In 2018, LA-based artist Alison Oksner struck up a conversation with Tyrone Butler, a native of San Francisco’s Mission District who has been experiencing homelessness for most of his life. Butler spoke to her about the changes he has seen in San Francisco over the decades, as well as the need for a monument to, for, and of the people in the Mission. Oksner found an empty wall in SF’s Clarion Alley and, over the course of a week, painted many of the people who make the Mission so vibrant. I documented her progress.
Below is a teaser for a short documentary I am making about the conception and creation of the mural, as well as the subsequent conflict and destruction that ensued. You can learn more about Alison Oksner here.