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 in San Francisco’s Precita Park on July 16th.
The event includes 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.
The event attracted newcomers and longtime participants 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 participating in the hiking festival since day one. “I’m blessed to be here, and I want to give a big shout out to Susan Cervantes and Precita Eyes for the work they do for this community,” Twick said with gratitude. He spent the afternoon 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 in Precita Park – friends hugged, artists collaborated, neighbors talked, and the empty spaces on the walls became harder and harder to find.
Susan Cervantes, founder and director of Precita Eyes, meandered through the energetic crowd, followed by young artists eager to know what panels they could paint on. “Many of these people have been coming for years and have started bringing their own families now and creating their own youth groups,” Cervantes said happily.
This is the second in-person event since the pandemic and Cervantes was thrilled with the turnout. She said they had twice as many panels as they did last year, all of them covered in vibrant colors by the end of the festival.
The Precita Eyes Muralists organization has been bringing art, murals and classes to the San Francisco Mission District since 1977. It recently opened its studio for urban youth art graffiti classes after a hiatus during the pandemic.
