Precita Eyes
Encyclopedia
Precita Eyes Muralists Association is a community-based non-profit muralist and arts education group located in the Mission District
of San Francisco, California
, founded in 1977 by Susan and Luis Cervantes.
the Bay Area several years before and started a family. Susan Cervantes herself had been inspired by “Las Mujeres Muralistas,” the first all-women group of collaborative muralists from which she applies her strategy of collaborative, accessible, community art.
The organization evolved from a community mural workshop in which the participants designed and painted the portable mural “Masks of God, Soul of Man” for the Bernal Heights Library. The group signed the piece as Precita Eyes Muralists because the project was a collaborative effort. The name of the organization comes from the fact that most of the muralists were from Precita Valley. Precita
is a diminutive form of the Spanish word ‘presa,’ which means dam; the word ‘Precita’ means little dam. The ‘Eyes’ in the name are what we perceive the visual world with, our own eyes.
After the first mural, the group of artists continued to be interested in creating murals. They completed two major mural commissions and several more portable murals. Two years later, the group applied for non-profit status in 1979. In 1998 Precita Eyes was able to expand its operations with the purchase of the building at 2981 24th Street, near the well-known Balmy Alley
Recently Precita Eyes celebrated its 30th anniversary
and continues to conduct several mural projects each year. Recent projects include two international projects, one to Beijing, China and the other to parts of Palestine and Lebanon. Other recent local projects involved the restoration of two San Francisco Parks, Excelsior Playground and Crocker-Amazon Playground
Precita Eyes Muralists offers weekly art classes for toddlers, children and youth 18 months to 19 years old. These programs enable students to find and develop their confidence and individuality through arts and crafts, and experience positive social interaction through collaboration in a safe environment. It also offers regular workshops for adults such as the Community Mural Arts Education Workshop. Overall the educational programs serve approximately 3,000 children, youth and adults yearly, most of whom qualify as moderate to low income.
Precita Eyes offers walking tours that cover mural history and the cultural and historical significance of the murals in Balmy Alley and the wider Mission district. Tours are open to the public during the weekends. Private tours for large groups such as school classes or visiting groups can be scheduled during the weekday and are tailored to the audience. Tours can be conducted in English or
Spanish.
Mission District, San Francisco, California
The Mission District, also commonly called "The Mission", is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA, originally known as "the Mission lands" meaning the lands belonging to the sixth Alta California mission, Mission San Francisco de Asis...
of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, founded in 1977 by Susan and Luis Cervantes.
History
Precita Eyes Muralists Association was founded in 1977 by Susan and Luis Cervantes who had come tothe Bay Area several years before and started a family. Susan Cervantes herself had been inspired by “Las Mujeres Muralistas,” the first all-women group of collaborative muralists from which she applies her strategy of collaborative, accessible, community art.
is a diminutive form of the Spanish word ‘presa,’ which means dam; the word ‘Precita’ means little dam. The ‘Eyes’ in the name are what we perceive the visual world with, our own eyes.
After the first mural, the group of artists continued to be interested in creating murals. They completed two major mural commissions and several more portable murals. Two years later, the group applied for non-profit status in 1979. In 1998 Precita Eyes was able to expand its operations with the purchase of the building at 2981 24th Street, near the well-known Balmy Alley
Balmy Alley
Balmy Alley is the location of the most concentrated collection of murals in the city of San Francisco. Located in the south central portion of the Inner Mission District between 24th Street and Garfield Square....
Recently Precita Eyes celebrated its 30th anniversary
and continues to conduct several mural projects each year. Recent projects include two international projects, one to Beijing, China and the other to parts of Palestine and Lebanon. Other recent local projects involved the restoration of two San Francisco Parks, Excelsior Playground and Crocker-Amazon Playground
Programs
Precita Eyes Muralists is one of only a handful of mural arts organizations in the United States. It maintains two centers. The original Mural Arts Center at 348 Precita Avenue which is used primarily by the education program to house all toddler, kids and youth classes. The Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center at 2981 24th Street that conducts mural tours, has a small art supply and mural merchandise store, is used as a gallery space, a space for workshops for adults to plan and design mural art, a space to work on mosaics and portable murals and contains some of Precita Eyes Muralists’ Offices.Precita Eyes Muralists offers weekly art classes for toddlers, children and youth 18 months to 19 years old. These programs enable students to find and develop their confidence and individuality through arts and crafts, and experience positive social interaction through collaboration in a safe environment. It also offers regular workshops for adults such as the Community Mural Arts Education Workshop. Overall the educational programs serve approximately 3,000 children, youth and adults yearly, most of whom qualify as moderate to low income.
Precita Eyes offers walking tours that cover mural history and the cultural and historical significance of the murals in Balmy Alley and the wider Mission district. Tours are open to the public during the weekends. Private tours for large groups such as school classes or visiting groups can be scheduled during the weekday and are tailored to the audience. Tours can be conducted in English or
Spanish.