Murals 2021-2024

Precita Eyes Muralists
Mural Projects: 2021-2024

San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium Mural ©2024 Precita Eyes Muralists

Designed and painted by: SFCCC staff and patients, with guidance from Precita Eyes artists Gabi Moreta and Somer Taylor.

Location: SFCCC office, 170 Capp ST., San Francisco

Description

This mural features the many intersecting themes of healthcare and daily life. It captures the diversity of medicine and how healing can occur through everyday activities. The elements and composition of this mural were designed collaboratively during a mural design workshop with 14 members of the SFCCC community, including staff and patients. The mural uses bright colorful backgrounds to integrate scenes of eating, being active, and spending time with our community and loved ones to the colors of the rainbow sun rays.

The sun glows and shimmers with yellow and orange light spelling SFCCC on the bottom center of the mural. Thin rainbow rays separating each section (red for food, orange for culture, yellow for nature, blue for medicine, green for advocacy, indigo for wellness, and purple for community) emerge from the swirling sun.

Starting from the bottom left corner, the red section highlights food as medicine. A bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables are cradled in a wicker basket marked Rx, highlighting the need for fresh food to be our daily medicine. Next to it, a group of friends (one of them a member of SFCCC’s
Healthcorps Americorps program) relax at a table, eating aluminum wrapped burritos with salsa and guacamole on the side. The burritos represent the amazing food in the Mission, where the SFCCC’s office is currently located. Underneath them, wild mushrooms pop up from the ground. In the background, rolling fields of strawberry bushes fade into the pink-tinged sunset.

Above this scene, the orange section represents the importance of family and culture to heal and nourish us. Three generations of a family (the grandmother, the mother, and the grandchild) dance together to the beat of the drums. Although each drum (the congas, the doumbek, and the djembe) comes from a different culture, they all beat to the same tune, connecting all people – all cultures –through the power of music. One drummer is a member of SFCCC’s CHW/Promotora program and wears a shirt saying “Promotora Love”.

Next, the yellow section shows nature’s connection to healing through medicinal herbs. Under a soothing yellow sky, a child sleeps underneath the shade of a giant tree, whose roots run deep into the ground, and the quote, “We take from the earth and say please. We give back to the earth and say thank you. - Julia Parker, Coastal Miwok-Kashaya Pomo,” is imprinted on its leaves. An Anna’s hummingbird flies over the sleeping child towards its nest. The child dreams of medicinal plants that can be found in California (mugwort, yarrow, white sage, dandelion, bearberry, and yerba buena) and of becoming one with a flowing creek, whose waters give life to everything, and the fishes who live there (Like the Bigeye Marbled Sculpin and the Amargosa River Pupfish). The poppies and marigolds are featured flowers as they are native to California and are culturally important.

The center of this mural in the blue section highlights SFCCC’s medical services. An anatomical heart is cradled in the suspension wire of the Golden Gate Bridge. Supporting this symbol of San Francisco is a caduceus, a symbol of medicine in the west. Mirrored on each side of the caduceus are important supplies used by SFCCC clinics, such as syringes, medications, bandaids, first aid kits, thermometers, and the revolutionary drug Narcan, which has been used to save the lives of those who are overdosing. Below this, the open doors of the van represent SFCCC’s Street Outreach Services (SOS) & Veterinary Street Outreach Services (Vet SOS) programs, as they provide care to the city’s unhoused and their pets. A medical provider is speaking to their human and cat patients who are sitting on the edge of the van. The SFCCC logo and the symbols for both the SOS and Vet SOS are on the doors.

The next scene in the green section acknowledges the longstanding history of Bay Area activism and SFCCC’s role in advocating for positive healthcare policies. A student from SFCCC’s AHEC scholar program wearing a pin that says, “Healthcare is a Right”. She stands tall next to a sign saying, “Healthcare By Us, For Us”. Behind her, further in the crowd, a gay couple look at each other while holding a sign saying, “Housing Is Heathcare”. Across from them, a woman wearing a green hijab and a face mask holds a sign saying, “Stop Aids Now”. Behind her, two Black women hold up a sign stating, “Medicare 4 All”. The SF San Francisco Mayor’s office is in the background but is also representative of other civic centers where SFCCC advocates including Sacramento and Washington DC. In the green tinged cloud sky, a quote is written, “Public Health is a powerful tool to level that playing field, to bend the arc of our country away from distrust and disparities and back towards equality and justice - Dr. Leana Wen”.

