Susan Cervantes directs Precita Eyes Muralists, a nonprofit cultural center in San Francisco’s Mission District, the home of the Precita neighborhood. A tireless champion for mural art over the past 45 years, Cervantes considers murals the art of the people, an art that tells stories and histories in a “big” way.

Why did I found Precita Eyes Muralists? I was originally inspired by the Mujeres Muralistas, the first women’s group to do murals in the Mission. The group had a commission to do a huge mural called Las Americas for the Laborers Hiring Hall. The women working on the mural, way up on scaffolding, each one contributing to the theme, inspired me. They invited me to work on the Paco’s Tacos mural, and that’s how I started.

The Precita Eyes Mural Workshop and Visitor Center

Murals became my life. First I started a mural workshop. Then I was hired to paint the A Day in the Life of Precita Valley mural at the community center. Then the school principal wanted murals for the school. One thing kept leading to another.

People in the community want to see themselves and their experiences reflected in murals. In our neighborhood, we’re a mix of Mexicans, Latinos, Samoans, Natives, Italians, German, Irish. The theme holds it all together, and everyone works around the theme, making a unified composite, respecting everyone’s contribution.

Precita Eyes began organically, no business plan or anything like that! With gentrification, we’ve had financial struggles, but we’re still here on 24th St. because we’ve had an impact on people’s lives.

Everything we’ve done — 700 murals over 45 years — we’ve done  by request. People tell us how working on our murals has transformed their lives.

Artists must be accessible to those who often have no opportunity to explore themselves as creative people. We can unleash their potential. That’s what’s wonderful about community public art, right there for you to experience. And you don’t have to pay for it. We have an art here not just for the people who can afford it. That’s what hooked me.

The Womens Building, by the Precita Eyes Muralists