Newsletter
April 2022 Newsletter
Mosaics for a Butterfly Garden and a Public Library
Lots of people and lots of tiles contributed to new murals in a San Francisco park and Brisbane's new library.
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BUTTERFLIES FOREVER!
Precita Park Children's Playground and Butterfly Garden (405 Precita Ave.)
Lots of people and lots of tiles contributed to new murals in a San Francisco park and Brisbane's new library.
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BUTTERFLIES FOREVER!
Precita Park Children's Playground and Butterfly Garden (405 Precita Ave.)
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The butterflies flitting along the 120 x 3 foot wall -- Monarchs, Horsetails, Checkerspots, Mourning Cloaks, Buckeyes, West Coast Ladies, East Coast Ladies, Western Tiger Swallowtails and the endangered Mission Blue -- are both fanciful and accurate. They're shown amidst the milkweed, salvia, yarrow and flowers that attract them to the Precita Park Butterfly Garden. An Anna’s hummingbird, a Green Sweat bee and a mythical fairy join them. Community days were a marvel of organization, with thousands of shards sorted by color into bins for placement on grids by volunteers of all ages. Artists: Fred Alvarado, Julia Barzizza, Susan Cervantes, Suaro Cervantes, Paola Reyes-Melendez, volunteers. Funded by a SF Community Challenge Grant.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • NESTED TOGETHER WE FLOURISH Brisbane Public Library (250 Visitation Ave., Brisbane) 
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The new public library opened its doors last year with this mural of municipal milestones greeting patrons in the entryway. Funded and designed by Friends of Brisbane Library, the 8 x14 ft. panel tells the history of this San Francisco suburb in tile and acrylic. A library book opens to a page on the Ohlone people, and spills forth binary code registering the city’s 1966 incorporation. The baseball diamond, Mission Blue nurseryand mobile library are pictured, as are the city's distinctively decorated fire hydrants. Residents protest construction on San Bruno Mountain, looming overhead. Children in derby cars roll down its slopes, racing toward the book of lifelong learning. In the center, a Red-tailed Hawk carries the book's pages far beyond its nest and out into the world. Lead artists: Julia Barzizza, Susan Cervantes, Deirdre Weinberg. Assistants: Paola Reyes, Christy Majano, Josie Merer.
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Stay Tuned for Details of our Upcoming 45th Anniversary Gala (October 15) |
February 2022 Newsletter
Flynn School Murals Shine Brightly at Precita Park
Created in the mid-1970s as a community mural project — one of the city's first — the newly restored Family Life and Spirit of Mankind diptych at Leonard Flynn Elementary School (at Harrison St. with Precita Ave.) once again salutes its neighbors with vivid colors.
Created in the mid-1970s as a community mural project — one of the city's first — the newly restored Family Life and Spirit of Mankind diptych at Leonard Flynn Elementary School (at Harrison St. with Precita Ave.) once again salutes its neighbors with vivid colors.
Back in 1976, there were just half-a-dozen murals in the neighborhood. Precita Eyes co-founder Susan Cervantes had just completed the Precita Valley Community Center mural. On the other side of Precita Park, the Flynn school principal was so impressed by how the mural beautified the park and represented the neighbors that he wanted students to paint one.
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Cervantes and neighbor Judy Jamerson — who both had children at the school — led the project, working with Tony Parinello and artist Jane Wrench (who, at age 90, still lives in the neighborhood). Teen apprentices painted themselves into the mural as a band of musicians, along with 60 neighbors, including the principal, and Precita Eyes co-founder Luis Cervantes, tossing a frisbee to wife Susan.
(Top photo: Ed Bierman via Flickr/Mission Local; Other photos: Elaine Chu)
(Top photo: Ed Bierman via Flickr/Mission Local; Other photos: Elaine Chu)
"It’s all in the family! So much fun to be on this crew restoring Mama Cervantes’ 45-year-plus mural at Leonard Flynn Elementary School, alongside the Cervantes brothers."
--Facebook post by Suaro Cervantes
--Facebook post by Suaro Cervantes
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Restoration team Katerina Kipp, Luz de Verano Cervantes, Susan Cervantes, Elaine Chu and José Lamas. Not pictured: Suaro Cervantes and Safi Kolozsvari.
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Luz de Verano Cervantes touches up the image of his father Luis. Luz first added his mark to the mural when he was five years old.
Work on this mural inspired the creation in 1977 of Precita Eyes Muralists Association. Stay tuned for news of our 45th year anniversary celebration in October. |
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November 2021 Varnish Day video by Mural Doctor aka Yano Rivera. The 28x26 ft. panels received a protective coating that should last for several decades.
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Funded in 1976 as the first mural project of the San Francisco Neighborhood Beautification Improvement and SF CETA Arts programs, the 2021 restoration was funded by an SF Community Challenge Grant.
Click here for a full description of the mural.
Click here for a full description of the mural.
January 2022 Newsletter
Historic Castro AIDS Mural Defaced.
You Can Help Restore It.
Painted in 1998, the mural Hope for the World Cure, at Market and 15th Street in the Castro district, is one of the most potent public art works about the chaos and solidarity of AIDS in San Francisco and worldwde.
But a few weeks ago, in late December 2021, approximately one-third of the two-story mural was defaced with graffiti. Restoration will cost an estimated $50,000, according to Precita Eyes' Susan Cervantes, who directed the work's collective creation 25 years ago.
You Can Help Restore It.
Painted in 1998, the mural Hope for the World Cure, at Market and 15th Street in the Castro district, is one of the most potent public art works about the chaos and solidarity of AIDS in San Francisco and worldwde.
But a few weeks ago, in late December 2021, approximately one-third of the two-story mural was defaced with graffiti. Restoration will cost an estimated $50,000, according to Precita Eyes' Susan Cervantes, who directed the work's collective creation 25 years ago.
ABC7News shows the destruction.
RESTORE AND RENEW HOPE FOR THE WORLD CURE.
The mural, seen above as it looked when completed over two decades ago, was located behind what was once the popular hangout, the Bagdad Cafe (note name in upper left corner).
“THIS MURAL STILL HAS MEANING”
To the artists still living and families who were a part of this 24 years ago, "this mural still has meaning," says Susan Cervantes. “And it's not the only mural about the challenges of living with HIV, — it's an important part of the history of the area and the people who live there.”
The defacing comes as no surprise as the mural has never been restored in its quarter-century. Repair of occasional tags and graffiti have been relatively manageable, but this current violation is “huge” and would require much time and material to clean and restore.
“It's become really hard to see the original mural and its unique message about the lives of those with AIDS/ HIV,” says Cervantes.
The challenges are many: the wall itself needs repair; a trash bin blocks a section of the mural; and the corner has become a frequent homeless encampment.
District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman denounced the vandalism, saying “the defacing of the historic mural is one of many awful incidents” at 16th Street, which has been “intolerable for years.”
Mandelman promised to approach the building's owners to encourage their cooperation in the restoration effort.
— Excerpted from Hoodline: Restoration of the Castro's poignant HIV/AIDS mural uncertain after being defaced by graffiti, Dec. 29, 2021. Text and photos by Steven Bracco.
To the artists still living and families who were a part of this 24 years ago, "this mural still has meaning," says Susan Cervantes. “And it's not the only mural about the challenges of living with HIV, — it's an important part of the history of the area and the people who live there.”
The defacing comes as no surprise as the mural has never been restored in its quarter-century. Repair of occasional tags and graffiti have been relatively manageable, but this current violation is “huge” and would require much time and material to clean and restore.
“It's become really hard to see the original mural and its unique message about the lives of those with AIDS/ HIV,” says Cervantes.
The challenges are many: the wall itself needs repair; a trash bin blocks a section of the mural; and the corner has become a frequent homeless encampment.
District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman denounced the vandalism, saying “the defacing of the historic mural is one of many awful incidents” at 16th Street, which has been “intolerable for years.”
Mandelman promised to approach the building's owners to encourage their cooperation in the restoration effort.
— Excerpted from Hoodline: Restoration of the Castro's poignant HIV/AIDS mural uncertain after being defaced by graffiti, Dec. 29, 2021. Text and photos by Steven Bracco.
“This mural was a dream from the heart come true. From the beginning of my HIV diagnosis to full blown AIDS, I had a dream from my heart, a full-length movie you can enjoy fully but feels sad when it ends. Hopefully, when I die or am cured of the AIDS virus, people will see scenes from my AIDS existence in this mural.”
— Collaborating artist Clif Cox
— Collaborating artist Clif Cox
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Funded by the SF Arts Commission, the mural was a collaboration between Precita Eyes Muralists and Art from the Heart Heals, with Elba Rivera, Clif Cox, Ruth Altman, Mark Arseneau, Andrew Arzate, Dorothy Bartolomucci, Hazel Betsey, Pali Boucher, Jose Escalante, JC Oregon, Richard Purcell, Robert Raeburn, John Micheal Stevenson, Tippet, Karen Tripp, Daniel Woods.
Full description of the mural and artists' commentary here.
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The words WORLD CURE take shape behind scaffolding in this 1998 photo.
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December 2021 Newsletter
New Mural at USF: What Justice Looks Like
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Re-Imagining a Just World is the new mural at the University San Francisco's Leo McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good. Protesters sing for justice around a tree of wisdom, where a black panther, representing the Bay Area’s history of social justice movements, looks on. The mural is located at the University San Francisco, 2130 Fulton Street.
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Students, faculty and staff designed the mural.
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Derek Brown, Center director; Precita Eyes collaborating artist Francisco Franco.
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This rose flowering in the sidewalk was inspired by the poem by rapper Tupac Shakur.
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk without 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. |
October Newsletter
The Five Sacred Colors of Corn
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Bright primary colors — now restored to their original luster — recall the children who helped design this mural in 1991 for the International Year of the Child. Three decades later, Balmy Alley's signature mural has come back to life on the facade of new senior housing at the corner of Balmy Alley and 24th Street.
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Huichol yarn paintings and the centrality of maize in the Mesoamerican cosmos inspired artist Susan Cervantes, founder of Precita Eyes, and collaborator Mia Gonzalez to create sculptural wooden figures in relief.
Top photo: Four Directions of the Universe wraps around the corner of the building. |
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Above, clockwise from top left: A woman gives birth, and the father receives the child (with Suaro and Susan Cervantes); This Egyptian goddess devours the sun, then gives birth to it day after day; Grandfather Fire, framed by stalks of corn; an Earth goddess envelopes a hummingbird. The snake and dog below are spirit animals.
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"We thought the mural was going to be temporary, that the building (which housed Mission Neighborhood Center programs) was going to be torn down," Cervantes recalled. "But it stayed up for 30 years as the housing project kept being delayed."
When the old structure was finally demolished in 2021 to build low-income units for seniors, developer Mercy Housing "realized that the community had grown up with this mural, and they should preserve it as a community cultural asset and Mission Neighborhood Center legacy."
The project was something a family affair, with Cervantes working closely with sons Suaro and Luz, plus a crew from EverGreene Architectural Arts and many volunteers. Over the course of six months, Luz and the team spent hundreds of hours documenting, then removing, and finally reassembling the installation. Two other murals from the demolished building are also being relocated to the new one: a long-disappeared work by Ray Patlán is being re-envisioned inside, and the memorial to activist Sandy Cuadra by DJ Agana will resurface on the Harrison side.
more photos here…
When the old structure was finally demolished in 2021 to build low-income units for seniors, developer Mercy Housing "realized that the community had grown up with this mural, and they should preserve it as a community cultural asset and Mission Neighborhood Center legacy."
