One of the things San Francisco’s Mission District is famous for is street art.
There are portraits painted on shop entryways, sketches on sidewalks, and whole alleyways covered in giant murals, like public open-air museums. Some murals have social messages, some are funny, some are abstract. They’re all fascinating.
I visited the mural-covered Balmy Alley in 2012, during the San Francisco portion of our Epic California Road Trip (that I keep alluding to and still hope to write all about one of these days). More recently, on my BlogHer Pro trip in October, I got to wander through Clarion Alley with two of my cousins. They got deep into a discussion, while I snapped the photos I’m sharing with you in this post.
Art in Clarion Alley and throughout the Mission is raw and colorful. It speaks a different language than art that hangs in air-conditioned buildings and says “Hey! I am in a frame, so adore me!” Instead of being enshrined, it must be discovered in the wild, searched out in the nooks and crannies of the city.
You have to keep your eyes open in the Mission. You might step on a statement or pass by a masterpiece.
Art is everywhere.
Love these! You have a great eye. I wonder how the community protects murals from vandals?
My understanding is that the work is respected, and people don’t mess with it. I believe most if not all the artists are from the community, so that could help, as well.