The Botanical Mural

Size: this mural spans a street corner. It is 192' (58,5 meters) long on the right side of the corner, 100' (30,5 m) long on left side. The highest point is 17' (5,2 m) high.
Surface total: 2,750 square feet (256 square meters).

Location: at the corner of Church Street and 22d St. - San Francisco. (map)

Article about this mural in El Tecolote newspaper: Español - English

The mural theme:
The mural features an array of wild grasses and flowers (mostly weeds) both native and non-native to California, in various stages of blossoming or drying, blown up to giant proportions. Looking at nature closely, one may notice the intricacy and beauty of even the most "valueless" and unseeming little plants, regardless of which stage in life they happen to be in. The mural showcases several plants that are not particularly noticeable in real life, weeds that can grow in any spot of the city, including the cracks in the sidewalk right in front of the mural, and are freely available to anybody.

Credits:
Mural design and painting: Mona Caron, 2006
Assistants: Lisa Ruth Elliott, Paige Tuhey. Volunteers: Maria Teresa Caparrotta, Alana De Riggi, Mary Brown, Ali Tonak, Brian Awehali, Maite Hierra.
- Made possible by a grant from San Francisco's Neighborhood Challenge Grant Program)
and by a grant from San Francisco Beautiful.
- Thank you to CitiApartments, Community Challenge Grant Program, and to individual donations for funding the protective varnish.
- Fiscal Sponsor: counterPULSE
- Thank you to Theresa Mahler Child Development Center and SFUSD for permission, and for providing their facilities.
- Thank you Lisa Ruth Elliott, David Hochschild, Adrián Arias, Rupa Marya, Joel Pomerantz, Alec Bash for all-round support, and help with the inauguration party.

The mural process: click here for in-progress photos and info about the painting process.

Click for a larger view:



Other photo galleries:

• in-progress photos

• inauguration photos

Framed photos available!

This tryptich of framed 8" x 10" photos of the Botanical mural is available as a thank-you gift for donations of $120 or more toward Mona's Noe Valley murals project, currently in progress and in need of additional funds. More info.
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