Precita Eyes: Preserving the wonder of urban mural art for all
As one of only a few groups in the United States dedicated to preserving urban mural art work, Precita Eyes Muralists Association and its two centers in San Francisco continually looks for ways to enhance and beautify urban cityscapes and to teach both local Bay Area citizens and visitors about the development and record of public community mural art, including walking and biking tours and special workshops.
Founded in 1977 and named for the street on which the arts center sits (348 Precita Avenue), The Precita Eyes mission is to ensure that creative work produced is physically and conceptually accessible to the people it represents and affects, replicating their particular worries, delights and achievements. It holds regular walking tours designed to highlight more than 80 works of mural art in only an eight-block area and holds four weekly classes focused on children and youth.
While Precita Eye principally serves the Mission District with its murals and classes, it has also assisted other San Francisco area neighborhoods, such as Bernal Heights, South of Market, Tenderloin, Bay View and Outer Mission, not to mention communities throughout Europe and Asia. Those involved in Precita Eyes projects have included residents, muralists, artists, tourists, students and youth.
Precita Eye offers a wide variety of walking and even biking tours of various San Francisco neighborhoods, all for $12 or less per person, depending upon age. Group tours are also available, via foot, bike or bus, and start at $50. In addition, the center offers toddler, kids and older youth mural art workshops, as well as a community mural arts education workshop for adults, led by Master Muralist, Susan Cervantes, every third Tuesday each month. The Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Center sells art supplies for everyone from students to professional artists.
Individual, family, organization and corporate memberships are also available, which provide discounts for tours and workshops. Go to the Precita Eyes web site for further information.
- by Jim Brown , San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro
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Jim Brown Jim Brown is a longtime freelance aviation, travel and destination writer and communications professional. A former reporter for Aviation Daily, Air Safety Week and World Airline News, Jim served for more than 15 years as a senior public relations executive for American Airlines, TWA and AirTran Airways.
