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45-542: Precita Eyes Muralists Association was founded in 1977 by Susan and Luis Cervantes, who had come to the Bay Area several years before and started a family. Susan Cervantes was inspired by Las Mujeres Muralistas , the first all-women group of collaborative muralists. Cervantes adopted the Mujeres uralists' philosophy of collaborative, accessible, community art. The organization evolved from a community mural workshop in which

90-755: A "pan-Latino identity." Much like the Mission District, the Murjeres Muralistas had a diverse group of Latinas, their unique cultural and national identities influencing their stylistic contributions to Latinoamérica. According to Latinas in the United States, set: A Historical Encyclopedia, edited by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez Korrol, common themes underlying the work of many Latina artists were those of "human welfare and social justice ." Artwork, for example, would depict people performing daily jobs and tasks, often focusing on

135-494: A 2008 screen print on paper. This screen print is the permanent collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Hernandez reimagines the classic Sun Mad to condemn the high amounts of workplace raids and the creation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the administration of George W. Bush on the grounds of “national security”. Sun Raid references this national security strategy as

180-408: A card with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at her grandmother's funeral but immediately thought that it did not truly represent her grandmother: “My grandmother had sixteen kids, worked years in the fields and had a hard, but beautiful life. She was a strong and powerful woman, so I decided to change the image.” Additionally, at the same time she was enrolled in the etching class, she was also taking

225-590: A collective. Chicano art was, from its very beginning, an art of protest, connected to social politics and the labor movement and concerned with creating distinctive work that reflected the Mexican experience in the United States. Member, Ester Hernández , went on to be credited with creating one of the first images to link the plight of farmworkers to the effects on consumers and the environment with her screenprint, Sun Mad, 1981. Groups of women artists of color, like Las Mujeres Muralistas, protested marginalization on

270-626: A connection between the Latino community and their " indigenous past as a form of cultural empowerment." San Francisco's Mission District was home to a large and diverse group of Latinos, whom the Mujeres Muralistas acknowledged in their mural. Alongside Latinos native to the United States, Latinoamérica extended its representation to Latinos from nations such as Bolivia, Venezuela, and Peru. The mural recognized and honored Latinos from both North America and South America in efforts to foster

315-588: A consequence of globalization, stating it as a “by-product of NAFTA”, the North American Free Trade Agreement that went into effect in 1994. Using visual signifiers such as huipil clothing the skeletal figure, and a wrist monitor that says “ICE”, Hernandez connects the effects of globalization to the forced economic and physical displacement of various indigenous communities that made up a portion of undocumented immigrants largely affected by these national security strategies. Wanted

360-399: A gallery space and a space for workshops for adults to plan and design mural art; has space to work on mosaics and portable murals; and contains Precita Eyes Muralists’ Offices. Precita Eyes Muralists offers weekly art classes for toddlers, children and youth 18 months to 19 years old. Precita Eyes offers walking tours that cover mural history and the cultural and historical significance of

405-400: A handful of mural arts organizations in the United States. It maintains two centers. The original Mural Arts Center across from Precita Park at 348 Precita Avenue is used primarily by the education program for toddler, kids and youth classes. The Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center, at 2981 24th Street, conducts mural tours; has a small art supply and mural merchandise store; is used as

450-451: A karate uniform and delivering a powerful kick. In addition to this, the angel's facial expression is changed. While enrolled in an etching class at UC Berkeley, Ester Hernandez was inspired by personal experiences that ultimately led her to create La Virgen de Guadalupe Defendiendo los Derechos de los Xicanos. In an interview with scholar Roman-Odio, who has written extensively on Chicana feminist art , Ester Hernandez shared she received

495-475: A mural on the side of Paco's Tacos, a restaurant on the corner of 24th and South Van Ness. A McDonald's had just been built across the street, so the mural on the Paco's Tacos building was an effort to keep the restaurant unique and relevant compared to its new competitor. This mural featured four large women surrounded by an abundance of colorful fruits, animals, and exotic natural landscapes. The group chose to focus

