The Black Sheep Collective's Flordia St. Mural

In early October 2009, new CELLspace studio artist Cy Wagoner liked the idea of putting the Black Sheep Art Collective's first San Francisco mural up on the back doors of the arts space that they worked out of. Hailing from Arizona, specifically Navajo Nation, the Collective seeks to heal and strengthen indigenous peoples through conscious art, so it is fitting that they tell a Diné story about the Bay Area's connectons to their people's history. Over the following months, on the large bay doors of CELLspace's Florida St. facade, a group of artists brought out the story of a powerful woman who came to the Pacific Ocean and created many of the animals depicted in the mural.

Since landing in San Francisco, the Black Sheep Arts Collective has been hard at work supporting their mission of providing mentorship, encouragement, and a space for young artists to create personal and distinctive art free from societal restrictions. They have completed another Diné-based mural in the significant intersection of Albion St. and Camp St., where the first Spanish/Catholic Mission Dolores stood in 1776. They have also created another mural with youth in the alleys off of 15th and Mission/Valencia Sts.

Here are some photos of the CELLspace mural in progress, starting with the completed work and going backwards in time. Painting with almost no budget, the Florida St. Mural Project is deeply appreciative of the BSAC's talent and cooperation, and CELL is proud to hold a unique story from some of the original peoples of Western North America.