The project was something a family affair, with Cervantes working closely with sons Suaro and Luz, plus a crew from EverGreene Architectural Arts and many volunteers. Over the course of six months, Luz and the team spent hundreds of hours documenting, then removing, and finally reassembling the installation. Two other murals from the demolished building are also being relocated to the new one: a long-disappeared work by Ray Patlán is being re-envisioned inside, and the memorial to activist Sandy Cuadra by DJ Agana will resurface on the Harrison side.
more photos here…
July Newsletter
On Mural-Making, Precita's Artistic Mission, And Believing In Mission Youth
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"Working with others means seeing things in a new way."
A conversation between Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes and son Luz de Verano looking back at decades of local history and community art in the Mission.
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And from the De Young museum . . .
Francesca D'Alessio, host of the museum's Local Voices podcast, speaks with Susan Cervantes about the importance of public art to elevate the work of new generations. (May 2021, 33 min.)
June Newsletter
"Creation 2 Liberation" on July 17, Precita Park
Urban Youth Arts Annual Summer Festival Celebrates Its 25th Year
Urban Youth Arts Annual Summer Festival Celebrates Its 25th Year
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Precita Eyes Muralists announces
"Creation 2 Liberation" 25th ANNUAL URBAN YOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL Saturday, July 17, from 12 noon to 5 PM Precita Park (between Folsom and Alabama) FREE / ALL AGES WELCOME Join us in celebrating the 25th year of our summer festival, providing a safe, fun and free space for youth to express themselves through collaborative spray art. Show up, appreciate, and support our neighborhood youth musicians and artists in an afternoon of live entertainment and creative community. _________________________________________________________________________ Marking 25 years of youth-driven art, this year's festival is dedicated to the work of five local youth groups: 5 Elements, HOMEY, Roadmap to Peace, Success Centers, and students from the Precita Eyes Urban Youth Arts program. _____________________________________________________________ Live Music and Dance by K'in Sventa BOLERO! B3ar MC Lurkers Lane Rising Rhythm Dance Company TruPeople (Precita UYA Program alumni) _____________________________________________________________ |
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Thanks to our supporters
SF Recreation and Parks; Recology; Babylon Burning; Blick Art Materials
Thanks to our supporters
SF Recreation and Parks; Recology; Babylon Burning; Blick Art Materials
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May 2021
From Drab to Dazzling in Daly City
"Not only is our school more beautiful because of the murals, they also present wonderfully positive visual messages for all the world to see."
—Cathy Macay, Principal of Marjorie H. Tobias Elementary School
"Not only is our school more beautiful because of the murals, they also present wonderfully positive visual messages for all the world to see."
—Cathy Macay, Principal of Marjorie H. Tobias Elementary School
Panoramas of natural habitats by Daly City students express the vibrant concern of the younger generation for the environment. The murals at Marjorie H. Tobias Elementary School reflect principal Cathy Macay's quest to transform the school's drab walls and encourage students to visualize the worlds they want to protect. Working with 3rd-5th graders in the after-school program, Precita Eyes artists led by muralist Ellen Silva started painting in 2018 and have completed eight murals since.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT
(Spring 2021)
Adapting to school closure and shelter-in-place, the latest mural — unveiled this month — was designed by school staff over Zoom and painted in pairs.
(Spring 2021)
Adapting to school closure and shelter-in-place, the latest mural — unveiled this month — was designed by school staff over Zoom and painted in pairs.
"It’s so fun to see our drawings become a mural on wall! Can we do another one?” — 3rd graders
Groups of 20 students selected the themes, researched content and contributed their individual drawings. The lead artists pulled it all together and transferred designs to the wall for the eight-to-10 year olds to paint.
Groups of 20 students selected the themes, researched content and contributed their individual drawings. The lead artists pulled it all together and transferred designs to the wall for the eight-to-10 year olds to paint.
Life in Outer Space
(Fall 2020)
(Fall 2020)
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Save our Sierra Nevadas
(Spring 2019)
(Spring 2019)
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Desert Island
(Fall 2019)
(Fall 2019)
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Protect Our Oceans Filled with Colorful Fish
(Spring 2018)
(Spring 2018)
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Save Our Rainforests
(Fall 2018)
(Fall 2018)
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Beyond the Horizon and What the Sea Brings (2018)
Led by muralists Robert Louthan, Eli Lippert and Flavia Mora
Led by muralists Robert Louthan, Eli Lippert and Flavia Mora
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April 2021
At 26th St. and Harrison
Garfield Pool Mural Restored and Expanded After 40 Years
Primal Sea, the 90-foot seascape of whimsical creatures that has greeted swimmers at Garfield Park for four decades, just got a facelift.
Primal Sea, the 90-foot seascape of whimsical creatures that has greeted swimmers at Garfield Park for four decades, just got a facelift.
The Precita Eyes team of lead artist Susan Cervantes, Yano Rivera, Patricia Rose and Pablo Arroyo restored and enhanced the outdoor mural as part of the city's overhaul of the park. The $19.7 million renovation project was completed in March after two years of construction, and includes a clubhouse, courtyard and renovated indoor pool spanned by a new glass mural by local artist Favianna Rodriguez.
The pool opens to the public on May 1.
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The pool opens to the public on May 1.
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EL ESKELITO
In this video, Susan and Luz Cervantes recall a reefer-smokin' skull (in the mural's lower right corner) and what it taught them about working in community. |
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As Patricia Rose, one of the original artists, notes, "The children who painted the fish are grandparents now. People write to us about the murals they grew up with, asking if they're still there, saying: 'It meant so much to me that I could look out my window and see it.' ”
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Above, a close-up of the restoration, and a mermaid with her treasures. (Photos by Yano Rivera and Ernesto Guaman)
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and Back in 1980...
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and Back in 1980...
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Primal Sea was Precita Eyes' first public commission and came about in 1980 when pool staff asked the muralists to brighten up the enclosure's drab gray walls. At left, volunteer Tony Parrinello works on the original mural, which featured a swim team (right) that included the Garfield Park gardener, wearing a blue cap.
November 24, 2020
"Community Spirit"
Celebrates The Life, Culture And Arts Of Precita Valley
Precita Eyes Muralists' 40-year saga to remain in its 348 Precita Ave. studio is now boldly chronicled on the walls it fought to retain.
Celebrates The Life, Culture And Arts Of Precita Valley
Precita Eyes Muralists' 40-year saga to remain in its 348 Precita Ave. studio is now boldly chronicled on the walls it fought to retain.
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When the scaffolding came down in November at Treat and Precita Avenue, behold! Fact Wino, butterflies morph into carnaval masks, Tree Woman, Latin Rock congueros, picnics and our Urban Youth Arts festival in Precita Park.
Photos by Ernesto Guamán |
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Top: Image of children painting the Precita Eyes logo captures the spirit of the studio. Above left: The United Farm Workers huelga (strike) bird and Precita Creek; Above right: A Mayan pyramid stands on the corner; Below left: Precita Eyes Muralists board member Ernesto Guamán with mural plans; Below right: The Precita Eyes Muralists studio at 348 Precita Avenue.
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Community Paint Day album.
On August 8, neighbors and friends put on face masks, grabbed brushes, and painted their own patch of the mural. The 12’-25’ high x 88’ long collective creation is a visual catalogue of local cultural icons and public spaces. |
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Saving the Studio
Interviews and video by Yenia Jimenez, here.
Interviews and video by Yenia Jimenez, here.
ARTISTS: Deirdre Weinberg, Dennis MacKenzie, Diego Irizarry, Elaine Chu, Eli Lippert, Estefanie, Fred Alvarado, George Crampton, Henry Sultan, John Morrow, Jude Pagpaguitan, Julia Barzizza, Kiry Luc, Marisa Mariscotti, Max Marttila, Noaki Onodera, Susan Cervantes, Teresa Benson, Xavier Bess, Yoshua Cordoba and Yuka Ezoe
Special Thanks to Funders and Supporters:
Zellerbach Family Fund, Fleishhacker Foundation, Precita Valley Neighbors, Luz Cervantes, Suaro Cervantes, Yaytak Chiang, Tiffany Chiang, Grace Chin, Alice Chin, Paulette Liang, Eric Norberg, Mingus Norberg and Elena Norberg Brown, Willow Brown, Ernesto Paul and community volunteers.
Special Thanks to Funders and Supporters:
Zellerbach Family Fund, Fleishhacker Foundation, Precita Valley Neighbors, Luz Cervantes, Suaro Cervantes, Yaytak Chiang, Tiffany Chiang, Grace Chin, Alice Chin, Paulette Liang, Eric Norberg, Mingus Norberg and Elena Norberg Brown, Willow Brown, Ernesto Paul and community volunteers.
One Artist's Response to Shelter-in-Place
Have Brush, Will Transform Plywood
Have Brush, Will Transform Plywood
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Muralist Deirdre Weinberg is spending shelter-in-place dealing with two kinds of boards: the plywood planks shuttering so many SF storefronts, and the Precita Eyes' Board of Directors.
Her murals radiate positive energy with a touch of whimsy. More about Weinberg's street art here. |
New mural at 1758 Fillmore harks back to the flu epidemic of 1920.
Our NEW Online Paint Store Now Open!
Fifty-five colors of acrylic paint available, plus primer, varnish, texture paste, Novaplex, Sheercoat and Cleverclean.
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Love the Names of Colors?
Check out this partial list of paints. Lemon Yellow, Legume Yellow, Playa Yellow, Sunray Yellow, Sunset Yellow, Azo Yellow, Tzcheng Yellow, Mellow Yellow, Ocelot Orange, Organic Orange, Naranja, Napthol Crimson, Lava Red, Pyrrole Red, Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone Purple, Royal Purple, Pinkalicious, Icy Blue, Stratos Violet, Lilac Violet, Imperial Violet, Phthalo Blue, Blue Moon, Titanic Blue, Miles Blue, Baby Blue, Pacific Blue, Phthalo Green, Navajo Turquoise, Hooker's Green, Turtle Green, Jolly Apple, Hawthorne Green, Leafy Green, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Saxon, Red Iron Oxide... |
The online store is selling paint products only for now.
The rest of our merchandise--mugs, postcards, T-shirts, hoodies, books, bags, prints, paintings and other treasures—will be available for online purchase in the future.
Until then, make your purchase by phone or email, with curbside pick-up on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, noon to 5 pm.
Contact the Precita Eyes store at: Email: store@precitaeyes.org; tel: 415-285-2287.
The rest of our merchandise--mugs, postcards, T-shirts, hoodies, books, bags, prints, paintings and other treasures—will be available for online purchase in the future.
Until then, make your purchase by phone or email, with curbside pick-up on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, noon to 5 pm.
Contact the Precita Eyes store at: Email: store@precitaeyes.org; tel: 415-285-2287.
To safeguard the health of our employees, clients, visitors and friends, the Precita Eyes store on 2981-24th Street, and all in-person classes, workshops and tours, will remain closed until it's safe to open again.
Take care of yourselves and others.