Below in the indigo section, we focus on wellness as medicine. Wellness is represented by people engaged in self care, activity, and exercising. A woman in strawberry pajamas with a matching bonnet practices meditation in the full lotus pose. From her aura, visions of a family enjoying a beautiful ride together on a bike, a scooter, and a pair of roller skates. Between them is a cup of tea, a kite flowing in the wind, and a self-help book. Butterflies fly throughout the scene.

The last section in purple highlights transportation and community, showing how we not only navigate SF, but also who we navigate with and to. There is a service dog, a pit bull with sunglasses, gleefully jumping. Two people, one a wheelchair user and one wearing the trans pride flag, hold hands and enjoy time together. Another pair embrace after being apart and a pair of hands delivers a bowl of hot golden soup to feed the community. A BART train speeds by, a representation of how people travel to each other in the Bay Area and it stops at 16th Street, showing how many employees of SFCCC travel to work..

18th and Mission Mural ©2024 Precita Eyes Muralists

Artists: Diego Irizarry, Drew Valencia, and Max Marttila.
Location: 2145 Mission Street, San Francisco

“Home Is When We're Together”
©2023 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size/Materials: 24' wide x 39' tall, Acrylic
Designed/Directedby: Eli Lippert
Assisted by: Max Marttila, Pablo Ruiz Arroyo, Alberto Martinez
Location: Hamilton Families, 2567 Mission Street at 22nd

Description

This Mural depicts families and togetherness, creating a home and evoking a sense of pride in one self and family. From top to bottom, portraits of diverse families stand between the columns of the buildings architecture, representing San Francisco and the populations that Hamilton Families works with. Moving down to the middle level of the wall the families above watch over lowriders cruising down Mission Street to add a connection of neighborhood pride, to represent building something up from nothing and pay homage to Mission History past and present. The next level down shows a scene of the Golden Gate Park concrete slides and a family eating a meal together at a table in the park. To the right the scene transitions into houses, with a young girl envisioning the home she wants to see for her family. On the ground level there is a larger portrait of another family embracing showing both struggles they have been through and happiness being together. Surrounding the entrance to the build are children's alphabet block toys spelling out the word Family to give a playful and welcoming feeling to those entering the building. Out of the final block, a rose breaks through and grows in remembrance of an employee of Hamilton Families, Hector, who recently passed away.

“Lucha Por Su Hogar”
©2023 Precita Eyes Muralists

Dimensions: Aprox 16 x 4.5 ft
Medium/Materials: Acrylic
Designed by: Max Marttila
Directed By: Max Marttila
Assistant/s: Hannah Fjeldseth
Funding source/s: Project Category: EDC Wall Mural
Location: Eviction Defense Collaborative 976 Mission St. (between 5th and 6th St.)

DeSCription

Lucha Por Su Hogar at the Eviction Defense Collaborative depicts a stack of houses in the middle of the wall, held up by multiracial arms. The houses are also held up by two wings made of house keys. The left side depicts a muni bus to represent the community in public space. Below runs a wave of water that crashes into the evil green monster landlord on the right hand side of the mural. Floating through the crashing waves are protest signs that convey the sentiments of the organization’s efforts in housing rights.

“Nuevos Ciclos Con Amor Se Genera Amor”
©2023 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size: 3 panels-2', 11" x 6', Acrylic on MDO Board
Design by: Gabjo
Directed by: Gabjo
Location: Good Samaritan Center, 1294 Portrero Ave., SF
Funding: San Francisco Department of Early Childhood

Description

“Nuevos Ciclos Con Amor Se Genera Amor”
It is with this context that 3 murals were created for Good Samaritan, representing three steps of the community; the journey, the love and the celebration.
All murals are wrapped around boards filled with patterns and symbols from native, south, central America and indigenous cultures.