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540-671: A traditional Guatemalan rebozo (shawl) but also includes small white images of helicopters, skeletons, and red blood splatters. La Ofrenda is a 1990 serigraph. This print is in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC and the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. This print portrays a woman with a short punk-style haircut facing away from spectators while showcasing La Virgen de Guadalupe tattooed on her back. La Virgen de Guadalupe

585-513: A woman is a revolution in society." Ester Hernandez Ester Hernández (born 1944) is a California Bay Area Chicana visual artist recognized for her prints and pastels focusing on farm worker rights , cultural, political, and Chicana feminist issues . Hernández' was an activist in the Chicano Arts Movement in the 1960's and also made art pieces that focus on issues of social justice, civil rights, women's rights, and

630-404: A women's self-defense class with other Chicana women. The etching transforms the passive stance of our Lady of Guadalupe into an energetic kick. The re-imagination of Our Lady of Guadalupe represents the hard work she performs in social justice issues and Chicano social issues. At the same time, this reimagination is a tribute to the strength, spirit and fierceness of Chicana women. Libertad

675-601: Is a 1976 etching that Hernandez created in response to the American Bicentennial celebration while she was a student at UC Berkeley. The piece depicts a female artist, identified by many as a Chicana artist, chipping away at the Statue of Liberty and revealing a Mayan Sculpture. In Libertad , Hernandez reimagines the Statue of Liberty, an iconic American symbol, to reclaim the history of the Americas and uplift

720-457: Is a description, aliases and the frontal and side profile of an ordinary looking woman who represents La Virgen. The artist said of the Wanted : “La Virgen de Guadalupe represents the resilient spirit of our people, and that can never be captured or taken away.” La Virgen de Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico and is strongly associated with the Mexican national identity. CUANDO BAILA YEMAYA

765-470: Is a screenprint created by Hernández in 2010 as a response to the anti-immigration policies like SB 1070 that allowed for racial profiling in Arizona. The screenprint mimics police wanted posters and portrays Our Lady of Guadalupe as a wanted terrorist by the office of the "President of Arizona". The work depicts a wanted poster with La Virgen de Guadalupe wanted for terrorism by Arizona authorities. Included

810-487: Is a symbol representing womanhood and femininity throughout Chicanx history. By depicting this tattoo on a woman, Vincent Carillo argues that Hernández "questions the gendered power dynamics" that restrict women to the domestic sphere. In 2001, Hernández created La Virgen de las Calles (Virgin of the Streets), a pastel print, to represent the hard working Latina women in a glorified and divine perspective. The subject of

855-570: The Chicano Movement and the cultures of their community. There were other muralists working in the Mission District at the time, but they were the first females to step onto the scene. The male artists, drawing from the imagery of Los Tres Grandes , often painted murals about violence, war, and revolutionary figures, but the Muralistas were not interested in such aggressively political paintings. They focused on portraying their culture,

900-541: The 1970s. They created a number of public murals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area , and are said to have sparked the beginning of the female muralist movement in the US and Mexico. Their murals were colorful and large scale and often focused on themes such as womanhood, culture, beauty, and socio-political change. Patricia Rodriguez , Graciela Carrillo , Consuelo Mendez, and Irene Perez are recognized as

945-1083: The California Arts Council to the National Endowment for the Arts. Hernandez's work is in the permanent collections of nearly twenty national and international museums including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Hernández's archives are housed at the Stanford University Library's Department of Special Collections in Palo Alto, California. Hernández often draws inspiration from her personal heroines, who include Frida Kahlo , Dolores Huerta , and Lydia Mendoza . In 2024, her work

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990-455: The Chicano movement in California... and the murals were an integral part of that movement, as was theater and poetry." The book Chicana and Chicano Art: ProtestArte says "Arts organizations such as Precita Eyes continue to support Chicano muralism's original objective: to create public art that authentically represents a community's history and culture." Precita Eyes Muralists is one of only

