| With over 600 murals, San Francisco streets are a | | | | America. Another mural honors the great muralist |
| parade of vibrant and radiant | | | | Diego Rivera and his wife, the |
| murals that are painted on building walls and facades, | | | | painter Frida Kahlo. And another is a tribute to |
| fences, garage doors and | | | | women muralists of the Mission |
| more. The colorful Mission District is the epicenter of | | | | District. One colorless mural, depicts two men and a |
| San Francisco murals with the | | | | woman jumping through a |
| greatest concentration of murals in San Francisco. | | | | barbed-wire fence lined with keys. The woman has |
| Discovering | | | | her hand held high, making the |
| the murals of the San Francisco Mission District is | | | | peace sign.Elsewhere in the Mission District on |
| discovering the hopes and | | | | Harrison at 19th Street, mixed among blocks of |
| passions, joys and tribulations of the people.The San | | | | warehouses and running along a wall for nearly a |
| Francisco Mission neighborhood's love affair with | | | | block in San Francisco's Mission |
| murals stems from the | | | | neighborhood is a mural titled "Carnaval." As the |
| Mexican roots of the Mission District community. The | | | | name implies, the Carnaval mural |
| Latino community began to | | | | is a representation of the Carnaval celebration, a |
| move into in the Mission neighborhood in the 1950s | | | | multicultural dance and music |
| and 60s. Early in the 1970s, | | | | festival that has its roots in Latin America and the |
| resident muralists started following the traditions of | | | | Caribbean. The San Francisco |
| the great muralists of the | | | | Mission District has been hosting a Carnaval Festival |
| 1920s and 30s, perhaps the most famous of which | | | | since 1978. Created in 1994 by |
| was Diego Rivera.The Precita Eyes Mural Arts and | | | | Joshua Sarantitis, Emmanuel Montoya, Carlos Loarca |
| Visitors Center (located at 2981 24th Street) is a | | | | and others, the radiant |
| great place to begin your exploration of the murals | | | | Carnaval mural is as dynamic and colorful as the |
| in the San Francisco Mission | | | | festival that it portrays.The Women's Building (located |
| neighborhood. The Precita Eyes visitors center | | | | at 3543 18th Street) boasts two walls of a dramatic |
| offers three guided mural tours on | | | | mural that pays homage to women. Created by a |
| Saturday and Sunday for between $10 and $12 for | | | | team of seven women muralists, |
| an adult. You can arrange private | | | | the "Maestrapeace" mural portrays women and |
| group mural tours in advance. In addition, the Precita | | | | feminine archetypes of multiple |
| Eyes Visitors Center has a | | | | world origins. The Goddess of Light and Creativity |
| Mission mural map of nearly 90 murals that you can | | | | adorns the top of the 18th Street |
| use to explore the | | | | facade with the waters of life flowing beneath her |
| neighborhood on your own.At Precita Eyes, you can | | | | and transforming into fabric |
| purchase mural-themed items, such as post cards, | | | | designs from around the world.The mural features |
| candles, | | | | such notable women as Georgia O'Keefe (an |
| posters and books. Precita Eyes also sells mural arts | | | | innovative American |
| supplies in case your are | | | | artist) and Rigoberta Menchu (a Guatemalan of |
| inspired to paint your own personal mural on your | | | | Mayan decent and Nobel prize- |
| living room wall. For more | | | | winning activist). The names of many more famous |
| information, contact Precita Eyes at or (415) | | | | women are inscribed in the |
| 285-2287.Located a block from Precita Eyes | | | | mural's colorful patterns. The mural is meant to be |
| between Treat Avenue and Harrison Street, Balmy | | | | inspiration and educational, |
| Alley has a concentration of more than 30 vivid | | | | illustrating the contributions women have made to |
| murals painted on fences, building | | | | human history and society.The Women's Building |
| walls and garage doors. In the neighborhood densely | | | | provides resources and services to organizations that |
| packed with murals, Balmy | | | | support |
| Alley is at the center of it all. Muralists began | | | | women and girls from multi-ethnic and multi-cultural |
| working in San Francisco's Balmy Alley | | | | backgrounds. For an |
| as early as 1971. Many of the original murals are still | | | | informational key to the mural, step inside the |
| there as well as many murals | | | | Women's Building or contact them at |
| that have been painted over the intervening | | | | http:// |
| years.The Balmy Alley murals are very diverse both | | | | or (415) 431-1180.Jed Clark is a travel writer, |
| stylistically and in the subject matter. | | | | photographer and long-time San Francisco resident. |
| Some of the murals feature cartoon-like illustrations | | | | For |
| that playful and juvenile. Other | | | | more travel tips and information about San Francisco |
| murals along Balmy Alley grapple with difficult | | | | destinations, neighborhoods and |
| subjects, such as a memorial to | | | | attractions visit - a destination guide to San |
| people who have died from AIDS or depictions of | | | | Francisco. |
| political strife and war in Latin | | | | |