairwell representing courage and determination and is native to the Bay Area. It's been sighted many times around the studio space and once attempted to fly in. In the mural it is accompanied by Yellow Feather, a canary that flew into the studio, was adopted, and stayed for years. 

On the corner
Chichen Itza Pyramid
Inspired by a temple dedicated to the God of wind and wisdom, Quetzalcoatl (plumed serpent), at Chichen Itza stands at the corner of the building, emitting DNA strands that link the Earth to the Cosmos. and our relationship ‘As Above, So Below’; and the integration of spirit in physical human form. This cultural landmark from the Yucatan Peninsula marks a history of observing the stars and the study of the universe from this continent of first nation people since before 600 AD.
Above the Pyramid from left to right shows a symbol of  the ball court hoop, the ball player followed by Quetzalcoatl/Kukulka (Plumed Serpent), and the Fifth Sun. Above the  bay windows is the Milky Way Galaxy, and moving from east to west the Big Dipper, Sirius, the Orion Belt and Pleiades/7-Sisters star systems.

Monarch and Swallowtail Butterflies
The mural shows two swarms of butterflies: Monarchs, coming from the West (or right) side of the mural, and Anise Swallowtails, coming from Bernal Heights down into Precita Valley (East face, on Treat Street). Both swarms converge and mingle at the center, creating a giant Carnaval mask shaped like a butterfly. The mask displays characteristics of both species. 
Monarch butterflies are a powerful yet gentle symbol/metaphor for immigration, as this species will migrate thousands of miles each year, sailing easily above the wall that separates us from Mexico at the border. 
Anise Swallowtails are a species that thrives here in our neighborhood, although their numbers have been greatly reduced due to habitat destruction and climate change.
Carnaval has been celebrated in the Mission district for over 40 years and the first Carnaval was in Precita Park.

To the left of the corner facing Treat Street.
Tree Woman:
 Under a warm, bright sun grows an acacia tree bearing multiple fruits and flowers all from the same stem. They represent the many artists and students who have blossomed and grown from Precita Eyes. The trunk of the tree turns into a woman. Her arms branch upward, lifting the boughs of the tree. She is pregnant with a belly full of Earth -- Atlas reversed -- showing that we are on Earth’s shoulders, and not the other way around. Her roots reach vast and deep. The acacia tree also represents our 50 year history at Precita Park surrounded by  acacia trees and is inspired by Susan Cervantes’  diptych mural “Family Life and Spirit of Mankind” on the Flynn Elementary school facing  Precita Park  that depicts  trees inspired by those trees. 
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Huelga Bird
The Huelga bird is a symbol of the United Farmworkers honoring their work with much love and respect.
 
The Crow
The crow is a clever artist with a spray can in his talons. Crows are said to have very good sight and memory, and by painting him on his perch, we pay respects to the birds who live in the park, and the memories they carry.

Bernal Hill
In the background we see Bernal Hill as a watchful guardian. The hill has served as a sacred space for many San Franciscans and native people before us. Below  the homes surrounding Precita Park cozy-up as a red classic car cruises behind Precita Park picnickers. They read, and listen to music, and play dominoes while their dog plays in the grass. A queer couple also enjoy their picnic nearby. Both couples are representative of the many communities that enjoy Precita Park. 

Precita Creek
Below the picnickers we see an uncovered image of Precita Creek, which once ran free along Precita Avenue, and gives the street it’s unique path. 

Factwino
Factwino, a legendary San Francisco Mime Troupe character, zaps the forces of ignorance and erroneous arguments with his arsenal of facts.   Sf Mime Troupe performed during the summers in Precita Park for many decades.

Nancy Pili/Food for the People
Nancy Pili Hernandez, a long time Bernal neighbor, is portrayed grilling veggie burgers and Feeding The People. Nancy has been providing free food for our Urban Youth Arts Festivals for several years.  A hungry dog smiles on, hoping for leftovers or rewards. 

Congueros
At the top of the wall are 2 congueros sitting on a bench at the birthplace of Latin Rock, playing the drums. Near the intersection of the Mission and Bernal dwellings, formerly known as Army Street Projects, Precita and Garfield Parks have created the conditions that gave us a new mixture of Black and Brown music that has become world famous.
Below the congueros are local dancers practicing for carnaval.