Take care of yourselves and others.
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Home Sweet Home:
Be Kind, Stay Safe A new painting by Susan Cervantes, founding director of Precita Eyes Muralists, sits in the window of the organization's art studio at 348 Precita Ave. |
The building will soon shed its scaffolding to reveal the new Community Spirit and Legacy of Precita Eyes mural, a 25' x 88' foot creation designed with the residents of the three buildings on the site, members of the community, and Precita Eyes staff, students, board members and volunteers.
Join Us at the Dedication Ceremony on December 5.
Join Us at the Dedication Ceremony on December 5.
September 2020
One Artist's Response to Shelter-in-Place
Have Brush, Will Transform Plywood
Have Brush, Will Transform Plywood
Muralist Deirdre Weinberg is spending shelter-in-place dealing with two kinds of boards: the plywood planks shuttering so many SF storefronts, and Precita Eyes' Board of Directors.
"I've been embracing the idea of impermanence," she says, reflecting on her work over the last couple of months. "It's a mindset that forces you to absorb the moment."
Since the city shut down and the shutters went up, Weinberg has transformed dozens of boarded-up windows and walls into whimsical mini-murals that radiate uplifting color and positivity. Her approach is straightforward: most days, she heads out along the Divisadero corridor or Fillmore, spies a storefront in need of a makeover, walks in and introduces herself as a muralist. She doesn't carry a portfolio or even photos on a smart phone. She simply points out some of the murals she's painted nearby, works out a small stipend to cover the cost of supplies, and gets to work. Sometimes the store owner has an idea in mind, but mostly they leave it up to her.
"I've been embracing the idea of impermanence," she says, reflecting on her work over the last couple of months. "It's a mindset that forces you to absorb the moment."
Since the city shut down and the shutters went up, Weinberg has transformed dozens of boarded-up windows and walls into whimsical mini-murals that radiate uplifting color and positivity. Her approach is straightforward: most days, she heads out along the Divisadero corridor or Fillmore, spies a storefront in need of a makeover, walks in and introduces herself as a muralist. She doesn't carry a portfolio or even photos on a smart phone. She simply points out some of the murals she's painted nearby, works out a small stipend to cover the cost of supplies, and gets to work. Sometimes the store owner has an idea in mind, but mostly they leave it up to her.
New mural at 1758 Fillmore harks back to the flu epidemic of 1920. Below left, at Post and Hyde, portraits of Sean Monterrosa and George Floyd, victims of police violence. At right, aardvark at 2298 Steiner.
See Weinberg's work on her Instagram account (@dwei100) and website. |
Weinberg draws her inspiration from her surroundings. Recently, a reporter from Local News Matters caught her outside the Buena Vista Cafe, working alongside artist Kurt Schwartzmann, adorning a plastic traffic barrier with the visage of a playful baby seal. “I’m a bay swimmer and there are a lot of seals out there right now," she explained. "I hit one accidentally, and it scared the hell out of me.”
Weinberg started painting murals 25 years ago, as a college student. As an artist, "my major interest has been to involve local people from all walks of life in every aspect of each project. I believe that each person in their life and their community has something to contribute to the way we all see and understand the world." That philosophy brought her to Precita Eyes Muralists back in the 1990s, where she's been a collaborator in countless activities. As a member (and currently President) of its Board of Directors, she's part of the team helping the mural arts association navigate the city-ordained lockdown while its normal activities — tours, classes, workshops, store sales and work in schools — are on hold. |
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Board members Deirdre Weinberg(top left), Luz Cervantes, Henry Sultan and Marisa Mariscotti. Board members not pictured: Susan Cervantes, Kasha Frese, Ernesto Guaman, Jennifer Holmes, Angela Jamerson, Kelenia Olsen, Geordie Van Der Bosch.
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August 2020
Summer Youth Arts Festival Goes Online and International
Precita Eyes' 24th annual Urban Youth Arts celebration became the first-ever international live-streamed graffiti art festival.
Precita Eyes' 24th annual Urban Youth Arts celebration became the first-ever international live-streamed graffiti art festival.
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On July 18-19, some 60 artists from the Bay Area and around the world painted simultaneously from their homes and in the streets, broadcast over Zoom and YouTube, accompanied by the beats of dozens of prerecorded musical sets, online workshops and live DJs, as an audience of hundreds tuned in.
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"At first, the idea of a festival online made me cringe," says organizer Cio Castaneda. "But keeping the tradition alive took precedence, and so we pressed on, not skipping a beat. And it turned out to be one of the most innovative and gratifying initiatives I've ever been part of." Read the full story here.
Above, festival coordinators Cio Castaneda (left) and Nancy Pili Hernandez (center) with online hosts Kathya Correa Almanza and Alma Pozos.
Above, festival coordinators Cio Castaneda (left) and Nancy Pili Hernandez (center) with online hosts Kathya Correa Almanza and Alma Pozos.
See the Urban Youth Arts festival video HERE.
All photos courtesy Harvey Lozada.
All photos courtesy Harvey Lozada.
June 2020
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Muralists Transform Plywood Into Protests
In Oakland and San Francisco, storefronts boarded up by lockdown and protests are the new frontline canvas for painting the voices of Black Lives Matter and dignity. Protests on the Streets of Oakland
Shut It Down, at Broadway and 13th Street, came up in a few hours at the hands of Twin Walls Mural Company duo Marina Perez-Wong and Elaine Chu (Administrative Director of Precita Eyes).
The artists are featured in Female Muralists Behind BLM's Most Vicsceral Imagery, saying: "It’s not enough to depict what has already happened. We want to honor what’s happened and show what actions need to be taken moving forward to give power to the people." |
Photo: Kumar Butler/ELLE
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Panels by Kee Romano(@Lamakina510) and Sarah Siskin (@ssiskin) of Los Pobres Artistas declare La Cultura Cura (culture heals) and solidarity.
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MURALS IN THE MEDIA
* From civil unrest to outdoor gallery: How local artists are transforming Oakland (Berkeleyside)
* Oakland’s BLM Murals Call for Justice (KQED)
* Breathtaking murals for justice proliferate on the streets of downtown Oakland (7x7)
* George Floyd protests: Oakland murals channel movement on boarded-up windows (Mercury News)
* From civil unrest to outdoor gallery: How local artists are transforming Oakland (Berkeleyside)
* Oakland’s BLM Murals Call for Justice (KQED)
* Breathtaking murals for justice proliferate on the streets of downtown Oakland (7x7)
* George Floyd protests: Oakland murals channel movement on boarded-up windows (Mercury News)
Beautifying Boarded-Up San Francisco
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Deirdre Weinberg (@dwei100) looked around her SF neighborhood and wondered what she could do about the blight of boards. The answer? "'Do what I always do — paint." Weinberg, president of the Precita Eyes' Board of Directors, also teamed up with Josie Merer, Teresa Benson and Pablo Ruiz Arroyo when all four responded to a call from Sutter Health to paint the plywood protections at its Mission clinic at 899 Valencia.
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Details from Weinberg's murals on businesses shuttered during shelter-in-place. At left, a musician plays the mandolin outside the Plough and Stars on Clement. At right, decorative flourishes on the walls of restaurants and cafés at Steiner, Divisidero and Union.
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Painting The Void
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New initiative Paint the Void matches local artists with boarded-up businesses to "create murals as a response to the void left behind in the wake of Covid-19." They partnered with Twin Walls Mural Company to bring buffalos back to Buffalo Exchange, 1210 Valencia Street, in Protectors of the Sacred: Prayer for Buffalo Nation. At right, a plumed piper in pastels by Robert Louthan guards the entrance to Absinthe Brasserie, 398 Hayes Street.
May 2020
Our Murals Are All Around You.
Visit them. Bask in their inspired visions.
Visit them. Bask in their inspired visions.
"¡Sí Se Puede!" (1995), Cesar Chavez Elementary School at 23rd St. and Folsom
A friendly greeting shouted from a porch, a phone call, picking up groceries for a neighbor -- simple gestures can alleviate the dread and sadness of the pandemic that surrounds us and break through isolation. In these difficult times, every connection strengthens our resilience.
Precita Eyes Muralists has worked for more than four decades to uplift culture and community through collective art-making led by local artists.
In March, Precita Eyes closed its store and art in response to the public health emergency. This closure will extend through the end of May. We've had to temporarily postpone or cancel new projects and our permanent programs. Our Urban Youth Arts workshops and children's art classes have been suspended. Our work in schools is on hold. Our celebrated walking tours are on pause.
These cancellations have left our collaborating and teaching artists without a source of income.
While we've been busy adapting. planning and applying for all forms of relief available to us, we also need to turn to you, our friends and community. We ask you to take a moment to revisit these iconic 24th Street murals, then support our work by aiding the hands that help the walls to speak.
Be safe and take care of one another,
—Susan Cervantes (founder/director) and the Precita Eyes Team
Precita Eyes Muralists has worked for more than four decades to uplift culture and community through collective art-making led by local artists.
In March, Precita Eyes closed its store and art in response to the public health emergency. This closure will extend through the end of May. We've had to temporarily postpone or cancel new projects and our permanent programs. Our Urban Youth Arts workshops and children's art classes have been suspended. Our work in schools is on hold. Our celebrated walking tours are on pause.
These cancellations have left our collaborating and teaching artists without a source of income.
While we've been busy adapting. planning and applying for all forms of relief available to us, we also need to turn to you, our friends and community. We ask you to take a moment to revisit these iconic 24th Street murals, then support our work by aiding the hands that help the walls to speak.
Be safe and take care of one another,
—Susan Cervantes (founder/director) and the Precita Eyes Team
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Culture of the Crossroads" (1998), 24th St. at Mission St.
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Help sustain Precita Eyes Muralists through these difficult times.
Every gift is a gesture of support. Every donation helps.
February 2020
Muralists to the rescue at 24th and Folsom
Transformation of a Trash Bin
Transformation of a Trash Bin
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Not long ago, the Precita Eyes' Presente! mural on the Folsom side of Philz Coffee was marred an unwanted addition: a hulking, ramshackle wooden structure slapped together to house the cafe's trash cans. (Philz takes out the trash, obscures Precita Eyes mural, by Julian Mark/Mission Local, April 2019)
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Enter muralists Max Marttila and Fred Alvarado to repair the damage. This duo mentored the Walls of Respect students who created the mural in 2015.
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The wall+shelter now bears a new tribute — to local skateboarding legend Jake Phelps (✟ 2019) — and exhortations to Ban ICE and Basta! ("Enough!"). The mural's comic-book style includes texts exalting family, respect and teachers.
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The iconic mural, a favorite of locals and tourists alike, pays homage to community heroes, including Everett Middle School teacher Martha Estrella, artist Michael V. Rios, a Loco Bloco batucada, clips from El Tecolote, and people walking up Bernal Heights, mourning Alex Nietoand Amilcar Pérez-López, slain by SF police. Hanging out at the corner, poet/activist Alfonso Texidor (✟ 2014) promises passersby that: "When the revolution comes, I'll put in a good word for you."
December 2019
Add Your Hand to Community Art with a Year-End Donation
The murals below are a selection of works created by many hands, guided by Precita Eyes artists, in local schools and health centers during 2019.
Become a Member or Donate Today!
The murals below are a selection of works created by many hands, guided by Precita Eyes artists, in local schools and health centers during 2019.
