Photographs by Dick Evans
My motivation to paint this mural was the rich history and artistic culture of the Hispanic and Latino community within the Mission district of San Francisco. Another part of my motivation was the change going on in the neighborhood. Evictions resulting in gentrification was heavy at the time. All the mural’s magical parts came together with the hope and faith that I could make Mission district natives proud. I poured my heart into my work and reached out to fellow artist, David Cho, hoping it would bring positive energy back into the community. It brought people from all walks of life together.
The mural represents (to me) culture, history, life, death, and the music of the Mission district. I want people to feel the energy the mural brings. That there are a lot of special elements when it comes to the Mission culture. The Mission has an influence on artists such as myself and David. It's a place of rich artistic practices, from classic traditional mural art to the best spray can art. I want observers to find that feeling between the two - to feel how much I wanted there to be something beautiful on that wall.”
Source: Mel Waters