The Women’s Building
This point of interest is available as audio on the tour: Visit San Francisco, Open and Engaged city
You can see it from a distance, and it seems to call out to you from the beginning of the street it’s the splendid “Women’s building”. It’s the icing on the cake of this street art tour. Its name is “maestrapeace”. A subtle wordplay between masterpiece and maestra peace which means “female masters of peace”. Spanning over five floors, this monumental masterpiece honours the women who dedicate their lives to world peace. It is San Francisco’s largest and most impressive mural. Take your time to look around, as both facades are filled with meaningful details and depictions of historic or sacred female figures, highlighting the achievements of women across time and continents. It was painted in 1994 by seven women from different generations and backgrounds and renovated by the same artists in 2012. This restoration includes a paint treatment process that protects the colors for at least 100 years! And behind this magnificent façade lies the “Women building”, a community center for women, run by women. A place that advocates gender equality, social justice and self-determination. In the 80s, the first conference for African-American lesbians was held here. But it wasn’t always easy, of course. In its first year of existence, the Women’s Building suffered two severe attacks, a case of arson and of a homemade pipe bomb! Today, it provides a safe place for women and offers several social, professional and legal support programs, as well as an affordable space for non-profit organizations.
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