Become a Member or Donate Today!
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Above & Beyond
Lead artists: Sarah Siskin and Fred Alvarado. Location: Kaiser Permanente Fabiola Building, 3801 Howe St, Oakland
Lead artists: Sarah Siskin and Fred Alvarado. Location: Kaiser Permanente Fabiola Building, 3801 Howe St, Oakland
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Knowledge is Your Temple
Designed by Mike Bam Tyau, assisted by Diego Irizarry and SF-CESS after-school program students. Location: Thurgood Marshall Academic High School, 45 Conkling St, San Francisco
Designed by Mike Bam Tyau, assisted by Diego Irizarry and SF-CESS after-school program students. Location: Thurgood Marshall Academic High School, 45 Conkling St, San Francisco
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Dignity
Directed by Eli Lippert, with Diego Irizarry. Designed by McAuley CEEP students and staff. Location: St. Mary's Medical Center, 450 Stanyan St., San Francisco
Directed by Eli Lippert, with Diego Irizarry. Designed by McAuley CEEP students and staff. Location: St. Mary's Medical Center, 450 Stanyan St., San Francisco
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Curiosity Will Get You Where You Want To Go
Directed by Robert Louthan and Deirdre Weinberg, with Lincoln High School students and Precita Eyes volunteers. Location: Lincoln High School, 2162 24th Ave., San Francisco
Directed by Robert Louthan and Deirdre Weinberg, with Lincoln High School students and Precita Eyes volunteers. Location: Lincoln High School, 2162 24th Ave., San Francisco
October 2019
Precita Eyes "is the essence of San Francisco," Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts (at center, with the mural team) told the SF Chronicle. "And the concept of bringing San Francisco and the East Bay together is what the Warriors are about. To have this come from the Mission District makes it my single favorite piece in the collection.”
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Precita Eyes was one of 33 local and international creators commissioned by the Chase Center art program to beautify the new 18,000-seat arena, which opened its doors in September.
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THE GOLDEN BASKETBALL:
Cervantes (at left) used 24-karat gold glaze to bestow a Golden State glimmer to this sphere. At the heart of the mural, youths play ball amid golden poppies, surrounded by landmarks from both sides of the bay. |
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A Giant Girasol Grows at Mission Senior Housing
This sunflower climbs 12 stories up the facade of Casa Adelante, a senior housing community at 1855-15th Street (corner of 15th and Ramona in the Mission), and can be seen from half-a-mile away.
Inspired by the theme of growth and renewal, Girasol was designed by the building's residents and Mission Economic Development Agency staff. It was completed in January 2019. Lead artists Dan Fontes (pictured below) and Precita Eyes Muralists founder Susan Cervantes were assisted by Kristi Holohan, Antoinette Johnson, Gerrie Kunin, Gwen Perry and Haley Summerfield. Crisscrossed by motifs representing the diversity of the building's residents, the mural depicts (from bottom up): cloth from the Philippines; a trio of Russian hammer-and-sickles; Chinese symbols of longevity; an Islamic tile drawn from a 2000-year-old mosaic; cloth from India; a Mexican serape; Ethiopian cloth with tigers and oxen; and symbols from the Hopi culture.
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August 2019 N
Baobab Rising in the Tenderloin
The new mural at 350 Ellis celebrates the Tenderloin's legacy of African-American jazz, the struggles for LGBTQ rights, local Asian culture, and the neighborhood's low-income residents.
The new mural at 350 Ellis celebrates the Tenderloin's legacy of African-American jazz, the struggles for LGBTQ rights, local Asian culture, and the neighborhood's low-income residents.
The sun radiates through a baobab tree enclosing a Black Power fist representing the strength and resilience of the Tenderloin. An eye sees a pathway into the future andvenues from the past: the Black Hawk Jazz Club, with Billie Holiday and W.C. Handy, and Compton's Cafeteria, site of the city's first gay rights riots. The Warfield and the Ambassador, two of the city's oldest SROs, loom above a construction worker building low-cost housing, accompanied by a woman in a walker, a man in a wheelchair adorned with a peace symbol, a protestor with a placard, and tents along a sidewalk.
Funded by a Community Challenge Grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission and Ellis 350 Associates.
Funded by a Community Challenge Grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission and Ellis 350 Associates.
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Artists Monica Magtoto, Eli Lippert, Mel Waters, Malik Seneferu and Precita Eyes director Susan Cervantes (not pictured) painted the monumental work from scaffolding suspended from the roof of the 13-story building.
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June 2019
"Innovative Resistance": Latest Mural From Precita Eyes' Youth Program
The mural rises several stories high on the 15th street side of the Impact Hub building at 1885 Mission St, San Francisco.
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A generous donation from AT&T made this mural possible. In the photo: ATT representative Cammy Blackstone; lead artists Max Marrtila and Samantha Curl; SF District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen; Precita Eyes Muralists director Susan Cervantes.
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The mural presents a vision of San Francisco as seen by young local artists. At the top, the SF skyline illuminates masks with the city's 415 area code.
In the center, a Muni bus driven by a woman in clothing inspired by Mayan goddess Ix’chel takes passengers on a life journey. A fiery jaguar clings to its roof. The road beneath is being woven by a woman who crafts the words INNOVATE and RESIST into the fabric.
Under the freeway, a homeless family huddles around a bright light of hope, as protesters march for housing and human rights. Artists confront police as passersby record the conflict on their phones. Surveillance cameras and radio towers are hidden among the flowers, which represent the resilience that blossoms in harsh conditions.
At the bottom, a spirit honoring Nia Wilson, the Oakland teen murdered in 2018, dances to music spun by a local DJ. A case with flowers spills open, revealing the hope and medicine we can carry with us as we go through life.
In the center, a Muni bus driven by a woman in clothing inspired by Mayan goddess Ix’chel takes passengers on a life journey. A fiery jaguar clings to its roof. The road beneath is being woven by a woman who crafts the words INNOVATE and RESIST into the fabric.
Under the freeway, a homeless family huddles around a bright light of hope, as protesters march for housing and human rights. Artists confront police as passersby record the conflict on their phones. Surveillance cameras and radio towers are hidden among the flowers, which represent the resilience that blossoms in harsh conditions.
At the bottom, a spirit honoring Nia Wilson, the Oakland teen murdered in 2018, dances to music spun by a local DJ. A case with flowers spills open, revealing the hope and medicine we can carry with us as we go through life.
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“Innovative Resistance” was directed by Max Marttila and assisted by Sami Schilf, Diego Irizarry and Amber Ramirez. Designed and painted by Urban Youth Arts participatns Teresa Benson, Josie Merer, Jason Ira, Gisselle Wilson, Chloe Dimitrou, Sydney Li, Jude Pagpaguitan, Angelica Castro, Jaden Luscher, Xochitl Quiroz, Izak Lederman-Beach, Lilia Kuroda, Brenda de aa Cruz, Neto Najera, Chase, Haven Hibser, Rey Novicio Jr, Ronna Raz, Emily Lin and Charlene Casuga.
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April 2019
New Mural Weaves Together Treasure Island's Past, Present And Future
Adorning the Treasure Island YMCA Gymnasium, the mural was led by Precita Eyes muralists Susan Cervantes and Francisco Franco, in collaboration with residents and the Treasure Island Development Association.
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A Native American storyteller sits around a fire on the shoals of Yerba Buena Island sharing tales with a modern family. A phoenix rises from the flames, representing San Francisco's rebirth from the 1906 earthquake, alongside buildings constructed for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition and anchors symbolizing the US Navy presence from the Second World War until 1997. Longshoremen from the 1930s Bay Area workers' movement transition into youths running and playing with a paper version of the Yankee Clipper seaplane. The 40-feet high Truth is Beauty/Bliss Project sculpture by Marco Cochrane that once stood in the center of the island (shown here alongside the original work) also rises again, dancing with the word LOVE, under construction by developers, all framed by the Bay and Golden Gate bridges.
March 2019
The Laguna Honda Hospital Mural: A Long Walk Through Local Landscapes and History
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The 600-foot mural follows the contours of a retaining wall at the base of a steep hill. It's next to impossible to get a full panoramic view of the mural and not get hit by a car. Just walking alongside it takes a good 15 minutes.
This is the Laguna Honda Hospital mural, completed in February by a team of Precita Eyes artists and community members. At its base, the mural opens onto the world of the Ohlone before the arrival of Spanish settlers, then traverses the history of the site from the Rancho San Miguel land grant, the first municipal poorhouse and hospital, the tunnel and trains that connect the west side neighborhoods of Twins Peaks, Sutro Tower, the Midtown Terrace, West Portal and Forest Hill, and, in the horizon, downtown San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, and the future.
The mural's exuberant flora and fauna are already celebrated, with one of its Great Blue Herons on the cover of Bay Nature magazine, a tribute to the scientific rigor of its imagery.
"The job of an artist is to visualize a story," says lead muralist Elaine Chu, who partnered with her Precita Eyes colleague Yuka Ezoe on the project. Both are star collaborators with Precita Eyes Muralists, with Ezoe heading its education program and Chu playing a coordinating role. In addition to their prolific output with Precita Eyes, both are sought-after artists with their own mural enterprises. (Chu is half of Twin Walls Mural Company; and Ezoe is half of Bahama Kangaroo. )
The Laguna Honda mural has been "a journey of research, funding, community building, chipping walls and nonstop painting in the heat and cold," says Chu. It began when the hospital commissioned Precita Eyes to paint a mural marking its 150th anniversary, celebrated in 2016, and its legacy of care to San Franciscans in need.
Initial funding came from the Tides, Zellerbach Family and Fleishhacker foundations. The second and third stages were funded by SF District 7 participatory budgeting grants, with local residents voting it as their favorite project.
"We were lucky to have met Supervisor Norman Yee at a Midtown Terrace neighborhood block party," says Chu. "He loved our mural idea and encouraged us to apply. So we gave it a try."
Read full interview HERE
This is the Laguna Honda Hospital mural, completed in February by a team of Precita Eyes artists and community members. At its base, the mural opens onto the world of the Ohlone before the arrival of Spanish settlers, then traverses the history of the site from the Rancho San Miguel land grant, the first municipal poorhouse and hospital, the tunnel and trains that connect the west side neighborhoods of Twins Peaks, Sutro Tower, the Midtown Terrace, West Portal and Forest Hill, and, in the horizon, downtown San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, and the future.
The mural's exuberant flora and fauna are already celebrated, with one of its Great Blue Herons on the cover of Bay Nature magazine, a tribute to the scientific rigor of its imagery.
"The job of an artist is to visualize a story," says lead muralist Elaine Chu, who partnered with her Precita Eyes colleague Yuka Ezoe on the project. Both are star collaborators with Precita Eyes Muralists, with Ezoe heading its education program and Chu playing a coordinating role. In addition to their prolific output with Precita Eyes, both are sought-after artists with their own mural enterprises. (Chu is half of Twin Walls Mural Company; and Ezoe is half of Bahama Kangaroo. )
The Laguna Honda mural has been "a journey of research, funding, community building, chipping walls and nonstop painting in the heat and cold," says Chu. It began when the hospital commissioned Precita Eyes to paint a mural marking its 150th anniversary, celebrated in 2016, and its legacy of care to San Franciscans in need.
