Title: StoryCorps: Paint and pride in the Mission (Crosscurrents)
The Mission District is famous for its vibrantly colored murals, and some of the oldest murals can be found in Balmy Alley.
Mia Gonzalez started the mural project in the early ’70s when the alley was a run down little street that connected 24th Street with nearby Precita Park. She wanted to make the alley safer for the kids who were walking through on their way to the park. What she didn’t expect was that it would launch a new wave of women muralists working in a strong Chicana tradition. Gonzalez sat down in the StoryCorps booth with art archivist Linda Wilson to talk about change, paint and pride.