Mujeres Muralistas

Their first publicly commissioned mural was called "Latinoamerica", located on Mission Street and 25th Street, and painted for the Mission Model Cities organization. They were tasked with creating a mural that would represent the Latino culture of the area. To accomplish this, they used a lot of symbolism that was relevant to Latinos in their mural, such as a pyramid of cornstalks illustrating the significant role that corn played in the lives of indigenous American peoples.[4]

The mural Latinoamérica helps to connect Latinos to their culture and teach future generations more about their cultural roots. [5] Some culturally significant symbols found in the mural include an Aztec eagle and ancestors; this homage to Latin American mythology bridged a connection between the Latino community and their "indigenous past as a form of cultural empowerment." [6] San Francisco's Mission District was home to a large and diverse group of Latinos, whom the Mujeres Muralistas acknowledged in their mural. Alongside Latinos native to the United States, Latinoamérica extended its representation to Latinos from nations such as Bolivia, Venezuela, and Peru. The mural recognized and honored Latinos from both North America and South America in efforts to foster a "pan-Latino identity." [7] Much like the Mission District, the Murjeres Muralistas had a diverse group of Latinas, their unique cultural and national identities influencing their stylistic contributions to Latinoamérica.[8] According to Latinas in the United States, set: A Historical Encyclopedia, edited by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez Korrol, common themes underlying the work of many Latina artists were those of "human welfare and social justice." Artwork, for example, would depict people performing daily jobs and tasks, often focusing on the working class (e.g. farm workers and laborers). In fact, Latinoamérica "[drew] inspiration from the role that Latinas [played] in the labor force." [9] In particular, the portrayal of women and children in Latinoamérica was the Mujeres Muralistas' way of redefining Latino murals, celebrating the Latino community with vibrant images [9] instead of recreating the dark "'blood and guts' aesthetic" painted by their male counterparts.[10]

The Muralistas were recruited to create a mural on the side of Paco's Tacos, a restaurant on the corner of 24th and South Van Ness. A McDonald's had just been built across the street, so the mural on the Paco's Tacos building was an effort to keep the restaurant unique and relevant compared to its new competitor.[3]This mural featured four large women surrounded by an abundance of colorful fruits, animals, and exotic natural landscapes. The group chose to focus the mural around the theme of food and the concept of the Latin American marketplace. The theme felt fitting to them given that the wall mural was located on the side of a restaurant.

Fantasy for Children is the only mural created by the Muralistas that is still standing and can still be seen today.[11] They were commissioned to make the mural for the 24th Street Minipark. Because it was a space for children, they wanted to use the mural to make the park's environment more friendly and appealing to families so it would be used more. They considered the kind of people that would engage with the space and the final product was extremely colorful and had a lot of symbolism tying back to the Latino culture, such as a female sun acting as a sort of Mother Nature type goddess and a woman blowing wind in the top lefthand corner that appeared to be of Mayan descent. Although the mural can still be seen today, it is in need of restoration.