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