Artists of all ages and backgrounds showed up to paint and enjoy a sunny San Francisco day at the 26th Annual Urban Youth Arts Festival, hosted by the Precita Eyes Muralists at San Francisco’s Precita Park on July 16.
The event included speeches by local activists and community leaders, performances by local youth, and 10 blank walls (with a total of 40 panels) for artists to paint and create on.
The event attracted newcomers and long-time attendees alike. Izzy A.,9, and Althea J., 8, along with many other neighborhood kids, picked up their first cans of spray paint at the event. Local graffiti artist Twick, on the other hand, has been attending the mural festival since day one. “I’m blessed to be here, and I want to give a huge shout out to Susan Cervantes and Precita Eyes for the work they do for this community,” Twick said with gratitude. He spent the afternoon catching up with other artists and friends in the community as he worked on an incredible cartoon-like character on one of the panels.
As the day progressed, more and more people showed-up at Precita Park — friends embraced, artists collaborated, neighbors chatted, and the blank spaces on the walls became increasingly difficult to find.
Susan Cervantes, founder and director of Precita Eyes, meandered through the energetic crowd, trailed by young artists eager to know which panels they can start painting on. “A lot of these folks have been coming for years and have started to bring their own families now, and create their own youth groups,” Cervantes said happily.
This is the second in-person event since the pandemic and Cervantes was thrilled by the turnout. She said they had twice as many panels as they did last year, all of them covered in vibrant colors by the close of the festival.
The Precita Eyes Muralists organization has been bringing art, murals, and classes to San Francisco’s Mission District since 1977. It recently reopened their studio for urban youth arts graffiti classes after a hiatus during the pandemic.
