Our Work: Projects

Slow Streets, Fast Friends Murals

We installed street murals on Slow Streets across the city to connect people with their neighbors and their public spaces.

Slow Streets, Fast Friends is a community-oriented public art initiative. After a thorough public outreach process, local artists and neighborhood volunteers installed murals on Lyon Street, Page Street, Hearst Avenue, 20th Street, and Minnesota Street in fall 2024.

Timeline: Completed fall 2024

Lyon Street Mural

Artist: Matley Hurd
Status: Completed July 22, 2024
Location: Lyon Street between McAllister & Fulton Streets
Slow Streets Partner: North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA)

The approximately 70’ x 24’ ground mural, designed by artist Matley Hurd and painted in partnership with community volunteers, was installed on Saturday, July 22. The mural features a flock of parrots that regularly visit the neighborhood, dahlias (the official flower of San Francisco), and a depiction of the Golden Gate Bridge. View more photos here.

Page Street Mural

Artist: Matley Hurd
Status: Completed September 10, 2024
Location: Page Street between Masonic & Central Avenues
Slow Streets Partner: Page Slow Street

The approximately 48′ x 20′ Page Street mural alludes to Page’s emerging role as a wildlife greenway while incorporating local landmarks important to the neighborhood. View more photos here.

Hearst Avenue Mural

Artist: Josué Rojas
Status: Completed October 22, 2024
Location: Hearst Avenue between Detroit and Congo Streets
Slow Streets Partner: Slow Hearst

The 120′ x 14 Hearst mural calls to local pollinators, illuminated by sunrise and sunset imagery.

Minnesota Street Mural

Artist: Josué Rojas & Matley Hurd
Status: Completed Nov 21, 2024
Location: Minnesota Street between 22nd and 20th Streets
Slow Streets Partner: Dogpatch Neighborhood Association

The approximately 60’ X 25’ Minnesota Street mural showcases Dogpatch’s industrial past (victorian homes, cranes, shipbuilding, steel, ironworks), its natural elements (the waterfront, sunny blue skies, trees, native plantings), and the neighborhood’s proud artisanal culture (architecture, fashion, art and design studios, museums and galleries, local shops).

20th Street Mural

Artist: Josué Rojas
Status: Completed November 12, 2024
Location: 20th Street between Alabama & Florida Streets
Slow Streets Partner: 20th Street Neighbors

The 80′ x 18′ 20th Street mural melds the sights of food and drink from the neighborhoods’ bars, restaurants and coffee shops.

23rd Avenue Mural

Artist: Matley Hurd
Status: Design concept ready
Proposed location: 23rd Avenue between Clement & Geary Streets
Slow Streets Partner: Slow 23rd

The 23rd Avenue mural features a bold dragon that symbolizes the thriving spirit of the neighborhood.

Arlington Street Mural

Artist: Josué Rojas
Status: Design concept ready
Proposed location: Arlington Street between Mateo and Miguel Streets
Slow Streets Partner: Arlington Slow Street Stewards

The Arlington Street mural features local flora and fauna, highlighting the beauty of the nearby Glen Park Canyon.

Shotwell Street Mural

Artist: Josué Rojas
Status: Design concept ready
Proposed location: Shotwell Street between 17th and 18th Streets
Slow Streets Partner: Shotwell Slow Street Stewards

The Shotwell mural celebrates local wildlife and activism in the lively Mission neighborhood.

Noe Street Mural

Artist: Matley Hurd
Status: Design concept ready
Proposed location: Noe Street between Market & Beaver Streets
Slow Streets Partner: Slow Noe

The Noe Street mural showcases plants that can be found in the neighborhood.

Street murals don’t just beautify public space. They also promote civic pride, support local artists, and encourage drivers to slow down on pedestrian-first streets. Through community paint days, we’ve also helped neighbors get to know each other and celebrate their shared public space!
This project required approvals by the following agencies: San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority and the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Slow Streets, Fast Friends is part of the SFMTA Street Mural Pilot Program, an effort to invite community-oriented public art onto Slow Streets to underscore them as community resources and spaces. After a lengthy public outreach process, including a survey that garnered over 500 responses, the community selected two local artists, Matley Hurd and Josué Rojas, to create murals for the program. With the help of many volunteers, two murals have been completed, and more are in early stages. You can check out a full timeline of SF Parks Alliance’s Slow Streets community outreach here!
The project is funded by the Community Challenge Grant, a program that provides financial assistance for community-led, neighborhood improvement projects. Community Challenge Grants support improvements to public space, promote local creatives, provide opportunities for neighbors to form bonds, build skills, give voice to diverse community members, and encourage investment in the well-being of the neighborhood.
Matley Hurd
Matley Hurd is an SF-based artist who incorporates elements from comic books, anime, graffiti, sci-fi and mythology, with bold abstract flowing shapes, giving a feeling of levity and elegance to his work.

Josué Rojas
Josué Rojas is a home-grown San Francisco muralist, fine artist and educator. Josué’s work remixes abstract forms with Central American folkloric patterns, graffiti, comics and storybook illustrations to achieve rich, luscious murals with a fun edge.
Installing a large ground mural (in the case of Lyon Street, about 1,680 sq ft!) is a lot of work. While local artists Matley Hurd and Josué Rojas design the murals and lead the painting, we have the help of dozens of cheerful volunteers who are excited to roll up their sleeves and get messy.