Finally is the Urban Youth Arts Festival in Precita Park celebrating youth arts for over 20 years.
The Primal Sea 
©1980, addition ©2020 Precita Eyes Muralists

​Addition Directed by: Susan Cervantes
Restoration Directed by: Yano Rivera
Location: Garfield Pool at Harrison and 26th Street
Description
As part of the long-awaited remodel of the Garfield pool clubhouse, the Primal Sea diptych at Harrison and 25th St. has been restored and extended. The mural dates from 1980 and was among the first Precita Eyes' projects to receive SF Recreation and Parks and National Endowment for the Arts funding.  See original project.
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​Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes led the community team that created the original murals 40 years ago and is again leading the team working on the new mural. Yano Rivera leads the restoration team.
Cycles of Life
©2020 Precita Eyes Muralists Association

Size: Planter boxes ranging from 1'6" - 3'2" high x 3' - 15' wide
Materials: Mosaic, Stained Glass, and Mirror
Directed by: Susan Cervantes with Yuka Ezoe.
Assisted by: Fred Alvarado, Christy Majano, Robert Louthan, and Deirdre Weinberg
Funded by: Mission Economic Development Association (MEDA)
Location: Casa Adelante, 1296 Shotwell, San Francisco, CA 94110
Description
"Cycles of Life" mosaic mural embraces the idea of aging gracefully. This is represented by the changing seasons and the interlocking rings that symbolize the cycles of life and our interdependence on each other. 
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Beginning on the left, the first panel depicts summer with an indigenous Huichol-inspired un, and a blooming cactus. A hummingbird in flight feeding on a native Fuchsia is continued on the second panel, carrying over the summer theme. A Hibiscus flower, a Quetzal bird, important to the Mayan people as a symbol of liberty and independence, is perched on a branch in the middle of the panel, then followed by a Marigold flower symbolic of the beginning of autumn with falling petals and leaves. These leaves turn into fall colors in the third panel. On the fourth panel, the background colors change from autumn to gray and white as fall transitions into winter, and the fall leaves transform into the wings of the native Mission Blue butterfly, a symbol of renewal and rebirth moving into a rainbow representing Spring that blends into the ocean, and is lit by the crescent moon in the final panel where the Cycles of Life begin the process again of aging gracefully reflected through the transition of the four seasons.
​Strength of Community 
©2020 Precita Eyes Muralists Association

Size: 12'8"  x 10'10" 
Directed by: Susan Cervantes with lead artists Julia Barzizza and Kiry Luc
Location: Casa Adelante, 1296 Shotwell, San Francisco, CA 94110
Description
​Description 
Native to California, the depicted sequoia trees are representative of humankind, community, and aging together. Known to withstand the tests of time and environmental elements (including fires and floods), sequoias capture the shared strength, determination, and will of the future residents of Casa Adelante. 

Between the trees, a path of communal wisdom curls and rises toward the sun – the source of life – encircling an Allen's hummingbird in flight. The hummingbird is swift and joyful, a carrier of positive intentions, and representative of freedom from hardship. 

Inside of the canopy leaves are ancestors inspired by Pre-Columbian motifs of warriors and the Mayan sun, as well as portraits of community members: an elder woman, and elder man, a young female dancer, and a child. Their faces smile brightly, warmed by the light of the yellow sun. 

Framing the mural on either side are Latin-inspired motifs of natural elements, describing the story of life, renewal, and seasonal cycles. The patterning is inspired by traditional storytelling found in textiles and quilts. 

Moving from bottom to top, the first symbol in the patchwork pattern depicts a symbol for time. Following the time icon is a pinecone, representing seeds of thought. The third motif is a flame, symbolic of rebirth and regeneration. The fourth motif at the center is a flower representing new growth. The fifth symbol represents the sun and healing energy. The sixth symbol is a hummingbird in flight, an ethereal messenger between the known and the unknown. The top and final symbol is a spiral that connects to wisdom and represents homecoming for the future residents at Casa Adelante.
2019
The Bay 
​©2019 Precita Eyes Mural Center
 
12’ h x 40’ w,  Mosaic, painted tile, glass and mirror
Directed By: Susan Cervantes, Max Allbee, Fred Alvarado, Suaro Luis Cervantes, Elaine Chu, Eli Lippert, Max Marttila, Yuka Ezoe Onodera, Marina Perez-Wong
In collaboration with: students from Oakland School of the Arts high school and the Academy high school in San Francisco; Hazel Brubaker, Fusako Chapman, Jake McRae, Lisa Max, Marina Rodriguez, Juan Rodrigues De Souza, Melody Sandoval
Location: Chase Center – Golden State Warriors Stadium, 500 Terry A Francois Blvd Suite 73, San Francisco, CA 94158
Curated by: Sports and the Arts
Description
The Gift of Xochiquetzal 
​©2019 Susan Kelk Cervantes

