After two years of permit delays and a recent bout of bad weather, the 200-foot retaining wall and staircase at Alemany Boulevard and Head Street is getting a face-lift.
Under the guidance of local artist Mike Ritch, members of the public gathered in mid-July for a community paint day to prepare the dark green wall and begin adding depictions of native flora and fauna.
Titled “Urban Wilderness: San Francisco’s Native Ecosystem,” the wall features a forest background with daytime creatures, such as birds, bees and butterflies, while the staircase shows nighttime creatures such as coyotes, raccoons and possums.
Artist Mike Ritch wants the mural to force people to slow down when driving through the area. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
Merced Extension Triangle Neighborhood Association President Neil Hunt was excited for the garbage-green wall to be replaced with art.
“I like the fact that it’s reflective of the natural world,” Hunt said. “Something we can all love and enjoy.”
The project got its start in 2023 when Merced Heights Triangle resident Glenn Rogers submitted the proposal to the District 7 Participatory Budgeting program. District 7 voters selected the project, and it was awarded $25,000, but permit policy changes caused several delays.
“This mural is exactly what my Participatory Budgeting program is all about — it was spearheaded by local neighbors, brings community together, and helps our neighborhood shine,” District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar said. “I am so grateful for the neighbors in the Merced Extension Triangle neighborhood for applying for this funding and seeing the project through to completion, despite challenges with bureaucracy and the weather."
Ritch, who estimated the mural will be done in August, has great aspirations for the project.
The staircase portion of the mural features animals at night. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
“This happens to be a very high-traffic road that people buzz right through,” Ritch said. “I wanted to hopefully get people to slow down a little bit and enjoy a scene that depicts some of the nature that is right here in our own backyards and to try to show folks that are passing through that this neighborhood cares about their shared spaces.”
Hunt, who said there might be another community painting day toward the end of the mural’s completion for applying the anti-graffiti varnish, found the mural project empowering.
“It seems like there’s a receptiveness right now on the part of community projects like murals and other beautifications, so it’s absolutely worth people to group together in their neighborhood,” Hunt said. “You really can achieve a lot if you work together and engage positively.”
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
