Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center

Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Center, established in 1977 and currently located in San Francisco's Mission District, is a non-profit multipurpose community arts organization that has played an integral role in the city's cultural heritage and arts education. One of only three community mural centers in the United States, the organization sponsors and implements ongoing mural projects throughout the Bay Area and internationally.

Precita Eyes Muralists began at the Precita Valley Community Center as a community mural workshop organized by current director Susan Cervantes. The workshop participants designed and painted a portable mural on plywood panels, "Masks of God, Soul of Man". When the mural was completed and the first site had been developed for the installation on the Bernal Heights Branch Library the group decided to sign it as Precita Eyes Muralists because it was a collaborative effort. "Precita" because many of the participants were from the Precita Valley neighborhood and "Eyes" is what we see with.

There continued to be more interest in community mural art and the original group wanted to create new murals. After completing more portable murals and 2 major commisioned murals, the founders applied for non-profit status in 1979.

Precita Eyes has a direct impact on arts education in the San Francisco Mission District by offering mural and art classes for children and youth (18 months through 19 years) and other classes for adults. These classes and community mural projects enable children and youth to develop their individuality and confidence through creative activities and to experience unifying, positive social interaction through collaboration.

Walking into the center during almost any day of the week, one could find children engaged in arts and crafts; artists drawing from the figure; professional muralists collaborating on a portable mural; a slide presentation to a group of educators or public school students; or an intense planning session for a new monumental mural project for the Mission District community. More than 20,000 students and tourists have walked from Precita Eyes as the starting point for the mural tours encompassing more than 80 murals in an eight-block walk.

--- www.precitaeyes.org