The Journey:
The first mural represents the beginning of the family’s journey, leaving their home land to San
Francisco, a beautiful sunset is behind, the greenery heels in fields, a family holding them
together as they start their long journey. The great symbols we see in the first mural are
feathers as a sign of strength, the medicine man’s eyes pattern as wisdom and bright
prospects, the star of the morning representing guidance, in the back of the little girl's dress
there’s a butterfly, representing the journey for a new beginning and transformation.

The love:
On the second mural, we see hands holding the heart, representing the core of the community,
the workers and the people involved, the family and children of the good Samaritan’s feeling
safe, loved, and embraced, filled with bright vibrant colors.
The symbols on the boards are the cactus flower representing love, the checkerboard
(skyband) from native culture as leading to happiness and being part of the community.

The celebration:
The third and last mural has all the joy and happiness of the people and families, all together
and being lifted in a very colorful way. Sun in the middle, reminding the warmth from home
and the sun rays representing constant dividing by each section of this piece. A heart piñata
representing the celebration itself, students representing education, family with support, food
gathering, early parenting support, imagination, dream, music, growth, peace, and love. The
appreciation of life and community support.

The board ends with a range of mountains representing great abundance on top, an Aztec
pattern on the left side bringing culture together and the heart in the middle representing
“milagritos” in Mexican culture, as a gratitude to the divines.

Symbols:

Sacred Grounds and a Place of Rest ©2023 Precita Eyes

Size/Materials: 60' x 24' x 24', Acrylic
Designed by: Marta Ayala
Directed by: Marta Ayala
Assistant/s: Catalina Gonzalez
Location: Junipero Serra in front of Target Mall and at the Corner of Colma at Junipero Serra
Funding source/s: The Colma City Hall

Cañada College Mural ©2022 Precita Eyes

Size: 8’ x 30’ on MDO board panels
Lead Artist: Francisco Franco in collaboration with students and all college community members
Funding by: San Mateo County Community College District
Location:

Description

Cañada College Mural Project Narrative 11/11/22
Lead Artists Francisco Franco

Cañada College mural is inspired by the vision, values and diversity of their campus community.

The mural design for the Cañada College is framed by an Ohlone motif in honor of the Ramaytush people, native to this land we are on inscribed on the border “ This Land is Ramaytush Ohlone Land”. The four elements Fire, Water Earth and Air are represented in the four corners of the frame.

Starting from the center above the frame is an open book a symbol of knowledge and education.

Above the book is the earth where you take what you learn into the four directions of the world.

Above the earth are the students representative of the school’s diversity who graduate from Cañada College in their regalia campus colors of green and gold.

Behind the jubilant students is the Monarch butterfly wings of migration. Within its wings are the symbols of science, culture, and technology that the students use to go forth in the world beyond their education.

Hummingbirds fly to the left and right of the center symbolizing rebirth and trafomation.

Rainbow from left to right representing hope, healing and a bright future with the inspiring words” From Here We Can Go Anywhere”

Students in the foreground in solidarity with various social justice causes. The students continue the procession over a bridge to the future leading to the nature of the environment and beyond, including the college mascot Colt and a family of deer. The hills with patterns of future possibilities.

On the left is a large Oak tree with a student musician playing a guitar with flowers

On the right edge of the mural is an Olive Tree which symbolizes the agricultural history of the environment. Under the Olive Tree is a student with their teacher nurturing their learning process.

In the background is a student with their family planting flowers representing the blossoming of their youth.
Up in the sky are the Sun and Moon symbolizing the dualities of life and time.

Create Joy
©2022 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size: 9’ high x 40’ wide, acrylic on wood
Directed by: Paola Reyes Melendez
Assisted by: Gabi Moreta, Alberto Martinez Elizabeth Moore
Design by: 4th Grade Class of Dolores Huerta Elementary School
Location: Dolores Huerta Elementary School, 65 Chenery St, San Francisco, CA 94131
Funded by: Private fund

