On Monday, September 7, Brava officially unveils our new building mural, “Palabra Breathing,” with a live blessing ceremony with Danza Azteca Xitlalli. During the ceremony we will also say goodbye to one of the Mission’s most iconic murals, "Nosotros con Cesar y Dolores," located at 24th & York Streets*, and bless the altar of Maria X Martinez.
Nearly two stories high and spanning the length of Brava Theater Center’s main theater, “Palabra Breathing” was commissioned by Brava! for Women in the Arts with support from our neighborhood partner, Acción Latina, for the July 16, 2020 Paseo Artístico: Art is Collective Action. Created by artist Vanessa “DJ Agana” Espinoza (@dj_agana) with artist Yazmin “Shi Shi” Madriz, “Palabra Breathing” honors our nation’s ancestral heritage and the generations of Black and Indigenous women who have given heart, breath, and life to this land. Read Agana’s artistic statement here.
Agana’s art first appeared at Brava back in 2018, when Brava commissioned her to create the mural “Madre Tierra de mi Corazon” (pictured in the slideshow below) on the east-side gate of our newly opened storefront. When the opportunity for a new mural came up, Brava knew exactly who should create it! We’d also like to extend a special thank you to Josue Rojas (who painted the west/right panel of the mural) and Acción Latina for their support, as well as the artists ToonsOne and Sonia G whose work also appears on the mural.
Please join us in bringing this mural to the world.
Mural Blessing
Monday, September 7, 2pm
Instagram Live @BravaTheater
* After 35 years of existence, we are heartbroken over the imminent demolition of the mural "Nosotros con Cesar y Dolores" on the corner of 24th & York Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. Despite three years of community opposition and meetings with the SF Planning Commission, the owner of the property has been given permission to demolish the laundromat to build a five-story apartment building.
You can learn more about the mural’s history and support efforts to preserve the mural at the “Preserving the Cesar Chavez Mural” GoFundMe campaign here.
