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Help Community Murals Thrive by Making Your Donation HERE
Your donation supports:
Children and Youth Programs Community Murals Restoration and Preservation Community Social Gatherings |
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SUMMER FUN WITH MURALS
28th ANNUAL URBAN YOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL Saturday, July 20 • Precita Park Our youth festival is older than many of the participants planning it. Give them a hand by donating to the Support Emerging Youth Spray Can Artists campaign. More info here. |
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"Our sweat and our blood have fallen on this land to make other men rich.”
Those words are adorn a 50-year-old mural that can still be seen inside a building at 2701 Mission Street. And not just any building, but a bank. |
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Then and now: Left: Artists Luis Cortázar, Jaime Camillo and Chuy Campusano in June 1974. Right: The indoor mural is in pristine condition.
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But Precita founder Susan Cervantes remembered, and decided to resurrect the work.
The new/old mural will be unveiled on Sat., May 18 from 3pm-5pm. This work was inspired by the original mural designed in 1991 for UCSF, but the commission fell through. When Precita Eyes Muralists purchased its current space in 1998, they repurposed the design and starting painting, until plastic drapes were hung to cover it. Why? The room was being used as a gallery, and artists asked for an alternative backdrop to display their works. For the full story, see this Mission Local report: Decades-old restored mural to be unveiled at Precita Eyes |
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Social services and housing provider Hamilton Families purchased the three-story building at 2567 Mission Street several years ago and completely renovated it before moving in last October. Last week, the crowning touch was revealed: its top-to-bottom store-front mural, created by Precita Eyes.
Home Is When We're Together is a "beacon for people who need our services," says Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families (below right). |
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The Precita crew was led by Eli Lippert, with Max Marttila, Pablo Ruiz Arroyo, and Alberto Martinez. The artists added their own dedication to the wall: "To all those struggling to keep a roof over their families' heads. It takes a village."
The dream of housing stability permeates the work. At top, families watch low riders cruising along the Mission. A family shares a meal in a Golden Gate Park playground. A girl envisions the home she wants for her family. The front door is framed by a larger-than-life family portrait and alphabet blocks that spell out FAMILY. |
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Formerly known as the Red Building, the building's last tenant was notorious for selling $75 cups of coffee. Then came the pandemic, and the property became vacant. The Mission district has more than 50 vacant buildings, and the pace of re-occupancy is slow and complicated, says social welfare activist Roberto Hernandez (aka The Mayor of the Mission), who attended the Jan. 18 inauguration. Also present was the official mayor of SF, London Breed, who took staff photos in front of the mural.
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The real hands (at left) of Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes and education coordinator Paola Reyes Melendez reach out to the painted hands of a family (above) on the road to stable housing.
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Mugs, postcards, T-shirts and hoodies, books, tote bags, prints, paintings and other goodies, plus acrylic paints, varnishes and all the supplies muralists need.
View items here. Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center 2981 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 415 285-2287 Visit in-person. Store hours are Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm; and Saturday, 12 noon to 5 pm. Order online or by phone. PRECITA EYES MEMBERS GET STORE DISCOUNTS. Learn more here. |
Prints by Michael Rios, holiday cards, paints, brushes, mugs, books.
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Get stopped on the street by fans of Precita Eyes when you wear a Balmy Alley T-shirt or a hoodie with the iconic Precita Eye, or the Once-Upon-A-Time-in-the-Mission mural. Wide range of styles and sizes, reasonably priced.
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DON'T JUST GIVE GIFTS... MAKE ONE, TOO. Precita Eyes Muralists needs your support. HELP COMMUNITY MURALS THRIVE BY MAKING A GENEROUS DONATION TO PRECITA EYES, HERE. |
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The new murals are not the only facelift for the former Grand Theater. After 30 years of blackout, its classy neon marquee is once again shining its light, as reported by Mission Local.
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Photos: Zoe Binder/SF Foghorn
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SILENT AUCTION
TO BENEFIT PRECITA EYES Check out the contributing artists and preview their works here. |
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¡VIVA PRECITA EYES!
Anniversary Gala to Celebrate 45 Years of Mural Art • Mistress of Ceremonies Bianca Starr
• Music by One Time More Band, Banda Sin Nombre, Mission Delirium, DJ George Crampton • Performances by Mojarra Frita, Donna Persona, La Katia, Mama Dora, Kimba+Guitar • Interactive mural creation • Videos and slideshow tours of iconic murals past and present • Delicious food and drinks (cash bar) • Silent auction of works from emerging and established artists |
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Sunday, Oct. 9 (3:15–5 pm): Transforming the City: The Colorful Impact of Precita Eyes, with Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes, artist/educator Fred Alvarado, Twin Walls artists Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong, and tour coordinator Patricia Rose.
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Saturday, Oct. 8 (5:30-6 pm): Premiere of Las Muralistas: Our Walls, Our Stories. Artists Susan Cervantes, Elaine Chu, Priya Handa, Juana Alicia and others reflect on women's presence on the walls of the Mission District, and making space for future muralistas.
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SFMOMA's Proyecto Mission Murals is a online compendium of mural photos and histories, locator maps, artist profiles (including Susan and Luis Cervantes), oral histories (including Susan Cervantes), audio 'zine, and essays on the community mural movement in the Mission District from 1972-88.
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Focuses on Rivera’s work from the 1920s to the mid-1940s. More than 150 paintings, frescoes, and drawings, plus large-scale film projections of murals he created in Mexico and the United States.
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Rivera's epic mural, Pan American Unity, originally installed in the City College of San Francisco, was moved to SFMOMA in an equally epic operation, as detailed in the documentary Moving Masterpiece.
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Updates to the mural include the pink PRIDE sign, a portrait of Soni Wolf of Dykes on Bikes (who died in 2018); and a rainbow-colored butterfly. Other panels pay homage to slain SF Supervisor Harvey Milk, singer Freddy Mercury, the AIDS quilt, and deceased friends and lovers.
Mural description and more photos here. |
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Restoration specialist
Yano ("Mural Doctor") Rivera made these bird's-eye view videos on the steps in the process and working with community volunteers |
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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.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Detailed descriptions of both mosaics and more photos here. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • |
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Stay Tuned for Details of our Upcoming 45th Anniversary Gala (October 15) |
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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 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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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. |
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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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"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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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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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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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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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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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. |
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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... |
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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. |
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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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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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." |
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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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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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Culture of the Crossroads" (1998), 24th St. at Mission St.
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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 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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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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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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“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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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. |
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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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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." |
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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. |
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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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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. |
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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!" |
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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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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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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