Initial funding came from the Tides, Zellerbach Family and Fleishhacker foundations. The second and third stages were funded by SF District 7 participatory budgeting grants, with local residents voting it as their favorite project.
"We were lucky to have met Supervisor Norman Yee at a Midtown Terrace neighborhood block party," says Chu. "He loved our mural idea and encouraged us to apply. So we gave it a try."
Read full interview HERE
December 2018
Restoring Cherished Murals Keeps These Community Stories Vibrantly Alive
Precita Eyes painstakingly revives two iconic San Francisco murals.
Precita Eyes painstakingly revives two iconic San Francisco murals.
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The Ping Yuen mural (above) at the housing project of the same name depicts the contributions, hopes and memories of SF's Chinatown. Painted in 1999 by Darryl Mar, who joined the restoration team, the mural at Stockton and Pacific is dedicated to "the memory of Sing Kan Mah and all those who have struggled to make America their home."
The Zapatista-inspired "Life and Dreams of the Perla River Valley / Vida y sueños de la cañada Perla" (below) -- also painted in 1999 and recently restored by Precita Eyes -- reproduces a mural destroyed in the military occupation of the Chiapas village it depicts. The original work was painted by Mexican artist Sergio Valdéz Rubalcaba. The local version is outside City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Ave.
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Revolutionary leaders Emiliano Zapata, Ricardo Flores Magón and ski-masked Zapatista rebels watch over an indigenous community. The inscription reads: "Like the corn that grows from buried seed, symbol of hope and rebirth, the Taniperla mural reminds us that creativity outlives violence, and the dignity that gives life to a people is not so easily silenced.”
November 2018
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Bulgarian Artist on Treasure Island Takes Precita Eyes Muralists Community Model Back Home
An American bald eagle and a Bulgarian heraldic lion are not animals you expect to find in the middle of the SF Bay. But a new mural by visiting Bulgarian master muralist Oleg Gotchev, a Treasure Island resident for the past five months, adds a colorful splash of bi-national symbolism to the former naval base. His tribute to “Bulgaria in the USA” was unveiled on the old Navy handball courts (corner of 9th Street and Avenue D) on November 11, sponsored by the Treasure Island Development Authority and the friendship of Precita Eyes. The elegant mural, with its elaborate gold figures against the green, red and white of the Bulgarian flag, is Gotchev's farewell gift to San Francisco, where he spent the last five months as a Fulbright scholar. A professor at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia for the past 30 years, Gotchev wants to create Bulgaria's first non-governmental mural arts organization to promote "a really new, vital and independent mural art that reflects the spiritual needs of contemporary society." "Socially-oriented murals are uncharted territory in Bulgarian mural art," says Gotchev, who leads the mural division of the Union of Bulgarian Artists. "The kind of murals you see in San Francisco, the kind that present the problems of society and diverse social groups, don't really exist in my country." Getting to know Precita Eyes — its murals, its people, and its community-driven model of financial support — was an eye-opener for the 64-year-old artist. He feasted on the "intensely vibrant, strong colors" of what he identifies as "the Precita Eyes style." He thrilled to the symbolism, mythological figures and lush vegetation that, as a newcomer to Chicano-style art, he sometimes struggled to decipher. Gotchev interviewed artists and cultural institutions, including the SF Arts Commission. He was also an enthusiastic participant in the Precita Eyes Urban Youth Arts summer festival, where he painted a "pop-up Martenitsa" — a portable mural version of the iconic Bulgarian folk figure, guaranteed to bestow happiness and good luck. |
Martenitsa for Mission: The Martenitsa is a small red-and-white amulet exchanged by Bulgarians to usher in the spring and protect against evil. In this version, painted by Oleg Gotchev (pictured here with Precita Eyes' Susan Cervantes), folk figures Pizho and Penda hold hands under a rainbow, inviting participants of Precita's Urban Youth Festival to join their dance and search for eternal happiness under a Bulgarian sun.
Bulgaria in the USA: National symbols of Bulgaria and the US adorn this mural. Foremost is the golden image of the Madara Rider (or Madara Horseman), a medieval rock carving of a knight triumphing over a lion. Carved into a 100-meter cliff in northeastern Bulgaria during the reign of Bulgar Khan Tervel in the early 8th century, it honors Asparuh, the founder of the Bulgarian nation. At the ribbon cutting, Gotchev (center) is joined by Treasure Island Development Authority Peter Summerville (left), Susan Cervantes (right) and members of the SF-based Bulgaria-Antika Cultural Club.
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October 2018
Eviction Threats to Precita's Neighbors Highlight Calle 24 Latino Cultural District's Mission to Defend the Mission
Calle 24 Latino Cultural District street sign. Susan Cervantes with young muralists at Calle 24's Fiesta de la Americas. Flags of the Americas stand sentry along the 14-block corridor.
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The subject of a mid-October email from the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District could not have been more emphatic: stop the imminent eviction of "two of our most historical anchors" — Panadería La Victoria and Galería de la Raza. The call reverberated up and down 24th Street, home to the Mexican bakery, the landmark gallery and Precita Eyes.
At the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center, the appeal brought a sense of dejá vu. "We faced eviction 20 years ago," says Susan Cervantes, founder and director. "There was no place for us to go." So Cervantes, who sits on Calle 24's Arts and Cultural Assets Committee, did what any good neighbor would do. She penned a letter of support "written from my heart" and walked it over to the corner of 24th St. and Bryant that's been home to Galería since 1972. "Community pressure and the intervention of SF Supervisor Hilary Ronen brought a momentary reprieve from a three-day notice of eviction, but subsequent talks broke down, according to the SF Examiner, leaving the gallery's future uncertain. The galley is calling for public support here. La Victoria closed its doors in early October after 67 years. Thanks to an earlier process that Cervantes describes as a "miracle," Precita Eyes is now one of the few local arts non-profits that owns its own home. Calle 24 is a neighborhood advocacy group unlike any other. It's the first SF cultural district declared by the Board of Supervisors (in 2014). And its powers of persuasion are backed by a measure of formal clout: to safeguard the storefronts of small businesses and non-profits along the street, for example. "Calle 24 has the responsibility to be a model," says Alley Cat Bookshop owner Kate Razo. "Without an organization, we're each alone in our own shell." San Francisco recently designated the SOMA Pilipinas and LGBTQ+Leather cultural districts, with several more in the works. Should SF voters pass Proposition E on the November 6 ballot, groups like the cultural districts would receive city funds for the first time, reallocated from the existing hotel tax. The return of the Flags of the Americas, restored to 24th Street after 30 years of neglect, was a Calle 24 priority that Precita Eyes was delighted to fill. "Calle 24 is helping the neighborhood move forward by recognizing the importance — to the city, to its visitors — of preserving Latino arts,” says Cervantes. Razo and Cervantes hosted a mentoring session for young entrepreneurs as part of October's Paseo Artístico, one of Calle 24's signature events, held every other month with free mural tours, talks, music and dance at Mission Cultural Center, Brava Theater Center, Acción Latina, Dance Mission Theatre and Adobe Books. It also hosts annual Día de los Muertos activities, SF Carnaval, César Chávez Parade and Fiesta de las Américas. Heritage might be the most visible part of Calle 24's programming, but "we're not a museum," says Erick Arguello, its president. "We're a living, breathing cultural district, with working class residents and arts organizations that thrive here and must continue to thrive." Arguello describes himself as a "regular guy who grew up around the corner, and an activist making sure this community stays intact." "Remember, it wasn't so long ago that Latino artists weren't allowed to express themselves in galleries," he notes. "That's what the murals do: they reflect the community from the inside out. Precita understands community and struggle." |
Photo courtesy Chloe Veltman/KQED
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September 2018
MURALS WE HAVE LOVED AND LOST
Twenty years ago in the Mission, the Lilli Ann mural disappeared overnight to a developer's zeal. Public outcry and a landmark legal decision brought partial redress. But the cycle of mural erasure and community resistance continues today.
MURALS WE HAVE LOVED AND LOST
Twenty years ago in the Mission, the Lilli Ann mural disappeared overnight to a developer's zeal. Public outcry and a landmark legal decision brought partial redress. But the cycle of mural erasure and community resistance continues today.
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Nicknamed "Lilli Ann" for the garment factory it adorned, "Chuy" Campusano's exuberant four-story mural defined the corner of Treat Ave. and 17th Street for 14 years. But on July 25, 1998, it was erased overnight when the building's new owners whitewashed it. Under the Visual Artists' Rights Act, the artist's family later won a precedent-setting settlement. |
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Campusano's abstract rendering of garment work was funded by SF's largest public commission for a work of art to date. When the building transitioned from clothing factory to dot-com headquarters in 1998, the mural was erased without prior notice and obliterated in a single day.
The community reacted with a mock funeral and resurrection ceremony. Campusano had died the previous year, but his artistic partners and heirs sued under the Visual Arts Rights Act. This federal law stipulates that building owners must contact artists before changing or destroying their work. 50 Balmy Law obtained several restraining orders —too late to save the work— but later won a landmark VARA claim, the largest at the time.
The importance of the ruling and its limitations were explored by historian Cary Cordova in her presentation Battles over Latino Art and Public Space in San Francisco. Author of The Heart of the Mission: Latino Art and Politics in San Francisco, she spoke at the ¡Murales Rebeldes! exhibition of L.A.'s Chicano/a murals under siege, at the California Historical Society until September 16.
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Campusano's abstract rendering of garment work was funded by SF's largest public commission for a work of art to date. When the building transitioned from clothing factory to dot-com headquarters in 1998, the mural was erased without prior notice and obliterated in a single day.
The community reacted with a mock funeral and resurrection ceremony. Campusano had died the previous year, but his artistic partners and heirs sued under the Visual Arts Rights Act. This federal law stipulates that building owners must contact artists before changing or destroying their work. 50 Balmy Law obtained several restraining orders —too late to save the work— but later won a landmark VARA claim, the largest at the time.
The importance of the ruling and its limitations were explored by historian Cary Cordova in her presentation Battles over Latino Art and Public Space in San Francisco. Author of The Heart of the Mission: Latino Art and Politics in San Francisco, she spoke at the ¡Murales Rebeldes! exhibition of L.A.'s Chicano/a murals under siege, at the California Historical Society until September 16.
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Lilli Ann is gone. But her spirit remains, notes Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes, "to guide local artists, arts organizations, businesses and the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District in keeping diligent watch over the cultural assets of the community by supporting their maintenance and preservation."
August 2018
IMAGINATION STATIONS:
MURALS BY STUDENTS AROUND THE BAY
Schools of Fish, Daly City Students and the Sea
MURALS BY STUDENTS AROUND THE BAY
Schools of Fish, Daly City Students and the Sea
Fifth graders from Marjorie Tobias Elementary School in Daly City show their muralling talents in two workshops held over three months: “Protect Our Oceans Filled with Schools of Busy Fish,” led by Ellen Silva with Robert Louthan; and “What the Sea Brings,” led by Eli Lippert with Flavia Mora, all artists working with Precita Eyes.
Mora wrote this poetic narrative of the mural:
Curious children find themselves
At Elementary school tables
Thinking...