Description

Happiness in Dolores Huerta–English

Happiness in Dolores Huerta's Mural reflects Fuego the Falcon and his companions flying alongside a rainbow as they head towards the sunset. On the far right of the Mural, you see the city behind Dolores Street. There is a mother falcon next to her nestlings, with pride for the future generations on the street sign. Dolores Park is full of children playing Tag next to the swings while two girls play on a seesaw. You can hear music from the guitarrista serenading the community; a girl and her chihuahua watch the wind fill with joyful melody. Beside her are two boys thanking the paletero for the ice cream at a picnic table. The trees behind the green area are a resting place for the falcons, where they can see the papel picado adorning the rainbow with words saying 'Si Se Puede' in the center. The sun sets behind the Golden Gate Bridge while a low rider, nicknamed 'Lamborghini’, cruises by the ‘fishies’ and surfer girl. Beside the road, runs a lake that reunites past protesters to celebrate progress and one another below the soccer field on the far right. You can hear the Blue Angels roaring through the horizon, leading the grown falcons to the sunset. Continuing on the top right, you see Dolores Huerta Elementary School next to a tree with another nest, which symbolizes the impact and legacy the students are creating every day during their time at Dolores Huerta and throughout their life.

Directed by: Precita Eyes Muralist Lead Artist Paola Reyes Melendez
In collaboration with: the 4th-grade classes at Dolores Huerta Elementary School

Happiness in Dolores Huerta–SPANISH

La felicidad en el Mural de Dolores Huerta refleja a Fuego el Halcón y sus compañeros volando junto a un arcoíris rumbo al ocaso. En el extremo derecho del Mural, se ve la ciudad detrás de la calle Dolores. Hay una madre halcón junto a sus polluelos, con orgullo por las generaciones futuras en el letrero de la calle. El Parque Dolores está repleto de niños jugando Tag junto a los columpios mientras dos niñas juegan en un balancín. Puedes escuchar la música del guitarrista dando una serenata a la comunidad; una niña y su chihuahua miran cómo el viento se llena de alegre melodía. Junto a ella hay dos niños agradeciendo al paletero por el helado en una mesa de picnic. Los árboles detrás del área verde son un lugar de descanso para los halcones, donde pueden ver el papel picado que adorna el arcoíris con las palabras 'Si Se Puede' en el centro. El sol se pone detrás del puente Golden Gate mientras un carro, apodado 'Lamborghini', navega junto a los 'peces' y la chica surfista. Junto a la carretera, corre un lago que reúne a los manifestantes anteriores para celebrar el progreso y entre ellos debajo de la cancha de fútbol en el extremo derecho. Puedes escuchar a los Ángeles Azules rugiendo en el horizonte, guiando a los halcones adultos hacia la puesta del sol. Continuando en la parte superior derecha, verá la Escuela Primaria Dolores Huerta junto a un árbol con otro nido, que simboliza el impacto y el legado que los estudiantes están creando todos los días durante su tiempo en Dolores Huerta y toda su vida.

Dirigido por: Precita Eyes Muralist artista principal Paola Reyes Melendez
En colaboración con: las clases de cuarto grado en la escuela Dolores Huerta

Mentes Libres
©2022 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size: 6' x 41', acrylic on cement
Design: Pablo Ruiz Arroyo
Location: KSS Immersion Preschool, 1650 Mountain Blvd, Oakland, CA 94611

Description

“Mentes Libres” (Free Minds)

The textures and figures in the mural are inspired by the artwork created by the two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and four-year-olds of the KSS program, directed by the artist Pablo Ruiz Arroyo.

Beginning on the right there is a small house inspired by the kids drawings on a grass field with textures reflecting the kids drawings in greens and yellows. There is a yellow butterfly, blue bird and pink house taken from the kids drawings as well. The sky has the numbers “1,2,3,4” as it came up many times in the children’s drawings. The sky is striped with Pink, a symbol of youth, playfulness and good health. Moving to the left of the mural, there is a redwood tree on a meadow and more designs inspired by the kids’ drawings: butterflies, a bird and a child with wings. To the left of that are two hands, inspired by the hands drawn by the kids, holding a ladybug and a sprouting seed, also inspired by kids drawings. Behind the hands are more redwood trees and a bluebird and a monarch butterfly, an international symbol of migration and transformation. Nearing the center of the piece are two birds kissing, with six flags on their backs: Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Columbia, Spain, and Venezuela. These birds were taken from the drawings done by the children. To the very left there is a Torogoz, the bird of El Salvador, looking at many colorful kids playing on a hill with a beaming playground at the top. Above is a smiling sunshine next to flying birds and two kids playing on swings. All these were also inspired by drawings made by the children.

