Balmy Alley on a winter afternoon

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Mary C

A previous post, ‘stencils on a blue fence‘ featured art in San Francisco’s Balmy Alley. This post contains a lot more street art from the same location! Although the alley is only one block long, there is a lot to look at! Most of the art depicts Mexican or Hispanic history and culture; there is a strong reoccurring theme of social justice as well.

below: Street art paintings have been a part of Balmy Alley since the early 1970s. it is now home to numerous brightly colored murals.

below: Part of “Five Sacred Colors of Corn” at the entrance to Balmy Alley. Prior to 2021 these panels were at Mercy Housing.

below: A Day of the Dead image – a holiday to remember and honor those who have died.

part of a mural on Balmy, day of the dead theme, mexican roots

below: Max from “Where the Wild Things Are”

mural based on the character Max from the book Where the Wild things are, boy dressed in white wolf suit

below: This photo, and the following two, are from an older mural by Hector Escarraman. It was painted on a wood fence in the alley back in 1995. The colours have faded and the vines have started to encroach on the top of some of the heads but enough of the image remains that you can get a good idea of what the original painting looked like. All of the people in the mural are icons of Mexican art.

faded mural on wood fence, two people, man and woman, man wearing glasses, woman with long braids

below: A lonely red heart has been added.

mural, faded, portrait of a man, with a small red heart sticker on it,

below: One of the figures in blue is Frida Kahlo.

faded blue mural of people standing together

below: Three generations of women working in Nepal are depicted in this mural by Martin Travers. “Naya Bhinana” (A New Dawn) was painted in 2002.

part of Three generations of women working in Nepal are depicted in this mural by Martin Travers. "Naya Bhinana" (A New Dawn) was painted in 2002.

below: These stairs were decorated by Precita Eyes Muralists with a mural titled “Dragon Eyes”. It was painted way back in 1998. For more than forty years Precita Eyes has used murals to enrich communities in San Francisco – murals that focus on positive images about such topics as culture, nature, unity, and history

below: Zigzags and triangles in bright colours with a couple of hummingbirds flying around.

below: There’s a lot of religious and cultural symbolism in this mural and it shows how much the two are entwined.

mural, Madonna, dragon, butterfly in center, symbols, woman's portrait, bright colours

below: On the left, Frida Kahlo and Tina Modotti with a few origami birds added to the scene.

faded murals, on left is Frida Kahlo and Tina Modotti, both of wooden doors in an alley at number 86, small origami birds have been added

below: Mother and child

on a wood fence, large faces of mother and child

below: At 50A

painted buildings and fence in alley. Large brown and white cow in a landscape

below: Women of the Resistance, 38 women’s portraits in a group, painted in 2018 by Lucía González Ippolito aka Cia Lu Art

women of the resistance mural in balmy alley, featuring portraits of many women

left side of women of the resistance mural in balmy alley, featuring portraits of many women

right side of women of the resistance mural in balmy alley, featuring portraits of many women

below: Ruby throated hummingbird resting on a very blue finger.

street art mural, small ruby throated hummingbird sitting on the finger of an outstretched hand, along with some desert vegetation, cacti and succulents, red sky

mural, Cosmogonia by Chilovia, Raiz Peskado, dedicated to Andres Hernandez, on a wood fence in a lane in San Fran, blue woman with a hummingbird on her hand, boy riding a wolf, turtle, frog, and other flora and fauna

below: There is a dragon here too!

half of mural by Carla Wojczuk, a woman in front of a building,

below: The other half of the mural… It as painted by Carla Wojczuk in 2011 and is titled “56 Lu the Wanderer”.

below: “The Mission District is for Everyone” is the text on the sign that the little blue bear is holding. The mural is “Victorion” by Sirron Norris

mural of houses and apartment buildings that have become parts of robot like monster,

below: A tribute to Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, who gave his life fighting for social and economic and ecological justice. He was murdered by the CIA (or at least by CIA-backed assassins) on 24th March 1980, the day after he he urged Salvadoran soldiers to disobey their superiors. A few days later, more than 30 people were killed at his funeral. In all, at least 75,000 people lost their lives during the 12 years that the civil war lasted in El Salvador.

