Emma Street Art in San Francisco
With the work of Banksy being unveiled in the streets of London, and as hastily removed in some cases, San Francisco is one city that embraces the creativity of street art.
If you are looking to explore the street art of San Francisco, we have some tips you can discover nestled amidst the eclectic neighbourhoods and bustling streets.
Juanita MORE! Murals
Drag queen, activist, and philanthropist Juanita MORE! is one of San Francisco’s most beloved residents, so much so that she’s been celebrated with over half a dozen different street murals throughout the city.
Juanita MORE!’s murals can be found throughout the city, including in SoMa (Elliott C. Nathan‘s Loads of Love at the Powerhouse), the Castro (by J. Manuel Carmona, outside Unionmade), Polk Gulch (Serge Gay Jnr’s creation on the exterior of Lush Lounge at Fern and Polk streets), Steiner Street at Grove (by J. Manuel Carmona and Guilherme Lemes Cardoso e Silva) and also outside the revived Love Shack by SPARC at 502 14th St., in the Mission (again by Gay Jnr.).
Juanita MORE! Mural, Steiner Street at Grove, by J. Manuel Carmona and Guilherme Lemes Cardoso e Silva
Lower Polk Street and Polk Gulch
The Polk Gulch neighbourhood was once hailed as San Francisco’s ‘first LGBTQIA+ neighbourhood’ with a thriving scene from the 1950s to the late 1970s. Among the latest additions to its artistic landscape, is a captivating piece by Serge Gay Jnr, located on the corner of Post Street and Larkin Street.
Lower Polk Street, Polk Gulch, by Serge Gay Jnr
Amos Goldbaum Mural at Bernal Heights Street Garden
Amos Goldbaum, has recently decorated the public garden walkway in Bernal Heights with one of his iconic murals. Titled “City in a Garden,” Goldbaum’s masterpiece spans 13 panels and was crafted in just over a month. The mural showcases stencil-like depictions of the city’s iconic landscape, adding a touch of vibrant creativity to the neighbourhood’s scenery.
City in a Garden, Bernal Heights Street Garden, by Amos Goldbaum
Balmy Alley (Between 24th and 25th streets, and Treat and Harrison streets)
Murals first appeared along Balmy Alley in the mid-1980s as an expression of outrage over human rights violations and political corruption in Central America. Today, the themes depicted have evolved to include broader societal issues such as gentrification and government injustice.
Balmy Alley murals
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