Sanctuary for Health
©2022 Precita Eyes Muralists

Directed by Susan Cervantes
Designed and painted by Elaine Chu and Safi Kolozsvari with SF City Clinic Staff.
Assisted by Jared Mar, Jose Lamas, and Jaycee Felkins.
Special thanks to Judith Sansone, Aaron Ruff and all of our volunteers!
Funded by HHS/CDC PS20-2010

DesCription

The 50 x 50 foot mural is framed by a waterfall and a Bodhi tree, whose roots connect with the flowing water to foster healing. Birds of all kinds — macaws, red-crowned cranes, toucans, sparrows, magpies, African lilac-breasted rollers, Palestine sunbirds — represent the clinic's diverse patients. At top, a sacred Quetzal recalls a phoenix, a symbol of San Francisco's rising from fires and earthquakes. Its tail feathers form a caduceus, the symbol of medicine. In the center, a window with red flowers forms a heart. The sunset behind creates a multicolored triangle representing the LGBTQ community. A quote by legendary organizer Dolores Huerta is carved in the ground underneath the interlocking hands: “We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just acquire things. That is what we were put on Earth for.”

Butterflies Forever!
© 2021 Precita Eyes Muralists Association

Dimensions: 6" - 3.5' high by 120' wide
Location: Precita Park Playground
Directed by: Susan Cervantes with Lead Artists Fred Alvarado, Julia Barzizza, Suaro Cervantes and Paola Reyes-Melendez
Funded by: Community Challenge Grant

Description

On June 10, 2021 over 35 people, including 12 children, attended the Precita Park Butterfly Garden Mural Design Workshop held at Precita Valley Community Center. It was a very engaging and successful event for the community. Their original drawings for the mural were used in the fully-developed mural design. The design reflects the Precita Park Butterfly Garden and the many butterflies and plants that live in and around Precita Park.

The mural starts at the left corner with Precita Creek and a patch of Horsetail Milkweed, the host plant for the Monarch butterfly. Beyond the Horsetail is a Monarch caterpillar nibbling on a leaf of Butterfly Milkweed. As the Precita Creek flows, different seeds scatter in the wind. The sky graduates from sunrise pinks and yellows into soft blues, reflective of the Monarch butterfly’s transformation from cocoon, to chrysalis to fluttering butterfly.

Black-eyed Susans sprout up from the wall and the hills change into golden, summer hilltops. A Checkerspot Butterfly soars above the creek, surrounded by a bright yellow protective light. The Mourning Cloak drifts in the wind toward two girls covered in fluttering butterflies. Another Checkerspot meanders away from the scene and drifts into a patch of Seaside Daisies underneath the sun. A Mission Blue moth greets the Checkerspot on the other side.

Behind the moth are two stalks of Hummingbird Salvia being enjoyed by an Anna’s Hummingbird. As the golden hills begin to turn green four butterflies dance together in the breeze. They are a Buckeye Butterfly, a Monarch, a West Coast Lady, and a blush pink butterfly called the East Coast Lady. A Morning Cloak flits along the green hills.

Seated on a pink daisy is a small teal-haired fairy. She smiles at a Western Tiger Swallowtail caught in the wind.

Beyond the Swallowtail is a Monarch enjoying some Milkweed and a Green Sweat Bee seated on a very colorful stalk of Yarrow.

Nearby another Swallowtail lands on the nose of a daughter of the neighborhood. She grins widely as the wind catches her hair and scatters the seeds, led by a pair of smiling bumble bees, beyond the playground and into the world.

Nature Rising
© 2021 Precita Eyes Muralists Association, Inc.

Located at: S. Van Ness
Directed by: Max Marttila, Assisted by Karina Alterman, Fernando Garcia, Ernesto Guaman and Tristan Vranizan

Together We Grow Resilient, Phase 4 Laguna Honda Hospital
© 2021 Precita Eyes Muralists Association, Inc.

