The future of the historic Carnaval Mural above the House of Brakes at 24th and South Van Ness streets is hanging in the balance.
Members of the Carnaval Mural Restoration Project, a committee formed to save the iconic artwork, are anxiously awaiting June 1, when they will find out if they are receiving a San Francisco Community Challenge Grant. If they do, work can begin on the restoration immediately.
“This project is ready to go; all it needs is the funding,” said photographer and committee member, Lou Dematteis. “But that’s a big deal; we can’t do it without it.”
The goal of the campaign is not to change the mural but to restore it to its original state. Restoring the historical landmark, which is 24 feet tall and 75 feet wide, is going to be a difficult and delicate task because it is above street level.
The estimated cost of restoring the mural, which took six months and cost $13,000 to create, is $69,000. Funds will go to painting, scaffolding, insurance and payment for artists.
The original Carnaval Mural artist, Daniel Galvez, was thrilled to join the committee, and his permission was needed to restore the mural.
“This is one of my favorite murals,” Galvez said. “So it’s an honor and I’d want it to be restored.”
The mural depicts scenes and real-life characters from the first-ever Mission Carnaval parade photographed by Dematteis in 1979.
The man gazing down from the second story window lived at Valencia and 23rd streets and is shown with his sister. Centered in a red vest is Jaime Aguilar, who was a bus driver for Muni and Mexican Bus, a cultural tour service. The musician depicted playing the drums to the right, in an orange and red jacket is believed to be Jorge Molina. Sequenced in silver and a bejeweled headband with feathers is a Brazilian dancer named Marlena.
Bringing the characters back to life will take approximately four months, and includes painting three coats of color and then double coating with varnish and UV added protection, to hold up much longer than in the past. Galvez will be doing the repainting with one of the original assistants and two local artists.
Mauricio Aviles, the program coordinator for the project, says the mural is a curiosity to the younger generation and a symbol of pride for the Mission District. It serves as a legacy of the cultural renaissance of the 1980s, and a tribute to places that no longer exist, like Discolandia.
The Project’s fiscal agent is the Mission Housing Development Corporation and it also has the support of residents, community groups, businesses and the Lower 24th Street Merchants and Neighbors Association.
“Trying to get letters of support [for the grant] was probably the easiest thing Mauricio had ever encountered,” said Dematteis. “We thought there might be some opposition but we contacted any potential opposition and we have a lot of support.”
All committee members have individual careers, so restoration efforts thus far have all been voluntary.
“We’re pretty busy but we decided to make it the project of this year,” said Aviles. “The mural has a life of its own. The restoration process will attract people to come check it out. You don’t see that happen that often.”
The committee believes the restored mural could serve as a key element to showcase and attract businesses and tourists to the neighborhood, as well as the city—a tool for attracting tourism, like Balmy Alley.
The committee hopes to raise a total of $86,000 with leftover funds going to the documentation of the restoration and to satellite projects.
The hope is to give back to the community by educating and training artists through community mural workshops, additional restoration projects and training to young adults, ages 14-19, in other community groups to do their own murals.
“I’m excited about not only doing this mural, but offering the opportunity for more murals,” Galvez said. “They address multiple issues related to people’s lives, issues that speak to a lot of generations.”