1035-708: The Farm Worker Movement. Hernández is a Chicana of Yaqui and Mexican heritage. She was born in Dinuba , a small town in the central San Joaquin Valley of California. Her parents and family were farmworkers . In 1976, Hernández earned a Bachelor of Art degree at the University of California, Berkeley . Hernández's work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally since 1973. She has received awards and commissions from organizations ranging from

1080-466: The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. Describing this image, Hernandez states, "Slowly I began to realize how to transform the Sun Maid and unmask the truth behind the wholesome figures of agribusiness. Sun Mad evolved out of my anger and my fear of what would happen to my family, my community, and to myself." This image is featured in a 1989 installation titled Sun Mad that is dedicated to

1125-627: The artist's father who was a farm worker from the San Joaquin Valley, California. This installation is in the permanent collection of the National Mexican Museum of Art in Chicago. Tejido de los Desaparecidos is a silkscreen print created by Hernandez in 1984. This piece is a commentary on the Guatemalan civil war that led to the genocide of Maya people. The slikscreen print replicates the pattern and textures of

1170-575: The basis of gender, race and ethnicity. A few other Chicano Muralist groups in Northern California during the 1970's were Galeria de la Raza , Royal Chicano Air Force , and Brocha de Valle . The Mujeres Muralistas got their start in the early 1970s. Patricia Rodriguez and Graciela Carrillo were college students studying at the San Francisco Art Institute. In an interview, Rodriguez recalled being unsatisfied with

1215-488: The beauty of Chicana/Latina-American womanhood, and the diverse range of Latinidad in the community. Their first publicly commissioned mural was called "Latinoamerica", located on Mission Street and 25th Street, and painted for the Mission Model Cities organization. They were tasked with creating a mural that would represent the Latino culture of the area. To accomplish this, they used a lot of symbolism that

1260-482: The education she was receiving at the Institute as it primarily revolved around the minimalist movement. She was a fan of using more color. Eventually she teamed up with Carrillo, and later Mendez and Perez, to form their all female artist group. At this time, the Mission District was predominantly Latino (around 45% of the neighborhood was Latino according to a 1970 census) and the Muralistas were hugely inspired by

1305-613: The founders and most prominent members of the collective, but other female Chicana artists assisted along the way and even joined later on, such as Susan Cervantes , Ester Hernandez , and Miriam Olivo among others. Las Mujeres Muralistas was one of the first mural art groups in the Mission District in San Francisco, reacting against the contemporary Chicano Art Movement which had been a male dominated movement. Las Mujeres Muralistas established their unique style in 1973. At this time women artists were at work painting murals but not as

1350-453: The image of the Budha and image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The print draws inspiration from Japanese cultural practices such as Shintoism and Buddhism, as well as art practices such as papermaking and pottery. The cross-cultural nature of BudaLupe is representative of the artist's own family as well as a reflection of the idea that cultural diversity brings a richness to life. Sun Raid is

1395-494: The mural around the theme of food and the concept of the Latin American marketplace. The theme felt fitting to them given that the wall mural was located on the side of a restaurant. Fantasy for Children is the only mural created by the Muralistas that is still standing and can still be seen today. They were commissioned to make the mural for the 24th Street Minipark. Because it was a space for children, they wanted to use

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1440-545: The mural can still be seen today, it is in need of restoration. Prominent Mujeres Muralista artist Patricia Rodriguez has commented on the group's work saying, "The statements that we made were very feminine and we got a lot of criticism because we weren't doing soldiers with guns, weren't doing revolutionary figures. We were painting women. Women in the marketplace, women breastfeeding, women doing art. People got really angry that we were doing that. 'How could you do this when there's so much going on?' but we were saying that being