Located at: Laguna Honda Hospital on the corner of Laguna Honda Blvd. and Woodside Ave.
Directed by: Julia Barzizza and Deirdre Weinberg, with Assistant Artist Flavia Mora, in collaboration with residents of Laguna Honda Hospital and surrounding neighborhood associations.
Funded by: District 7 Participatory Budget Funding under Myrna Melgar

Description

The mural begins at the corner of Laguna Honda Boulevard and Woodside Avenue. It depicts a continuation of the parrots from the earlier mural. Wild parrots fly into the future and dip in-between the arcs of a rainbow, soaring above the Monterey Cypress trees among hang gliders and a glittering blue ocean.

A statue of Florence Nightingale appears through the trees representing Laguna Honda Hospital's unique and critical role in San Francisco. A group of tiny houses which have been "planted" from native strawberries appear within the Monterey Cypress forest in a clearing, where the community has gathered together to dance and celebrate the harvest.

Beyond the gardeners, an elder offers a sprouting plant to a group of youth. It represents the exchange of knowledge across generations. A Coast Live Oak tree glows in between them. The youth engage with the mural viewers and invite passerby to participate in their exchange of knowledge and fruit.

In the background, a rain cloud showers the plants with rain and a rainbow forms. It bends and gives way to a vast galaxy of stars and cells. The galaxy spirals into a deckled edge and the rainbow continues twisting and folding over a bright shining sun. Great Blue Herons connect the two worlds and soar amid a flock of sparrows.

A bright sun shines upon different generations of San Francisco natives, while they build a bridge into the future. The sun represents life, renewal, a fresh start and new beginnings. It warms the people's faces while they create the city from a place of respect for their communities and the surrounding natural world. The rainbow wraps over the bridge and drapes over the strongest point of the bridge. The scene represents how we are each connected by a shared desire to make the future a better place for everyone.

249 Pennsylvania
© 2021 Precita Eyes Muralists Association, Inc.

Located at: 249 Pennsylvania
Directed by: Eli Lippert and Max Marttila with Assistant Artist Monica Magtoto

Description

On the back wall facing the street we have a tribute to Ohlone Mythology as we are on Ohlone land here in San Francisco. The Coyote and Peregrine Falcon are two animals central to Ohlone mythology. Coyote is the ancestor of humanity and the falcon is similar to his grandson, Kaknu, a hero in Chochenyo mythology. These ancestors are in the cosmos with abstracted shapes forming life.
Continuing onto the side wall, Queztalqoatl runs along toward the Bay waters and from the cosmos forming the roots of San Francisco and the skyline of the city on their back. The robot in the city is a symbol of futuristic transformation and pays tribute to the SF Muni buses with its color and design. The mural ends toward the street with the sacred Bay waters with abstract letterforms reading Free and Bloom forming the water.

Family Life and Spirit of Mankind
1976-1977, restored 2021

Size: Diptych mural, 26’ x 24’ each panel
Acrylic on Stucco
Located on: the Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School (formerly the LeConte Elementary School), Precita and Harrison Streets
Directed and designed by: Susan Cervantes and Judith Jamerson.
Funded by: the SF Mayor’s Neighborhood Beautification Improvement Program and SF CETA Arts Program (1976) and by the SF Mayor’s Community Challenge Grant (2021)

Description

The main elements of inspiration for the diptych mural “Family Life and Spirit of Mankind” were the 70-year-old acacia trees in Precita Park directly across the street from the school. Many of the trees have since been replaced, but they emerge in the mural as trees of life and spirit, and central elements around which everything else moves.
In the panel on the left the tree has been painted with seven multicolored branches and seven multicolored blossoming flowers. The number seven is symbolic of the seven color rays of the sun, seven musical notes, and seven days of the week. In the center is a man and woman representing the diversity of our neighborhood families. The woman is inspired by the Spanish legend of Anjana. In this form she wears a dress made of stars and flowers, and shepherds animals and oversees life in caves. Anjana can also change her physical form into an old woman to test people’s charity. The Warrior is wearing a Samoan wrap called Lavalava, a hybrid Aztec and Mayan headdress, and Jamaican arm and waistbands. His native bow is a corn stalk where the silk becomes Anjana’s hair. The couple emanate light and love between them that spirals into seven butterflies and birds revolving outward, including an eagle. In the boughs of the tree are the four stages of our life cycle: birth, youth, old age, and death.
The tree in the right panel is the Tree of the Spirit, the branches are white representing the color of the spirit. The spark of that spirit starts at birth in the center of the tree from the spiral on top of the baby's head where our hair grows out from. The Tree of the Spirit is also kindled by the larger than life Fire Juggler at the right side of the panel. On the upper left of the panel is a Phoenix coming out of the flames representing the symbol of San Francisco and its resilience. The Family is represented in the right panel by the familiar faces and everyday life of the neighborhood people around Precita Park.