Through the ebbs and flows of what the sea brings
Their mind delves into the depths of oceans
Uncovering the unknown
Creatures rise to the surface like new dreams
Like new ability to move the hands holding pencils
To move the soul with courage
To create
Imagination bursts from blank papers
As self-doubt transforms to artistry
And splatters
Into classroom walls
Colonies of orange fish swim past leaping dolphins
Catfish wink at ancient turtles
As mermaids grow scales with every stroke of the paintbrush
The children giggle and swim like narwhals
They swim in the currents of freedom and expression
Mora wrote this poetic narrative of the mural:
Curious children find themselves
At Elementary school tables
Thinking...
Through the ebbs and flows of what the sea brings
Their mind delves into the depths of oceans
Uncovering the unknown
Creatures rise to the surface like new dreams
Like new ability to move the hands holding pencils
To move the soul with courage
To create
Imagination bursts from blank papers
As self-doubt transforms to artistry
And splatters
Into classroom walls
Colonies of orange fish swim past leaping dolphins
Catfish wink at ancient turtles
As mermaids grow scales with every stroke of the paintbrush
The children giggle and swim like narwhals
They swim in the currents of freedom and expression
MISSION GIRLS ¡PRESENTE! WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LOVE
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Designed and painted by Mission Girls at their headquarters on 24th St. with Folsom, Mission Love illustrates the affection these young women have for their neighborhood and the traditions that motivate their resilience.
At one end, an elder clears the way with a copalero, Loco Bloco drums pound out Amor and Paz; a papel picado banner spells out Mission Love in America Sign Language, and a low rider's car bears a DREAMER license plate. Butterflies represent the journeys of migrant families, culminating in a graduate in a cap and gown who has overcome the difficulties of staying in school, inspired by her parents' sacrifices.
The four-month workshop was led by Precita collaborator Priya Handa, with Julio Badel and Amber Ramirez.
IMAGINATION STATIONS: MURAL+MOSAICS IN OAKLAND
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In Oakland, students at the East Bay Asian Youth Arts Center after-school program at La Escuelita mixed painting and mosaics for two visionary works: “Imagination Station: Fuel for Resilience” and “Balance: Life, Nature, Technology.”
Here's how EBYAC students Tina and Capoly described the process:
"Brainstorm subjects, put in categories, make rough drawings, and have meetings to see how to combine out ideas. Then research the cultural patterns we want, combine drafts and come up with something interesting ... things we think other people, young or old, would like."
Precita mentors Carla Wojczuk and Fred Alvarado directed.
Here's how EBYAC students Tina and Capoly described the process:
"Brainstorm subjects, put in categories, make rough drawings, and have meetings to see how to combine out ideas. Then research the cultural patterns we want, combine drafts and come up with something interesting ... things we think other people, young or old, would like."
Precita mentors Carla Wojczuk and Fred Alvarado directed.
April 2018
Mosaic Workshops Bring Art, Color To San Francisco Senior Housing
Created by residents, two dozen mosaic panels now beautify gardens in three locations.
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"We're creating our own little Golden Gate Park here in Woodside,” commented 91-year-old Fira Valentina (top, right). "Learning a new craft keeps the mind young," a former construction supervisor, now in his 70s, noted. "Even at my age, I love to keep building things."
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Dozens of seniors worked for several months under the guidance of six Precita Eyes artists, transforming community rooms into art studios with buckets of tile, netting and hammers. Workshops on mosaic design and construction included interpretation into Chinese, Spanish and Russian. The project was funded by Bridge Housing at its Sanchez, Duboce and Woodside residences, in partnership with the Mission Economic Development Association.
Feb. 2018
Discover SF's Vanishing Natural History in the Newest Laguna Honda Hospital Mural
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Designed and directed by Precita Eyes artists Elaine Chu and Yukako Ezoe, in collaboration with Laguna Honda Hospital patients and staff, the new mural invites us to re-envision the area's vibrant natural world and the lives of its original Ohlone Indian residents.
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Located in front of the Forest Hill Muni stop, the panoramic work extends by 160 feet the 200-foot mural completed in 2016 for the hospital's 150th anniversary. The extension was selected and funded through the SF District 7 participatory grant process.
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Clockwise from top left: Volunteer artists give form to a Golden Eagle soaring over sand dunes; a Monarch butterfly feeds on milkweed; Humpback whales leap from SF Bay waters. More photos and mural details, here.
SCENES FROM 2017, DREAMS FOR 2018
Precita Eyes thanks the thousands of people who joined us in 2017 to celebrate four decades of community, creativity, and collaboration in the activities highlighted below... and so many more.
Precita Eyes thanks the thousands of people who joined us in 2017 to celebrate four decades of community, creativity, and collaboration in the activities highlighted below... and so many more.
21st Urban Youth Arts festival
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Susan Cervantes accepts the
SF Latino Heritage award. |
40th Anniversary Gala
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Youth-led murals
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Restoring the 24th St. flags
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Working with schools
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Your support of Precita Eyes not only sustains San Francisco's unique mural arts organization, it literally helps provide the paint that beautifies our city's walls and public spaces.
Your donation for 2018 will help us:
• Create a scholarship fund for low-income students
• Extend mural projects to vulnerable communities
• Showcase the works of emerging local artists
• Restore historic murals
• Preserve Precita Eye's collection of cultural assets and archives
We need your help to keep our mission alive. Give a gift that enriches community through art. Make a donation to Precita Eyes Muralists here, or become a member and receive special benefits.
Your donation for 2018 will help us:
• Create a scholarship fund for low-income students
• Extend mural projects to vulnerable communities
• Showcase the works of emerging local artists
• Restore historic murals
• Preserve Precita Eye's collection of cultural assets and archives
We need your help to keep our mission alive. Give a gift that enriches community through art. Make a donation to Precita Eyes Muralists here, or become a member and receive special benefits.
September 2017
"La Cultura Cura" (Culture Heals)
A deck of cards re-imagined by Mission youth brings harmony back to a wall on 24th St. and Folsom.
A deck of cards re-imagined by Mission youth brings harmony back to a wall on 24th St. and Folsom.
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The new Precita Eyes youth mural exemplifies its title: La Cultura Cura (Culture Heals). That's because the mural came about in response to missteps involving the unauthorized whitewashing of a Precita Eyes mural by a newcomer to the neighborhood. (Read backstory here). But all's well that ends well, and this month, the crew completed the replacement mural: Lotería cards reinterpreted by Mission youth, including La Mano (a hand shaping "SF"); Tristeza (sadness, a building on fire symbolizing tensions over gentrification); El Lowrider; a family; a heart; and a tile proclaiming neighborhood pride.
read more… |
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August 2017
New Mural By Local Youth Celebrates the Mission Roots of Latin Rock
It's a mural that's bound to become an instant landmark for lovers of Latin rock. It's a visual tribute and portrait gallery of dozens of bands and musicians whose beats punctuate the Mission. And while the musical history that inspired the mural will resonate with many, it’s just part of the story for the students who designed and painted it as part of Precita Eye's Urban Youth Arts program. The community mural project is a collaboration between four lead artists, three youth apprentices/interns, a dozen youth participants, volunteers, neighbors and the owner of the building. Led by muralists Max Marttila and Fred Alvarado, youths age 14-to-22 worked with scores of photos and anecdotes provided by musician Richard Segovia, who lives in the corner house on York at 25th Street that hosts the tribute. In addition to legendary local musicians — including members of Malo, Daquilla, Abel and the Prophets bands, salsa singer Mala Rodriquez, and, of course, Carlos Santana — the mural features a jukebox, instruments, animals, jungle foliage, and playful cartooning. The motto of San Francisco's United Playaz youth program — "It takes the hood to save the hood" — emblazons one wall. The handiwork of youth program participant Jude Pagpaguitan can be seen in the mandala that crowns the house behind portraits of Segovia and his family. Pagpaguitan and his older brother Jamar have been painting with Precita all summer, "I like that I can find my own style, and improve it," says the 14-year-old art student. "I learn a lot of new things everyday." Margie White, one of the lead artists, is a frequent volunteer with Precita. Today, she's putting final touches on some of the 87 portraits featured in the mural. "I grew up in the area, and I really had no idea about this part of the Mission's cultural heritage," she said. "I'm just happy to get out here to paint and make public art." Visions of Youth/Walls of Respect The mural is one of two to be completed this year as part of Precita's Visions of Youth/Walls of Respect program, with support from a California Arts Council Creative California Communities grant. Design workshops for the second mural, also in the Mission, got underway in mid-August (Sessions take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Precita Studio. More information here.) Previous murals produced in 2015 as part of this youth project includes the iconic La Rumba No Para and Presente! works on 24th Street. |
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Newsletter - July 2017
Saturday, July 22 from 12 noon to 5 pm
21ST ANNUAL URBAN YOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL
21ST ANNUAL URBAN YOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL
Muralist Max Marttila went from hanging around Precita Eyes projects in the schoolyard
to working with its Urban Youth Arts program, and is helping to organize this year's festival.
to working with its Urban Youth Arts program, and is helping to organize this year's festival.
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I teach young people how to use paint but also ways to organize and work together to make murals happen. Teaching people how to work together is a big part of what we do. It’s a community thing, but it’s also a team thing.
I’ve seen my students grow. Sense of community is really important to them and they incorporate that into what they do. Seeing a mural they worked on years ago, that sense of ownership, is their placeholder in history. It's really self-affirming. —Precita Eyes Way blog post "Put the boy on!" |
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Precita Eyes Education Director Yuka Ezoe spreads the word.
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Shotwell and 24th Street
Once Upon a Time in the Mission
Precita Eyes Urban Youth Arts Program unveils its latest mural.
Once Upon a Time in the Mission
Precita Eyes Urban Youth Arts Program unveils its latest mural.
The mural is a response to the pain of gang violence that has saddened this corner. Precita worked with artists who grew up here to create this tribute to those who have passed on. Directed by Max Marttila and Fred Alvarado, with Ramiro Guillermo, Guillermo, George Crampton and Paul de Costa. Funded by a California Creative Communities grant from the California Arts Council
Save the Date: 40th ANNIVERSARY GALA
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Saturday, September 30, 2017
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From our May 2017 Newsletter:
Loving Care for Fading Masterworks Murals are like people: they age. After years of exposure to the elements, they pucker up and fade. Sometimes it's just dust and grime. Other times, the paint peels, or cracks appear and entire chunks disappear, erasing people and symbols from the story. Precita Eyes Muralists is a leading steward of mural restoration in the Mission district and around San Francisco. "Preserving these cultural assets is central to our mission," says Susan Cervantes, founder and director of the 40-year-old mural arts center. "And there are so many older community murals that need attention." |
In fact, a recent 2016 assessment conducted by Precita Eyes in the Calle 24 Latino Cultural Corridor determined that half of the 100 murals surveyed are in "poor" to "fair" condition. It doesn't take an expert eye to notice: local residents often contact Precita Eyes to point out murals in need of tender loving care. |
Preserving "The Great Cloud of Witnesses"
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WALLS OF GENERATIONS: At left, faded newspaper clip from 1992 of Precita Eyes artists Susan Cervantes and Selma Brown painting the mural that rings the top of The Great Cloud of Witnesses, inside the Ingleside Presbyterian Church. At right, Cervantes' son Suaro atop a scaffold 25 years later, preserving the giant collage.
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Panorama of The Great Cloud of Witnesses of the Gymnasium.