20-panel mosaic tile
Design and direction: Susan Cervantes 
Assisted by: Suaro Cervantes on fabrication and leading the installation
Funded by: SF Art Commission Artist Grant
Location: Precita Eyes, 2981 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Description
The design or the mosaic mural is inspired by Latino cultural motifs  “Xochtlquetzal” (Precious Flower), palabras (speech glyphs) Aztec calendar day symbols Mallinalli (Life) and Tzontemoc (Death).  Xochitlquetzal’s  spirit is coming through the front door of the center  offering the sun and the four directions.  She is declaring an abundance of creativity and imagination.  The dualities, Mallinalli is facing the east and Tzontemoc is facing west.
Tuzuri Watu Restoration 
Located: 3rd and Palou
Created by: Brooke Fancher (1984)
Rescue, Rehab, Release 
​©2019 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size: 114' x 7.5', Acrylic on Cement
Designed/Directed By: Ellen Silva
Painted by: Ellen Silva with Private Ocean and other volunteers
Location: Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Rd. Fort Cronkite, Sausalito, CA
Funded by: Private Ocean
Description
“Rescue, Rehab, Release”  Narrative
The mural design tells the story of the Marine Mammal Center’s amazing work rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sea lions and seals.

​The mural begins on the left at beachside showing sea lions with entanglements and in other unhealthy conditions. They are brought by workers in the rescue truck to the MMC where they are x-rayed, examined, fed, operated on and brought back to better health. Then they are brought back to the beach and happily released back to their native environment into the ocean.
Where Mission Creek Flows
© 2019 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size: 3 panels of 11’3” x 10’9” each
Artists: Mike BAM Tyau and Yuka Ezoe
Location: 1587 15th Street HOA
Funded by: 1587 15th Street HOA
Description
​In research of Mission Creek, we discovered that Mission Creek encompassed a large section of what is now called the Mission District. The large waterway branched out to many streams that traversed the entire landscape, which is now no longer to be found due to development of our current residential buildings & businesses. It was not until we researched the source of how all the fresh water flowed into Mission Creek that we realized that the main theme of this mural was to honor water flow and how important it is to all life. Without water, all the beautiful plants and flowers in the mural can not flourish. Without water, the land can not thrive, which is reflected in the green rolling hill of Bernal Heights. Without water, life can not flourish.
 
The color scheme of the mural shows the different times of day. We start our day at the break of dawn, where it is dark, showing the cool ambient light of violet and blue hues seen in the sand dunes, tall Typha Cattail grass, and Tule strands that shoot up. Before all settlement of this land, sand dunes and marshland existed in this Mission area. The cool color palette evolves from violet to green to show the transition of how we go from morning to daylight. As the viewer's eye follows to the right, the green transitions to a warm sunset of orange and yellow. The key three colors of a muted peacock blue, golden tan, and muted orange ties into the colors of the 1587 15th Street Building exterior. A long horizontal band of the muted peacock blue creates a border along the top of the mural, creating the same accents as the stripes on the 1587 building.
 
 
We researched native birds and selected the Canadian Geese as the bird to pattern the past because their wing span represents how free immigrants were to come to San Francisco. Our initial plan is to have the geese painted with a metallic gold to contrast the cool violet background, and highlight now sunlight shimmers across the landscape. Other native animals shown are small silhouettes of Black Tailed Deer on the left side of the mural.
 
The native plants shown in the mural design are the Dune Tansies on the left to show that flowers can grow out of sand dunes. The common and hard stemmed Tule plants are shown in the Typha /Cattail marsh (elements are same sized as the deer head silhouettes). The Nopale (cactus) plant reflects the establishment of Mexico community and the requested Black Eyed Susan flowers represent how immigrants from the East Coast arrived in San Francisco.
 
With Yuka Ezoe as the co-lead artist on this mural, we wanted to reflect both Yuka and Mike Tyauʻs artistic asian style and heritage of Japanese woodblock printing. The off-white, elongated stylistic clouds & muted color palette reflect the Japanese woodblock printing style. Unlike other color palettes of the Mission, we wanted the style of this mural to stand out with a muted color palette to show the maturity and understanding of color and design, versus the saturated color palettes of other murals in the district.
 
The neighboring Marshall Elementary School is honored by showing a boy and girl playing on the tire swing, which also ties into how thereʻs a swing atop Bernal Heights. Under the children playing, the modern section of the streets of the Mission are rendered along with the new landscape of Mission District’s homes.
 
