Wandering alone through the streets of an unfamiliar city on a Thanksgiving holiday, I felt more than a little sorry for myself. With no destination in mind, I meandered this way and that toward whatever caught my eye. Then, like an electric jolt, her sudden appearance dazed me. Big, brazen, extending arms wide to embrace me, a goddess riveted me to the spot. This goddess, painted across a broad fence that separated two houses, was my first encounter with San Francisco’s vibrant outdoor art scene. Too smitten to look for the name of the artist or an indication of her purpose, I knew by the snakes in the goddess’s hair and the symbols tattooed across her body that she spoke of ancient cultures in Mexico and Central America. Our Lady of Guadalupe was emblazoned between her eyes — a third all-seeing eye.
After my encounter with the goddess, I began to notice street art everywhere I walked. I wanted to learn more about San Francisco’s brilliant murals, which reflected the city’s political, social, and cultural life. From locals, I heard about Precita Eyes Mural Center in the Mission District. Founded by a group of San Francisco artists, this non-profit organization has sponsored collaborative community-based mural projects since 1977. The center teaches classes in mural painting, sponsors new projects, and restores the best of older murals. Several women working in the center told me that San Francisco has over 1,000 outdoor murals, but the greatest concentration exists in the Mission District. I made a small donation to the center and they gave me a brochure with a self-guided walking tour of murals throughout the district.
Over the next few hours, I traversed the Mission District moving from one masterpiece to the next. More than an outdoor museum, this District resembled an exotic tattooed lady displaying her charms to guile the unaware and coax them into consciousness.
The Women’s Building
I began my tour at the Women’s Building, a woman-led community center supporting gender equality and social justice. The building’s exterior served as the canvas for one of San Francisco’s best-known murals, the Maestra Peace Mural. Created by seven female artists in 1994, the mural depicted heroic women of history and legend. The subjects spanned continents and time — the Aztec Goddess of the Moon, stoned to death for trying to prevent the birth of the God of War; Yemayah, the African Goddess of rivers, fertility, and life, fervently prayed to by souls bound on the Middle Passage; revolutionaries and activists; poets and artists; legislators and healers. From the building’s peak, Nobel Peace recipient Rigoberta Menchu peered across the neighborhood. She had worked tirelessly on behalf of indigenous Guatemalans, and now served as a beacon for the women who came to the center — seeking shelter from the streets, fleeing domestic violence, learning new skills, and furthering the cause as workers, advocates, healers, and revolutionaries.
To honor the mural’s 25th anniversary this year, the Women’s Building will publish a book about the mural’s origins and the story behind each image that covers the building’s walls.
Balmy Alley
Not far from Precita Eyes, I followed a red brick path down Balmy Alley. The murals in Balmy Alley began as an artists’ crusade, expressing outrage against human and political rights abuses in Central America. An ever-evolving canvas, the murals I saw still advocated for human rights, but took aim at abuses around the world — including San Francisco.
Clarion Alley
The Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) is another non-profit organization dedicated to furthering street art. Since 1992, they’ve supported over 500 artists and sponsored 700 murals in Clarion Alley and nearby neighborhoods. Sitting beneath a giant mural urging me to “Stop the Corporatocracy,” two neo-hippies serenaded me as I strolled through the alley. Murals on both sides delivered punch-your-gut messages. Expressed in bold, defiant colors, the murals cajoled me to: “Tax the Rich.” “Be a super hero to fight heroin deaths.” “Support the Tamale Lady,” a popular street vendor shut down by the authorities.
Artist Tanya Wischerath simply wanted me to remember. Her mural commemorated the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, which took place in August 1966 in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District in response to police brutality against the LGBT community. Considered the first transgender riot in history, Compton preceded the more famous Stonewall Riot in New York by three years. The mural’s artist depicted three advocates for transgender rights as haloed angels, martyrs for the cause.
Carnaval
Around the corner from Balmy Alley, the festive “Carnaval” mural stretched across the top of the House of Brakes garage. Muralist Daniel Galvez along with a number of local artists created the mural in 1983 to celebrate the Mission District’s annual Carnaval celebration. With a trompe l’oeil flourish, brightly colored Victorian buildings, like those common in the Mission District, framed an exuberant street parade with joyful, wildly costumed dancers and drummers. The mural commemorated the city’s first Carnaval in 1979; this year marks the festival’s 40th anniversary.
Mission Street & Beyond
My little guidebook didn’t contain all of the murals embellishing the Mission District. Everywhere I walked, colorful murals covered buildings, fences, schools, businesses, and homes. On Harrison Street, a mural stretched the length of an entire block and even rounded the corner. While it began with a homage to working people, the subject matter became more and more fantastical as I walked its length.
On Mission Street, the heart of the district, murals covered nearly every surface. Angry; angst-ridden; humorous. A larger than life Santana reminded me that “War Is Not the Answer.” A beauty parlor poked fun at its hairdressers and clients. A garage proclaimed itself the “Pedal Revolution.” An exotic bird rose two stories high. And flowers sprouted on a homeowner’s garage door.
Emile Zola believed that as an artist he should live out loud. Certainly, San Francisco’s muralist are nothing if not loud.
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My goddess lives on 16th Street not far from Sanchez Elementary School.
Learn more about Precita Eyes Center at http://www.precitaeyes.org/.
More information about the Woman’s Building is available at https://womensbuilding.org/.
Carnaval photo by Lou Dematteis
Does the Goddess have three dimensional pieces, or is just great painting? You gotta see Philly!
I’ve seen the ones in Philly. Visually stunning. They’d certainly make a good future post.
Really beautiful. Didn’t know about these murals. Breath taking!!