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Rev. Roland Gordon, pastor of the Ingleside Presbyterian Church and Community Center (1345 Ocean Ave.), calls it his "living wall and history lesson."
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Committee calls it an "awe‐inspiring" work of folk art that "serves as an extraordinary, unparalleled visual documentation of national and San‐Francisco‐specific African American history." The "Great Cloud of Witnesses" is a mural unlike any you've ever seen. Looking for a way to inspire community youth, Reverend G. pasted a single newspaper clipping of his hero, Muhammad Ali, to the wall of the church gymnasium in 1980. Over the past 37 years, the collage has expanded to cover, from top to bottom, the entire gym, fellowship hall, stairways, hallways, bathrooms, basement, and meeting rooms -- basically, everywhere but the sanctuary. The collage‐mural consists of newspaper and magazine clips, photos, flyers, posters, prints, poetry, painted murals, and a dizzying array of objects that celebrate heroes and history. |
Precita Eyes muralists Suaro Cervantes and Ernesto Paul spent several weeks recently working on "the cloud," cleaning, sealing, and resisting the temptation to read the wall-to-wall scrapbook as they were working on it.
Ringing the top of the gymnasium wall is a sunset-colored fringe with the portraits of 10 civil rights leaders. This mural was created by an earlier Precita Eyes crew — Susan Cervantes, Selma Brown, Ronnie Goodman, Marta Ayala, and Patricia Rose. Suaro Cervantes remembers accompanying his mother Susan to the church, back in 1992. The monumental collage-mural was granted SF historical landmark status last November. But it is not open to public yet, says Rev. G, "unless you want to stop by during church services, when you're more than welcome to attend." |
Flags of the Americas Return to 24th
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Take a walk down 24th between Mission and Potrero and look up. The Flags of the Americas are back, each one a colorful homage to the national identity and symbols of the continent.
Attached to street poles along the 12-block stretch of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural Corridor, the mini-murals have been preserved and restored, thanks to work undertaken by Precita Eyes and funded by a Special Project Grant from the Mayor's Office. The original metal banners were painted in the 1980s and stood sentry over the street for 30 years. But sun, wind, and rain took their toll, deteriorating the artwork and fading the lettering. So much so, that many people had never noticed they were there. That was the case with Precita Eyes conservation technician Yano Rivera. “It's hard to do when you aren't familiar with the original,” he explains, because the goal is to mimic as much as possible. Instead, he relied on respect and intuition. “Uncertainty slows you down,” Rivera notes. Piecing together details from both sides, studying unfaded areas, and examining the silhouettes of disintegrated brushstrokes are the most labor-intensive part of the project. Then there's the process itself: washing away grime; scraping away the old vinyl lettering; creating a layer of varnish over the remaining original paint; mixing new paint to match the original colors; and repainting the original artwork. An acryloid coating with UV protection ensures vibrant colors and graffiti protection for years to come. |
Top row shows the deterioration of 30 years in the elements.
Bottom row shows national symbols in their newly restored glory. The restoration project began in May 2016. All 27 flags have been restored and almost all are back on the street.
The flag restoration project is a “cultural, visual representation” that celebrates the Mission district's Latino identity, according to Joaquin Torres of the SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development office, as reported in Mission Local. |
Puentes Mural Project Takes Over Mission Street
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For a mural to recover its original vibrancy, anything from a touch-up (maintenance and preservation) to a full facelift (restoration) may be required. (Repairing graffiti defacement is a subject in itself.)
Full restoration may involve not only the muralist, but also a support crew of historians, architectural preservationists, community activists, and the guiding spirit of the original artists. In the best scenario, the creators themselves can undertake the restoration. Such is the case with work now underway on the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (2868 Mission St.), where two of the original muralists — Carlos Loarca and Betsie Miller-Kusz — are leading the process. With funds raised by the Puentes Mural Project Committee (chaired by Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes), the 3700-square foot facelift began in early April and will take approximately a month to complete. In the absence of the original artist, the work is entrusted to borrowed hands. "When you restore a mural, you don't paint the way you'd paint a mural from scratch," explains Carla Wojczuk, a Precita Eyes collaborator . "Up close, every painted image breaks down into its abstracted brushstrokes, and those brushstrokes are not yours, but those of the original muralist. Instead of applying your own artistic interpretation, the goal is to bring back to life what was originally there." |
FACELIFT: After 33 years, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts mural gets a touch-up.
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"As we hand-washed the mural, I felt like I was bathing my elders." — Carla Wojczuk, on the restoration of MaestraPeace (Women's Building, 3543-18th St.)
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Other Precita Eyes restoration projects:
SAVING FACE: Detail from the restoration of "500 Years of Resistance," St. Peter’s Parish at 24th St. and Florida. The mural was created in the mid-1990s by Salvadoran muralist Isaias Mata, and restored by the artist in 2012. * Mission Health Center (2016): Created in the 1970s by Michael Rios and Graciela Carrillo, the murals are located at 240 Shotwell St. * "Sí Se Puede" (2014): Created in 1995 at the Cesar Chavez Elementary School (825 Shotwell St.). More information here. |
From our February 2017 Newsletter
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Schoolchildren's Giant Veggies Adorn the Tenderloin People's Garden
A giant carrot, an onion with tears, and florid head of lettuce stand like sentries at the gate of the Tenderloin People's Garden, at the corner of Larkin and McAllister. The faux veggies are painted in greens so vivid you can almost taste them. Eighteen wooden cutouts are sandwiched between the slats of the fence that encloses the garden. The cutouts are the handiwork of students from nearby Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, fruits of a three-month artist in residency program. "Veggies for the People" employed paint and poetry to connect the 3rd and 4th graders to their community garden and neighborhood concerns about lack of access to healthy, affordable, fresh produce. The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, located across from Civic Center Plaza, distributes the produce it grows to the residents. Towering high above the small corner plot is the monumental mural "Growing Together,” a six-story homage to urban gardeners. Painted by local volunteers and Precita Eyes Muralists, the mural was unveiled last November. (Read more here). Veggies for the People" Installation Precita Eyes partnered with the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' artist-in-residence program at Bessie Carmichael over the course of 10 weeks. Master muralist Fred Alvarado mentored the students from rooms 207 and 208 in basic drawing, watercolor, and acrylic techniques. Addressing the students at the project's closing ceremony, "Mr. Fred" reminded them that the process of making art "teaches you to be creative in searching for solutions." The Oakland-based muralist works with youth at Richmond Arts and Contra Costa Community College, and is part of Precita Eyes' new Walls of Respect youth arts program. Students enjoyed the chance to express themselves in words and paint. Dan, a third-grade, not only composed and recited his Ode to Soup (below), he also took on the job of painting a cucumber nearly as big as he is. The exuberant forms and colors the students gave their art were inspired by a poetry workshop organized by 826 Valencia/The Writing Center . The Odes celebrate foods from soup to pineapples. The collected verses will be published in a chapbook for the students and their families. "Veggies for the People" combines arts education and community development in an inner city patch of San Francisco where affordable, fresh produce are hard to find. The installation connects local schoolchildren to the TNDC's healthy food projects and its advocacy of food justice. Located south of Market, Bessie Carmichael is the K-8 school closest to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, which supported the artist-in-residence program. The school's Filipino Education Center is one of the few city programs with instruction in Tagalog. In a celebration held at the YBCA (and not in the garden itself, as planned, due to heavy rain), students recited their food-themed verses to classmates, parents and well-wishers. Desiree Badong, here to chaperone and hear her daughter Kira read a poem, praised the arts program as a "therapeutic, helpful, wonderful outlet for children living in a neighborhood full of challenges." Gardener Alex Dazhan, who tends the Tenderloin garden, told students how the garden benefits local people by providing them access to healthy food. He encouraged them to bring their families to the garden, show off their artwork, and receive free produce. On Harvest Day, which takes place every other Wednesday, garden produce is distributed free-of-charge to community residents. This project is a collaboration between the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Precita Eyes Muralists, the 826 Valencia Writing Project, the Tenderloin Development Neighborhood Corporation, and the Tenderloin People's Garden. |
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Student Odes To Food and Art
Verses by Bessie Carmichael students are among the fruits of this garden project. Three poetry sessions organized by 826 Valencia's Tenderloin Center introduced youngsters to the joys of "simile, exaggeration, personification, and the telling detail," says coordinator Jillian Wasick. The odes will be published in a chapbook for the students and their families. Some of the odes exalt the virtues of apples, pineapples, cucumbers, and garden greens; others celebrate pizza, spaghetti with meatballs, and the sour candies of 
"Spaghetti , Spaghetti, You Are the Best
Spaghetti, you are as wiggly as an earthquake inside Jell-O. Spaghetti Sauce, you are as red as a fire truck. ..." 
"Oh, pineapple!
You are as pretty as a puppy..." |
"Oh cucumbers, thanks for being my favorite color.
You are health. You make me strong..." 
"Oh Soup, thank you for your tastiness and kindness.
You taste sweet and flavorful with a pinch of non-spicy pepper. Soup, you make a call and say, "I am deeeeelish!" |
Precita Eyes’ Class Act: Mural-Making at Schools
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It's a sunlit day in late January, and Ms. Dox's 4th graders at JFK elementary pull taunt the red ribbon they're about to cut to inaugurate the mural they've been working on for months.
They've got the drill down pat, and it's not surprising. This is the school's fourth mural with Precita Eyes in two years, and the second this year. (See "Our JFK Community Mural Project” , and "Legacy of Heroes Mural Project") Murals, a bit faded, from collaborations years ago with a previous generation of students, still line the halls. "They bring such light and life to our campus," says Matt Harris, the principal of this Daly City grade school. "They're a lasting legacy. We have parents who were here when those first murals were painted." "So, how long do you think these murals will be here?" Yuka Ezoe, Precita Eyes Education Director and lead artist for this project, asks the class. "Maybe 30 years? You'll all be in your forties!" The 10-year olds respond with groans and laughter. The students named this mural "United." "They had so much to say," says teacher Morgan Dox. "So many students are immigrants themselves or from immigrant families. The mural gave them a chance to celebrate their individual cultures. Students went home and asked their families about their cultural heritage and its symbols." And the students? Here are comments taken from reports they wrote, documenting their experience. * "I didn't know what cultural heritage meant. I thought it might mean something about our culture. Then Ms. Yuka explained. I drew things, like a cobra and Filipino food." * "We had to draw signs of our culture and choose something to be on the mural. I chose an Aztec dragon from Mexico." * "They asked us where we're from. Then we had to sketch something representing our country. They gave us books to get more ideas. I found it might be good to put the Great Wall of China there. I was happy to draw it." * "I wanted my flowers and the Samoan flag." |
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Dozens of Murals, Dozens of Schools
In the past several months, Precita Eyes artists have led more than a dozen projects in area schools. The lengths of the projects differ, from long-term (up to three months) to instant (one-day) murals. So do the sources of funding, which can come from parents, community grants, arts organizations, or others. But the methodology employed in the classroom is always the same: with grace and encouragement, the Precita leaders walk the students through these steps: theme development, research, sketch, composition, working to scale, creating the master drawing, gridding, transferring and, finally, painting. One boy described the process this way: "Mr. Joe (Colmenares, the second Precita artist on this project) told us to put our pencil in front of us and pretend our pencil was a rose and to pretend to smell it." Selecting symbols, picking and choosing, agreeing on colors and location of the imagery: it's a lot of collaboration for children. And sometimes painting can get a bit messy. |
"Joaquin's mom helped us," wrote one girl. "My hair was down, so she made me look like the princess from Star Wars. Ms. Yuka gave me two kinds of paints and I tried mixing them. But they started dripping on me. So she helped me clean it up.