With the request of incorporating the existing mural on the 1587 Building, we mimicked the crack on the lower part of the existing mural and re-illustrated it on our lower 3rd right panel, showing the flow of water, which can be still be found at the bottom of the Armory Building on Mission Street. The upward slope of Bernal Heights and the composition of modern architecture also flow into the composition of the existing 1587 Building mural as well as tying to the warm color palette.
 
The title of our mural is “Where Mission Creek Flows” honoring our history, the past, and the importance of true nature water flow across our land.
 
Forever in Bloom
​©2019 Precita Eyes Muralists
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Size: 61' x 8.5', acrylic on cement
Lead Artist: Ellen Silva
Location: Davies Medical Center/CPMC, 1st floor South Tower Rooftop, 66 Duboce St, at Castro, Francisco, CA
Description
“Forever in Bloom” is viewed from the common space/waiting room for residents, staff and visitors on 7th floor, providing an uplifting and restful feeling.   

It is a peaceful scene, flowing from the Eastern Sierras (left), to the Western Coastal cliffs (right), filled with natural images.

In the foreground, large colorful flowers (found on West Coast) are growing, Forever in Bloom.
L to R: Morning Glory, Black-Eyed Susan, Blue-Eyed Grass, Trumpetvine, Sugar Bowl, Poppy, Cosmos, Iris, Sticky Monkeyflower, Baby Blue Eye, Cattail and Beach Grass.

The flowers are being visited by birds and insects.
Left: Red-tail hawk over the Sierras
Center: Monarch butterfly, Annas hummingbird, dragonfly and Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Right: Pelican and Sea Gulls near the Ocean
Knowledge is your Temple
​©2019 Precita Eyes Muralists

47' x 7', Acrylic
Designed By: Mike Bam Tyau
Assistant/s: Diego Irizarry
with SFcess After School Program (San Francisco Coaltion of Essential Small Schools)
Location: 45 Conkling S & Silver Avet, San Francisco, CA 94124
Description
The overall warm background colors were the first colors in the visions from 4 students after a meditation session held with them. The warm colors represent a sunrise of a bright future and a safe family feeling for the youth of the school. 
 
The location of the school is up high on the hill of Hunters Point and Bayview. Hence the city icons of the Golden Gate bridge, Sutro Tower, and Transamerica can be seen in the background to enforce the location of where the school is located. Since the school is up high on the hill, the students always see the foggy clouds and it is rendered with an Asian and Mayan cultural reference.
 
Since the school is up high on a hill, the students need to climb stairs everyday to reach their school and the location mimics how high a temple or sacred place is located on top of a mountain, so the triangular motif of the background enforces their schoolʻs location. 
 
The climbing up the mountain also represents the challenge all students go through in their school life. In addition, the fog that the birds need to navigate through also represents the hardship and problems that the students go through.
 
The birds represent not only migration, but they represent the diversity of the students of  African American (blue crane), Chinese/Asian (crane bird), Latino (caracara eagle), and Polynesian (manumea pidgeon) and they fly in a triangle formation enforcing positive direction (going Left to Right). I asked the students to show their cultural reflection, so the Motmot bird of El Salvador (shown on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Caracara bird of Mexico (shown flying on the Right) were selected.
 
When asked "what defines culture of Thurgood Marshall Academic High School," the students defined the common elements of music, visual arts, and dance as the most important elements that they share. The two figures on the right represent them as "bird people" with Phoenix-like features because the Phoenix is your school mascot. Since dance is important to the students, the figures are in a swirling dance positions and also reflect the dance that birds do with each other when they play and communicate.
 
Lastly, when we first visited the school, we saw a rainbow that was very low and made the school look like it was floating on clouds above the rainbow. Besides representing pride, the rainbow background also enforces positivity and good luck fortune for Thurgood Marshall Academic High School.
Our Second Home, Nuestra Casa Segundo 
​©2019 Precita Eyes Muralists

​Size: 9'6" x 77'

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Description
​The mural design incorporates as many of the ideas requested in the community meeting as possible.
The Centerpiece of the design is the garden fountain, with the Earth behind it, encircled with banners that say "We Are the World" in several languages, and linked hands of different colors.  

The mural begins on the left with a redwood grove and a Native American dream catcher hanging in a branch, representing the past and honoring the first peoples of the land on which the Senior Center is built.  On the far right end of the mural is the road to the future of Forever Learning.  The redwoods live on into the future. There are rainbows at both ends of the mural.
A ribbon banner runs through the entire mural.  The song in English and Spanish will be on the banner. The banner becomes a full rainbow over the garden and stretches into the future.