1485-447: The mural to make the park's environment more friendly and appealing to families so it would be used more. They considered the kind of people that would engage with the space and the final product was extremely colorful and had a lot of symbolism tying back to the Latino culture, such as a female sun acting as a sort of Mother Nature type goddess and a woman blowing wind in the top lefthand corner that appeared to be of Mayan descent. Although

1530-617: 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. Mujeres Muralistas Las Mujeres Muralistas ("The Muralist Women") were an all-female Latina artist collective based in the Mission District in San Francisco in

1575-557: The participants designed and painted the 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, which gets its name from Precita Creek . Precita is a diminutive form of the Spanish word ‘presa,’ which means dam;

1620-540: The presence of natives peoples. Sun Mad is a 1982 serigraph. In this serigraph, the artist turns the widely recognized red-bonneted female figure carrying a basket of grapes on the Sun-Maid raisin box into a skeleton to visually protest insecticides. This screen print is in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles Museum of Art in California, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC and

1665-403: The print is a woman wearing a red sweatshirt with the letters “USA”, jeans, black Nike tennis shoes and a green and red striped shawl with stars. The shawl closely resembles the mantel in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In front of the women, there is a bucket full of roses with the word “future”. The roses depicted here also reinforce the reimagination of Our Lady of Guadalupe as it references

1710-555: The purchase of the building at 2981 24th Street, near the well-known Balmy Alley . As of 2007, Precita Eyes had supported nearly 100 murals in the Mission neighborhood, Precita Eyes celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007 and continues to conduct several mural projects each year. Recent projects include two international projects, one in Beijing, China and the other in parts of Palestine and Lebanon. Other recent local projects involved

1755-464: The restoration of two San Francisco Parks, Excelsior Playground and Crocker-Amazon Playground. They also host an annual Urban Youth Arts Festival, with artists painting on boards in Precita Park . Murals are an expression of the culture of the neighborhood; in an article about Precita Eyes, muralist Juana Alicia Montoya said "In the 1960s and '70s, the Mission District became the cultural heart of

1800-468: The story of her apparition to Juan Diego. La Virgen de las Calles was special to Hernández because it was important for her to depict the love a Chicana mother has for her family, and how many Chicana mothers just like the one in this piece “‘…[often] work day and night to educate their children because they know this is the greatest gift a parent can give a child.’" BudaLupe is a mixed media acrylic painting with Japanese paper college that depicts both

1845-403: 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 expanded its operations with

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1890-541: The working class (e.g. farm workers and laborers). In fact, Latinoamérica "[drew] inspiration from the role that Latinas [played] in the labor force." In particular, the portrayal of women and children in Latinoamérica was the Mujeres Muralistas' way of redefining Latino murals, celebrating the Latino community with vibrant images instead of recreating the dark "'blood and guts' aesthetic" painted by their male counterparts. The Muralistas were recruited to create

1935-548: Was a student at UC Berkeley. This print is in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Museum of Art. It is considered to be the first art to reimagine Our Lady of Guadalupe in a Chicana feminist context. In the etching, Our Lady of Guadalupe is pictured with the iconic halo, cerulean mantel, and the angel carrying a moon. However, in Hernandez's etching, Our Lady of Guadalupe is visually reimagined by sporting

1980-556: Was included in Xican-a.o.x. Body , a scholarly group presentation at the Pérez Art Museum Miami , Florida, spanning works from the 1960s to the present. The show has an accompanying catalog published by Chicago University Press. She is currently based in San Francisco , California . La Virgen de Guadalupe Defendiendo los Derechos de Los Xicanos is an etching and aquatint created by Hernandez in 1976 while she

2025-501: Was relevant to Latinos in their mural, such as a pyramid of cornstalks illustrating the significant role that corn played in the lives of indigenous American peoples. The mural Latinoamérica helps to connect Latinos to their culture and teach future generations more about their cultural roots. Some culturally significant symbols found in the mural include an Aztec eagle and ancestors; this homage to Latin American mythology bridged

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