Learn more about this mural and others at www.precitaeyes.org

Re-Imagining a Just World
© 2021 Precita Eyes Muralists

Dimensions: 8.5’x25’, Acrylic on wall board
Design: Francisco Franco with with students, staff
Location: USF-Leo T. McCarthy Center, 2130 Fulton Street, SF, CA 94117

Description

The narrative for this mural began with the idea of what a just world would look like. To re-imagine what that World might look like. In this mural we start from the left side as it winds down and around to the right. We begin withNative Ohlone patterns that point up to the night sky and the Golden Gate bridge with an ominous glow of the moon upon the fog, this representing the unknown or the lack of clarity that we all have when beginning a journey. From that mist we see the Civic Center lit up in a rainbow representing the diversity of views and peoples of the San Francisco Community. Out of its halls a rainbow of people of many races and heritages march peacefully out into the world to spread the news of a more just society. They are beating drums, singing, and making themselves heard. They are holding a large banner with a Universal message of peace and love; Love is the Revolution. In front of the pack we see a child, representing hope and the future, pointing towards the sun and holding a sign that reads, “Together We Rise”.

In the center of the composition there is a large tree in which we see this caravan march past. The tree is filled with books and is a tree of wisdom, an old tree ripe with ancestral knowledge. This tree with its branches, roots and canopy are a metaphor for this wisdom reaching out in all directions and strongly rooted to the Earth and time. In this tree we see a Black Panther, this represents the Bay Area’s history of Social Justice movements and its fierce and powerful influence for change. To the right of this tree, there are Jazz players representing Fillmore's deep musical history. They are also acting as pied pipers leading the people towards a different path. Unlike the sidewalk, they are invited to go off the beaten path, which is necessary to create change and in discovering new frontiers. In the distance we see many paths all leading towards the top of the mountain and into the light. The sun here represents enlightenment and success. Like life there is more than one way to reach our destinations. The journey begins in darkness or the night and leads us to more clarity and daylight as we move closer to our goals. On the far right we see a coyote, which is Native to this urban environment, like many in our community they symbolize survival and resilience in an ever changing landscape. In the lower left corner, there is a rose growing and flowering out of a crack in the sidewalk, again reinforcing the idea of being able to thrive in a modern world of machinery and industry that literally paves over our natural state of life. The idea was inspired by a poem written by another Bay Area legend Tupac Shakur called “The Rose that grew from concrete”:

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

"All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you."
© 2021 Precita Eyes Muralists

Medium: Acrylic on Stucco
Directors: Elaine Chu, Marina Perez-Wong, and Priya Handa in collaboration with SF General Hospital nurses
Location: 24th and York Streets, San Francisco
Funded by: Richard Fine People's Clinic

Description

Starting from the left hand side of the mural is life now with Covid and all the essential workers like farmworkers, grocery store clerks and delivery workers that have risked their lives to get us food on our tables and items we need on a daily basis.We also wanted to acknowledge and honor the nurses and health care workers that have helped and taken care of our loved ones who are sick. Under the nurses are mycelium growing and connecting to heal our life force.
The cocoons on the middle left side represent the transition of our ancestors and the butterflies above symbolize their spirits protecting and guiding us.
In the center of the mural are hands planting seeds. During the pandemic many of us have found joy and solace in planting and growing our own food. We are going back to the basics of life and talking to the earth. Mother earth will heal us, we just need to tend to her as well.

Next to the garden an Abuela sews masks to protect her family and community, a young girl is painting a mural on the ground representing the community and artists coming out during shelter in place to paint boarded up businesses and creating in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests. A transparent flower grows within her.