The rest of the mural, on both sides of the fountain contain many of the activities in the center, including the Choir, Zumba, other dance, caped cafeteria volunteers, Tai Chi, arts and crafts, meals, health care, exercise, games, music, gardening, the Garden Sale, and senior activism at City Hall.

Flowers, including California poppies, purple lupine, sunflowers, dahlias and foliage fill the entire mural with color and life.
“Above & Beyond”
©2019 Precita Eyes 

Size: 10’x35’, Medium: Acrylic on Stucco
Lead artists: Sarah Siskin and Fred Alvarado
Location: Kaiser Permanente, Fabiola Building, 3801 Howe St, Oakland CA 94611
Description
​“Above & Beyond” highlights community and family as being a central part of Kaiser Permanente’s healthcare philosophy. The design uses ideas and imagery that come directly from our multigenerational community workshop.
 
As a central image we put a rose inside of a heart, the pattern around the rose represents the flower of life and resemble roots that connect the flower to the people around it. This is the light source of the mural, which is why it is glowing and radiating light on the life around it. The Fabiola building is in the center of the mural and the Kaiser Permanente hospital is next to it to show the relationship between primary and specialty care. The neighborhood homes climb up the hills in both directions, bridging the hospital to the community and homes that surround it. In front of the Fabiola Building is a doctor kneeling down to child height to show his patient an x-ray of her broken bone.
 
We used the love rocket with the saying “above and beyond” as we had discussed in our workshop to show the fundamental love that comes along with care but also acknowledge that Kaiser Permanente doctors go above and beyond with their patients. We were playful with children’s drawings juxtaposed to more realistic images to maintain the community feel to this mural. On the bottom, a child is playing “doctor” with a teddy bear to show that the children who come to this hospital may one day very well be doctors here themselves. In the sky on the top left is Sidney Garfield who co-founded the Kaiser Permanente healthcare system and made it public. On the top right is Ellamae Simmons who was an MD (pictured here in her nursing uniform) and 1st African American female physician hired by Kaiser Permanente, in 1964.
 
Lake Merritt is at the bottom next to the Fabiola Building to ground the hospital in Oakland, as there are many Kaiser Permanente locations around the Bay Area. To the right of the lake is an apple tree to show happy and healthy communities. There is an African American family showing us their strong muscles, around them are orchids and bunnies.
 
On the far left is an Edwardian style home typical of Oakland’s residential architecture. In the window is the LGBTQ flag to show inclusion and support of all people. In front of the house are two girls hugging and the flowers flowing in front of them are native to thse East Bay.
Girosol Mission Dolores Senior Apts
©2019 Precita Eyes Muralists 

​Size: 108'x 18'
Material: Precita Eyes Acrylics with Bin 123 primer and Sheer Coat varnish (2 coats)
Artist: Dan Fontes (Lead) and Susan Cervantes
Assisted by: Gwen Perry, Antoinette Johnson, Kristi Holohan, Haley Summerfield & Gerrie Kunin
Dates: December 7 to January 15th (5 weeks due to rains)
Location: Mission Dolores Senior Apartments, 1855-15th Street (Corner of 15th and Ramona Streets) San Francisco
Description
A large dominant Sunflower floats above a series of horizontal motifs from many continents symbolizing the diverse makeup of residents who call Casa Adelante (also known as Mission Delores housing center) their home.  With the theme of “growth and renewal” the residents agreed with the notion of textiles and patterns that represent many nations would be a form of identity they wanted to see in mural form.  From the bottom going up a sample of cloth from the Philippines fades into a Russian hammer and sickle made of lace.  Above this we brought in the three Chinese symbol for Longevity and glazed a metallic golden on top. Rising up next is an Islamic tile pattern taken from an ancient mosaic tile approximately 2000 years old that transitions to a delicate red and blue cloth pattern from India.  A Mexican serape/cloak pattern is boldly displayed in the murals center section and above we find an Ethiopian cloth pattern with childlike depictions of tigers and oxen.  The bright yellow sunflower or “girasol” with it’s bright green leaves unifies the patterns and lastly ties into the soft band of Native American Hopi symbols at the very top portion of the mural.  The bright colors and soft transitions are meant to bring a feeling of home and comfort to the building along with the strength and hope of the sunflower.  The rectangular dullness and oppressive & repetitive geometric sameness of this utilitarian structure are now enchanted/beautified by the hand of man and graced with nature.
The mural can be seen for more than one half mile away in one of the most densely populated corners of the City.
http://www.danfontesmurals.com/
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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©2024 Precita Eyes Muralists, Precita Eyes Arts & Visitors Center, 415-285-2287, 2981 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110