mural that is tribute of El Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero who was murdered 24 March 1980, as well as the people killed at his funeral

part of mural that is tribute of El Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero who was murdered 24 March 1980, as well as the people killed at his funeral

below: Un Pasado Que Aún Vive (A Past That Still Lives Here) by Joel Bergner, from 2004

mural by Joel Bergner, mother holding a child, sitting outside,

below: Standing in a barrel is El Chavo from a Mexican television sitcom from the 1970s and 1980s. He is standing beside a mural from 2001 of a butterfly and a palm tree in “Memorias Primas” by Marta Ayala. The butterfly has been covered up for some reason.

below: Happy singing tree? Scared yelling tree? Enchanted and magical forest? Haunted and creepy forest?

mural of a tree with a human face that seems to be screaming

below: Another tree/human mix. This time there is a contrast to the hot colours of the desert on one side and the cooler colours of the city on the other. It is titled “Love and Compassion” and it is in memory of Father Richard Purcell (1938-2011), a Franciscan friar who ran a homeless shelter nearby for men with AIDS. The mural was painted by Laura Campos, a Precita Eyes member.

man as a tree, orange desert background on one side, blue city background with a house on the other

below: Parrots and toucans and other details, mural by Dallas Hyatt

large mural covering garage front, parrots, macaws, toucan, and other birds, also a Jesus with woman and baby.

mural on a garage door in balmy alley, large eyes looking at you

below: “Enrique’s Journey” by Josué Rojas,

mural by Josue Rojas in Balmy Alley San Francisco

mural by Josue Rojas in Balmy Alley San Francisco, man playing guitar

mural by Josue Rojas in Balmy Alley San Francisco, Uncle Sam holding a baby who is crying, ICE immigration depicted as skulls

mural by Josue Rojas in Balmy Alley San Francisco, angel, young boy with arms outstretched as if flying

below: “Tu doy una Cancion como un Disparo como un libro, una Palabra, una Guerrilla, Como Doy el Amor. I give you a Song Like a Tribute, like a Book, a Word, a Freedom fighter, like a I give Love.” Silvio Rodriguez.

man playing guitar, rainbow coming out of guitar and swirling around to form cornucopia of fruits and vegetables being held by a woman.

mural, two people with rifles pointed, three people holding framed photographs of other people

below: Day and night. The man in the moon reflects on the water below. The sun shines in a blue sky.

Photos taken February 2025

Mission Makeover

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Mary C

In 2012 the father and daughter team Tirso Araiza and Lucia González Ippolito (aka Cia Lu Art) painted this mural in Balmy Alley. It was restored and updated in 2022. The theme of the mural is the (ongoing) gentrification of the Mission District neighbourhood with the consequent displacement of those poorer and less fortunate.

Balmy Alley mural, social commentary, social justice, theme of gentrification effects on Mission District, painted originally in 2012 by Tirso Araiza and Lucia González Ippolito, updated in 2022, shows police removing people from the area, wealthier people moving in

part of Balmy Alley mural, painted originally in 2012 by Tirso Araiza and Lucia González Ippolito, updated in 2022, mission district makeover

part of Mission makeover mural, white dog, man sleeping in the street, red convertible

The word written across the top is “Rejoice”

Photos taken February 2025

stencils on blue

Posted on October 20, 2025 by Mary C

… on a wooden fence in Balmy Alley

below: The bottom part of the fence is painted blue before stencils of faces were added.

below: On the top part of the fence, other shapes were also added, along with a lot of white dots.

below: “Cuidado hay perro” Beware of dog.

with gate handle and lock, street art mural on a wood fence in balmy alley, mission district in san francisco, bottom part painted blue, stencils of faces, shapes and white dots, vine growing over top

street art mural on a wood fence in balmy alley, mission district in san francisco, bottom part painted blue, stencils of faces, shapes and white dots, vine growing over top

Photos taken February 2025

Carlin’s Cafe – San Fran

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Mary C

Carlin’s Cafe in the Mission District was closed for about 3 1/2 years during Covid. It re-opened in 2023. The paintings on the exterior wall pre-date the closure.

below: 298 Valencia Street.

street view of Carlins Cafe an Laundromat on Valencia Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, orange and yellow awnings over two large window,

below: A closer view

carlins cafe, exterior wall with large windows, paintings on the walls,

below: A rocket powered BART train? The lights of the Golden Gate bridge shine in the night while a sailing ship lingers outside the harbor. There is also a welder hard at work.

part of mural, BART train but with rocket engines, lights of the Golden Gate bridge,a welder, a sailing ship, a man wearing hat,

below: She’s dancing in a flowing orange dress but with a partner whose hands are skeletal.

part of a mural, a woman dancing with a skeleton in a black jacket, she's wearing long orange dress, also baseball players,

below: Tucked up in the shadows under the awning are a couple of baseball players

part of a mural, baseball players, with pennant flags

below: Playing for the camera?

below: A coffee moment.

below: More coffee, this time from the source.

coffee pot and spoon, pouring coffee, street art mural

below: The 49ers of the National Football League, the home team here in San Francisco.

below: A poster in the window

below: Seen outside the restaurant – This graffiti was inspired by Danny DeVito’s character Ongo Gablogian, art collector, critic, and patron, from the movie It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This graffiti was created by Ongosf and apparently, little Ongos can be found in many places!

