Community Murals - Paint the Void

Paint the Void celebrates community and resilience with group mural projects.

The Issue

During the pandemic, communities lacked opportunities to come together and take pride in their neighborhoods
Businesses and individuals wanted the chance to be more hands-on with the murals appearing in their neighborhoods

How We Helped

Mayor London Breed awarded a grant from the Shine On initiative to Paint the Void to organize mural painting opportunities for the community
Paint the Void has organized 5 community-driven murals to date, and involved over 800 volunteers

Paint the Void saw the need for community engagement and togetherness after their first community mural that was hosted as a response to a UCSF Emergency Room Doctor who reached out to Paint the Void during the thick of COVID to find relief and fun for her team during a volunteer day. Paint the Void worked with the USCF doctors and artist Jennifer Bloomer to create a cohesive story that shared their experience in COVID. The doctors were then asked to come paint the mural. See the results.

As we connected deeper with the neighborhoods we are working within and built relationships with local neighbors, Small Business Owners, Business Improvement Districts, Merchant Associates, we realized the need for more engagement. Locals wanted to get involved creating ownership and connection to the artwork. They wanted a say in the artwork and hands on experience connecting to the public messages in their streets.

In 2022, Paint the Void received a grant from Shine on SF and the City of San Francisco to offer monthly community murals. Shine On SF is a new recovery initiative designed to reignite civic pride and improve the conditions of San Francisco’s streets and public spaces. Paint the Void completed one mural a month in collaboration with TogetherSF who helped organize over 800 volunteers to assist with painting the murals.

Volunteers work on Shawna Chen's community mural

“San Franciscans care deeply about our City — for its unique beauty, culture, diversity and its neighborhoods. During this pandemic, we showed what we can do when we come together to protect and care for one another, and we need to carry that spirit forward to care for our City. Clean sidewalks and beautiful public spaces are essential to public health, community, and economic viability. They are a matter of equity that every resident and visitor should enjoy. We are launching Shine On SF to do more to keep San Francisco clean, celebrate all those who take care of our City every day, and inspire everyone to do their part to make this City shine.”
- Mayor London Breed

The initiative is composed of two main components: creating civic engagement opportunities for San Franciscans to volunteer and directly contribute to creating a cleaner and more cared-for city; and expanding and improving the City’s cleaning and beautification programs through immediate investments and long-term systemic changes.