Behind her is a graduate drive by celebration showing us moving into a smarter future and the hope that we will be able to hug our loved ones again. The grandmother and granddaughter hugging turn into a heart representing family is the heart of our community.

The bottom right side of the mural is water coming from Juana Alicia's mural La Llorona which turns into the fabric being sewn into a Serape to guide and flow through the entire mural.

681 Florida
©2021 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size: 48' x 6'
Lead artists: Susan Cervantes, Fred Alvarado, Francisco Franco, Eli Lippert and Max Marttila
Location: 681 Florida Street, San Francisco

Community Spirit
©2021 Precita Eyes Muralists

Size: 18’6” wide x 8’ high acrylic on cinder block
Directed by: Ellen Silva in collaboration with 20 faculty & staff members Marjorie H. Tobias Elementary School, Daly City
Location: Tobias Elementary School, 725 Price Street, Daly City, CA 94014

Description

From the Tobias Teachers & Staff:

Cristina Almeida   Our hands and hearts come together in strength, gratitude and hope.

Casey Baker Together, we grow and flourish. Together, we reach toward greatness

Faye Baltazar The outer hands symbolize the teachers/staff who help mold and shape the student’s futures. The Students are at the center of the community at the heart. Through togetherness and unity, we are able to shape the younger generations.

Brooke Clark  My idea was to have different skin tones of hands putting together a puzzle, representing that we all have different skill sets and talents and that together we can solve problems and make things happen.

Jeanne Conroy MHT, School, Community, support each other

Miranda Correll  "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much"

Katherine Harsono  Stronger Together Unity in Diversity Celebrate the strength of togetherness in a world of Diversity and Kindness

Jennifer Kwon  People from all over the world come "together" to form a whole family.

Kim Lee  My message is unity because we only have one earth and all our differences should be embraced.

Betty Lew Marjorie H. Tobias Elementary encompasses a school community filled with diversity and love- working together in unison to strive for unity and commitment to peace and friendship.

Cathy Macay "This is a unity symbol, a symbol of hope (rainbows). It denotes  togetherness, nature, and life skills - which were 3 of the themes we voted on. Also, it (sideways eight) is known as a lemniscate - which is mathematical''.

Molly McDermott Peace, love, strength, unity, caring, love, learning, forgiveness, hope, kindness, integrity, honor

Victoria Ngo   Togetherness to me means our community-- which is diverse. Now more than ever, inclusivity is important.

Michael Smith Ants focus of their community first, think ahead, and don’t give up.

Melanie Sowyrda Although we can not physically touch, we do our upmost best to support our families, students, and colleagues. We draw our strength from the energy of our earth and from one another.

Anoushka Takla Together we endure and support our collective growth. This goes with the picture of the Coastal Redwood grove.

Ashley Tomlinson  We stand together. We are stronger together.

Peace on Earth
©2020 Precita Eyes Muralists

5'11" x 73'5", Acrylic on cement
Directed by: Robert Louthan
Assisted by: Julia Barzizza
Location: Longfellow Elementary School, San Francisco

Description

A circle of students, representing different countries, stand holding hands around a globe encoded in peace, as a sunflower blooms brightly behind them to symbolize growth, beauty, and vital energy. More flowers blossom from between the sunflower petals. A rainbow stretches the length of the mural, bridging the cityscape on the left with the sunny beach on the right. The rainbow supports a breadth of playful activity; dinosaurs graze beneath a flying robot, imaginative trees and flowers blossom from between the rainbow colors, and a food truck zooms down the colorful bend, bringing healthy fruits and veggies to students for lunchtime. On the right, the lion, the Longfellow mascot, gives the school a big hug, symbolizing love and safety and camaraderie. A dolphin splashes between the waves, just barely escaping a pokemon ball.

All of this unfolds from the center, as our students stand in solidarity with one another, returning once again to our message of Peace on Earth.

Murals: 1976-2005 Murals: 2006-2012 Murals: 2013-2016 Murals: 2017-2018 Murals: 2019-2020

Precita Eyes Muralists Mural Projects: 2021-2024

Precita Eyes Muralists
Mural Projects: 2021-2024