Photos take February 2025

Edificio de Mujeres, San Fran

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Mary C

Edificio de Mujeres, or The Women’s Building, is a woman owned and operated community centre that opened in 1979. The exterior is covered with a painting titled “MaestraPeace” which depicts women of different cultures and ages throughout history, both real and fictional. Six hundred names are written into the mural. A group of seven women artists (and numerous helpers and volunteers) completed the painting in 1994 (it was restored in 2012). What follows here is a selection of images showing parts of the mural.

below: Over the front entrance

front of the womens building in san francisco, bare breasted woman at top center

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building,

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building, African woman with very large holes as earrings, with a baby

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building around the entrance to the building

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building, painting of symbols and patterns around a door

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building, two large hands, one holding a succulent plant with people inside and the other hand is holding a woman coming out of the water with many large waves

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building, a nurse, and an elderly woman

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building, an older woman standing up

part of maestrapeace, a mural on the womens building

According to Wikipedia, the artists involved were: Juana Alicia, Miranda Bergman, Edythe Boone, Susan Kelk Cervantes, Meera Desai, Yvonne Littleton, and Irene Perez

Photos taken February 2025

on the sidewalks of LA

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Mary C

Look down.

Sidewalk graffiti; sidewalk stencils.

All photos taken in the Arts District of Los Angeles

below: “Catch your life” on a Pokemon ball

below: Life, and metamorphosis

below: Stikman is in LA too!

below: Not me? and a little moneybags mouse

below: “Paint here and here”

below: Say Yes!

below: Smile for the ego

below: Buy the Lie

Photos taken in 2015

The Container Yard

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Mary C

800 East 4th Street, Los Angeles

below: A portrait of Andy Warhol beside Desire, Obtain, and Cherish

below: I love LA!

below: Runny, droopy, eyes in a colourful mural by Vyal Reyes.

below: Two birds in flight, birds with feathery wings in blues, purples, and black.

below: “Woke up sleeping, woke up still dreaming”, a mural by Christina Angelina, EaseOne, and SEK

below: The letters spell Craola and Self and of course, the artist is Craola aka Greg Simkins.

below: A very square and very still robot. Cookie.

below: It’s probably unfinished? Each image is a letter of the alphabet? Maybe it ends with R O E? An image search with google was not helpful so I only have questions….

With thanks to Landon who let me walk around with my camera.
Photos taken in 2015

The Container Yard story

at Colyton and East 4th

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Mary C

Murals and graffiti seen at Colyton and East 4th St. in Los Angeles

On the corner of East 4th street and Colyton is this mural by Tristan Eaton:

On the telephone pole at the corner:

Around the corner on Colyton there are a couple of other murals. First, a blue woman by James Haunt and Love Crew

Love, Love, Love

Her eyes like emotion sensors…. and an old truck too.

Photos were taken in 2015

923 East Third Street

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Mary C

… downtown Los Angeles

There is an alley that runs along the east side of this building between 3rd and 2nd streets.

A chain link fence also runs along the east side of the building, separating passersby and the street art covered walls.
It makes picture taking a bit more challenging, but it also reduces unwanted tagging.

I was using my little camera so the lens fits through the spaces of a chain link fence. The presence of a second fence stymied me though…. so the fence becomes part of the composition of the picture. This mural was painted by Else Oner and Jeanette Paredes on a building that once was a flour mill but that is now part of an art gallery.

Banana! .. and lemons and strawberries.

The ‘One Fallen Angel’ mural is at the north end of the alley, at East 2nd street. She wears a blue rose in her hair. Her wings resemble the stars and stripes of the American flag.

Photos were taken in 2015

around the Angel Brewery

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Mary C

The Angel Brewery is where the Arts District of Los Angeles meets Little Tokyo. It has been located in the Roebling’s Sons building the corner of Alameda St. and Traction Ave. since 2010. The building is now also home to a number of small pieces of street art.