Street Art in San Francisco
Murals in the Mission
For anybody interested in street art and murals, there is one district of San Francisco that shouldn’t be missed: the Mission. The name dates back to the 18th century when the area was the place of the Spanish mission to convert the population to Christianism. Whilst the 13 original colonies on the East Coast declared their independence from the English crown, the peninsula on which San Francisco lies, was under Spanish control. Later and until the middle of the 19th century, the land was part of Mexico until it became a US-state.
When walking through the Mission today, this history comes alive in the mural art. In the entire district, one of the largest neighbourhoods in San Francisco, there are more than 500 murals. During the 2.5-hour walking tour, the group merely scratched the surface. Common themes and symbols could be identified though.
Iconography in the Mission murals
The most prevalent element in the murals in the Mission are representations and symbols of Mexican culture as well as the natives of those lands, the Maya and the Aztecs.
Another recurring element is a butterfly which in San Francisco is a symbol of freedom as butterflies don’t stop at borders.
The tour started at Precita Park where there used to be a creek. That same creek can be found again and again in the art pieces in the Mission. Even if not always recognizable as a creek, the colour blue is used as a representation.
Another recurring element is the Acacia tree which stands for the area and can be seen in the nature surrounding the houses.
The murals in the Mission also show elements that place them without a doubt in San Francisco: representations of local figures like Factwino, local sports clubs and a thriving music scene that brought no other than Carlos Santana to the stage (among others, of course).
Is the Mission a place for street art?
The mural tradition in the Mission came from Mexico and as such, the art reminds more of the colourful murals that Central America is known for than of the street art that can be seen in other cities in the US and Europe.
Apart from the style and the colours, there is another significant difference to street art in cities like New York or Chicago. The murals in the mission are all commissioned works, and they are meant to last. Many of them have been restored over time and they are generally very-well maintained.
It is noticeable that there is very little graffiti in the Mission. On one hand, this is due to the murals being widely respected, on the other hand a consequence of strict measures of the city of San Francisco to remove graffiti quickly after it has been reported.
Breaking the rules of the local style
There were two pieces of art seen during the tour that were very different than the rest of them. Both are next to each other on the Northern side of Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School. One is a spray paint work that reads the letters “native” in front of the nature of California. Several animal species can be seen in a landscape from the mountains to the ocean under a full moon.
The other is a mosaic mural as a tribute to Dolores Huerta, a political activist and co-founder of United Farm Workers.
A special commemoration
About half-way through Precita Park, not far from where the tour started, is a bench placed on colourful tiles that form the shape of a dove. It is a memorial for two young adults that were shot in the Mission in 1996. The tiles have been painted by kids and show spelling mistakes and innocent views on the matter. The arm rests of the bench are made of melted guns and have the shape of Calla Lilies.
Balmy Alley
There is one location in the Mission that is seen as a tourist destination: Balmy Alley. The art in this street was created in 1984 when all the garage doors were painted over night by around 40 artists. The murals in Balmy Alley are a celebration of the Latino heritage and contain plenty of political statements. The wars and suffering in Central America are a recurring theme. Even though most of them are over 20 years old, the topics are as relevant now as they were back then. Despite the often-tragic themes, the murals are still bright and colourful and even contain elements of political cartoons. Most of them hold multiple layers of meaning and you will recognize more and more the longer you look at them.
Walking tour through the Mission
The walking tour was provided by SFcityguides, a charitable organization that is run by volunteers. That is unusual for guided tours, however, it shows the love of the locals to their city. The guide, Renee, was very knowledgeable and passionate about the tour and also made some other tours offered by the same organization sound very interesting. Charlie didn’t have time to do another tour of theirs and will have to keep this for her next visit to San Francisco. Certainly, a tour provider to support and recommend!