One boy described the process this way: "Mr. Joe (Colmenares, the second Precita artist on this project) told us to put our pencil in front of us and pretend our pencil was a rose and to pretend to smell it." Selecting symbols, picking and choosing, agreeing on colors and location of the imagery: it's a lot of collaboration for children. And sometimes painting can get a bit messy. "Joaquin's mom helped us," wrote one girl. "My hair was down, so she made me look like the princess from Star Wars. Ms. Yuka gave me two kinds of paints and I tried mixing them. But they started dripping on me. So she helped me clean it up. |
Students at the Nueva School (Hillsborough) line up to paint the instant mural "Unity, Equality, and Change"
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Second grade students at Peabody painted scenes from the marine, savannah, desert, rainforest, forest, and freshwater realms in "Preserve our Biomes
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"Spirit of Change": Youths at the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services depicted a swan fleeing from a cage, a symbol that express the need to free themselves in order to experience the changes of life. At center, a pack of wolves runs with hares. The concept of prey and predator coexisting is rare, the young artists explained, and something they would like to see in their communities. Precita Eyes collaborators Eli Lippert and Priya Handa guided the youth. More here
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New Lakeview Mural Brings Heritage to Life
At the corner of Broad and Plymouth in San Francisco's southwestern Lakeview/OMI district, history and heroes take pride of place.
UNVEILED ON DECEMBER 17, the new mural depicts the stories of Lakeview as told by its residents.
Highlights include the M Ocean View muni line and the workers who laid down the tracks, a BBQ, the Orizaba rocky outcrop, and the abundant fog. Portraits celebrate community leaders Dr. Annette Shelton, Will Reno, Mary and Al Harris, and Michael L. Brown, alongside historical photos from the local library. Also highlighted are the produce market next door, the IT Bookman Community Center, and the Minnie & Lovie Ward Rec Center. |
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LOCAL LEGENDS AND LEADERS: The mural adorns the outside wall of Lacy's Barbershop (formerly known as Furlough's Tonsorial Parlor) at 101 Broad St. At left, current owner Lloyd Lacy cuts the hair of previous owner Mr. Furlough. At right, Dr. Annette Shelton
The Lakeview mural has come to life through the support of local residents, neighborhood businesses, community groups, and these organizations: |
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Mural in progress: Scenes from the community day. At far right, Felicia Edosa of Inner City Youth lends a hand.
Local Heroes, Local Landmarks
in SF's Lakeview Mural
in SF's Lakeview Mural
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An unexpected sunny morning in late October enticed families, friends and neighbors in SF's Lakeview district to grab brushes and join a community painting session at the latest Precita mural-in-progress.
Lead artist Max Marttila manned the scaffolds, mixed pigments, and made sure that volunteers of all ages kept their brushstrokes between the lines. The mural at the corner of Broad and Plymouth is titled "Lakeview,” the name still favored by residents over OMI, a newer acronym for the combined Oceanside, Merced, and Ingleside neighborhoods. Painted on the side of Lacy’s Barbershop, the mural celebrates a scene in which the current barber, Lloyd Lacy, cuts the hair of Mr. Furlough, the previous barber. The IT Bookman Community Center and Minnie & Lovie Ward Rec Center also take pride of place. The mural features a salute to the neighborhood’s natural setting, with the Orizaba Rocky Outcrop and an abundance of fog. |
Traversing the panoramic vista are workers laying down the tracks of two Muni lines: the M Oceanview line that serves the district and the old green F Train.
Framed portraits pay tribute to many community leaders, including Dr. Annette Shelton (who works around the corner) and Inner City Youth (ICY) founder Michael L. Brown, who recently passed away. "His inclusion helps keep his legacy going," notes ICY member Felicia Edosa. "It's something we can look to everyday." She means this literally: the ICY building faces the mural from the opposite side of Broad Street. Holding a brush and tin of blue paint, SF Supervisor John Avalos expressed his faith in projects, like the mural, that bring people together to validate their experiences in the face of economic stress and social change. The largely working-class Lakeview/OMI district is home to the city's most ethnically diverse population (more than 50% foreign-born, according to Avalos), and has the city's highest concentration of families and seniors. |
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The Precita Eyes team: Fredericko Alvarado, Susan Cervantes,
Suaro Cervantes and Elaine Chu. |
In Boston, Heritage Made Visible
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Many Streams, One River: Precita Paints Latino Student Pride It was a whirlwind process that transported a team of Precita Eyes muralists from San Francisco to Boston and concluded two weeks later with Northeastern University's newest landmark: a monumental mural of Latino student pride.
"We Are All Streams Leading to the Same River / Todos somos arroyos del mismo rio" covers three sides of the Latino/a Student Cultural Center (LSCC)building at 104 Forsythe Street. This 25 ft. x 125 ft. (roughly 2,200 square feet) mural depicts the history and presence Latinos at Northeastern University campus and was initiated by students seeking to give visibility to their culture on campus. “When I was a freshman, not a lot of people knew where the LSCC was," student Amy Lyu told a local newspaper. "There wasn’t even a plaque on the building. We just wanted to give LSCC some recognition. And what better way to do that than a mural?” |
The work is part of Northeastern's Public Art Initiative. But unlike other commissioned works, the mural has been almost completely student-driven.
Guiding the process was Precita Eyes' Susan Cervantes and crew (Elaine Chu, Fredericko Alvarado and Suaro Cervantes). The SF mural arts center was selected from a long list of artists proposed by the students. Nearly 200 volunteers -- students, staff and alumni -- showed up to plan and paint. The group mixed abstract concepts, like unity, passion, and respect, with images of dancers in traditional regalia and flags of the Americas unfurling from the LSCC logo. The unveiling took place on Oct. 11, 2016. |
RELATED LINKS:
"We Are All Streams Leading to the Same River" (Precita Eyes)
Northeastern’s Newest Artist-in-Residence Puts Mural in Students’ Hands (News@Northeastern, Oct. 3, 2016)
New Mural Celebrates Latinx Community (Huntington News, Oct. 13, 2016)
Residency: Susan Cervantes and precita Eyes (with photo gallery) (Northeastern University)
Artist Josué Rojas. (Photo: Leah Millis/The Chronicle)
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¡Gentromancer! Conversations with
the Spirit of Gentrification An exhibit by Precita youth program alum Josué Rojas combined paint, drawings, murals, and poetry to "spark conversations with the spirit of gentrification." iGentromancer! was inspired by poems written by incarcerated youth, SF Poet Laureate Alejandro Murguía, and other local voices against displacement. Rojas coined the term iGentromancer! to conjure up, and then exorcise, the multiple and masterful manipulators of gentrification at loose in the Mission district. |
The artist credits the Precita Eyes' community for keeping him out of serious trouble as a teen by introducing him to art.
“Murals opened up my life,” said Rojas in an interview with the SF Chronicle on how arts can bring healing to the Mission as it struggles to preserve its identity in the face of economic pressures. Read the poems that inspired the exhibit in El Tecolote. |
Precita Eyes Designated One of SF's First Legacy Businesses
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Precita Eyes Muralists is one of nine treasured and historic local businesses named to the city's first legacy registry.
Soon to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Precita Eyes has been painting and repainting its beloved Mission district since 1977. The registry was created last year with the passage of Proposition J. Businesses (including non-profits like Precita Eyes) approved for the registry are eligible for grants to safeguard their continued presence in their neighborhoods. To qualify, businesses must have been operating in the city for at least 30 years and face the risk of displacement; have made distinctive contributions to neighborhood history and identity; and continue to maintain the features or traditions (including craft, culinary or art forms) that define them. Precita Eyes was nominated for the legacy designation by SF Supervisor David Campos, who singled it out as "one of only a handful of community mural centers in the country... training artists in its unique community mural process, offering mural classes, and working closely with the entire community." |
In the Mission for nearly 40 years.
"This organization has played an important role in the history and identity of District 9," Campos stated. The designation was announced in August.
RELATED LINK: Here are San Francisco's very first Legacy Business recipients (SF Curbed, Aug.11, 2016) |
November 2016
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A New Mural Grows in the Tenderloin People’s Garden
Precita Eyes Muralists and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation celebrate the community garden’s newest bloom.
November 16, 2016 -- Every other Wednesday is harvest day in the Tenderloin People’s Garden, a patch of green in downtown SF's Tenderloin district. But on November 16, the garden bloomed with a different type of offering: the dedication of the new “Growing Together” mural. Towering six stories above the garden from the McAllister Hotel on the corner of McAllister and Larkin, the mural is a collaboration between Precita Eyes and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC). At the ceremony, Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes offered blessings, while artists and friends cut the ceremonial ribbon. "The mural is a high fidelity representation of the energy in the neighborhood," said local gardener Kasey Asberry, of UC Hastings Law School (located across the street), “and of human scale amid enormous institutions.” Her comment is well-illustrated by this drone’s-eye view of the mural and surrounding buildings. The Tenderloin is the "undiscovered garden district of San Francisco," she noted, with at least a dozen gardens. Precita Eyes artists Susan Cervantes, Yuka Ezoe and Max Marttila were joined by Tenderloin Artists Collaborative member Ira Watkins, TNDC staff, garden volunteers, and neighbors in designing and painting. Asberry praised Precita Eyes for its approach to convoking the community and "really representing its vision." Artist Ira Watkins described his participation this way: "I stumbled into a good opportunity and I'm so glad I did. I met great people and I hope the public will enjoy our work." As soon as the scaffolding came down in September, Precita Eyes and the TNDC were honored by SF Beautiful with its Seven Hills Award for making “a significant contribution to the creation of unique neighborhood character.” The SF Beautiful blogpost describes "Growing Together "as “a vibrant mural that exemplifies the community at its zenith.” The Mural At the mural’s center, a woman holding a shovel and a man with beets form the pillars of a gateway topped by a cityscape of Tenderloin landmarks. Vines spell out “Tenderloin People’s Garden” above a sunrise of San Francisco fog, signifying the early mornings when gardeners work. Hands cradle a heart of leafy greens, neighbors harvest together, and a guitarist plays notes transformed into birds, kale and spinach. The melody creates a spiral of water bearing a boat symbolizing the many journeys that bring people to the Tenderloin. The People’s Garden Created in 2010 on a vacant lot near SF City Hall in an area with no produce stores, the Tenderloin People’s Garden grows healthy food its low-income neighbors. Volunteers of all ages tend the plot and produce is distributed free twice-monthly. The project received a SF Community Challenge grant. SEE ALSO: * TNDC’s Tenderloin People’s Garden Mural Project, 2016 * The Garden Mural photo album |
Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes conducts a blessing.
Cutting the ribbon: Kristie Nicole, Kasey Asberry, Yuka Ezoe, Ira Watkins, Susan Cervantes, Julieta Flores, Max Marttila. (Photos: Nathan Oliveira/Jennie Sommer)
"Growing Together"
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