Baden High School mural celebrates belonging: Students work with professional muralists to brighten beige walls on campus in South San Francisco

Now, it is abundantly clear — enter where folklórico dancers celebrate around the Egyptian pyramids and table filled with cultural foods, and under the Filipino sun and Taurus constellation honoring the school’s bull mascot. 

For the last six weeks, students and artists from the San Francisco-based organization Precita Eyes Muralists worked together to bring life to the walls of the high school and learn firsthand the positive impact murals have on communities. 

As a continuation high school, students enrolled at Baden take three classes a day, and are dismissed at 12:45 p.m. — but those working on the mural often stayed far later into the afternoon, taking their time to develop skills and bring the art to life. 

The dedication from students was impressive to witness, Wellness Director Alex Stillman said. 

“In my 20 years of education, I can honestly say I am most proud of this project and what these students put into it and the light that they shed onto this project,” Stillman said. 

Two of the students most involved in the project, who stayed hours after class was dismissed to dedicate their time to the mural, were seniors Dani Martinez Gonzalez and Gianna Lechado. 

Martinez Gonzalez enjoyed drawing before the artistic project was presented to her, but she’s never created anything to this scale until collaborating with Precita Eyes Muralists. Her favorite part of the mural is the shading technique she used on a butterfly after learning it from Precita Eyes Director Fred Alvarado and lead artist Margaret White. 

“Beyond the art itself, the best part was the sense of community,” Martinez Gonzalez said, particularly referencing the bonds she created with the artists from Precita Eyes Muralists.  

For Alvarado and White, the best parts of the process were integrating aspects of students’ culture based on sketches they made during a brainstorming session early on in the partnership. 

Drawings included Jarritos soda bottles, a concha-shelled turtle, hibiscus flowers, Mayan monuments in Mexico, the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco and agricultural gardens. 

Each piece was integrated into a comprehensive mural, designed by Precita Eyes artists, to reflect exactly what students wanted to see, White said. 

The table in the center of the mural, donned with a purple tablecloth covered in Hawaiian hibiscus flowers, and featuring plates of fruit, corn, strawberry cake, guacamole and a terra-cotta vase, is the favorite of Alvarado and White. 

“I think that was a great example of true collaboration,” Alvarado said. 

The school’s block schedule allows for students to complete classes at a quicker pace, earn credits they need for graduation and provide opportunities for career growth and technical education. The early dismissal allows students with part-time jobs to establish a work-life balance and courses are developed with hands-on experiences integrated. 

The third block of the day is English, and for the past few months, students have learned in the class about the legacy and value of murals. The campus art project was one way the high school’s staff established a way for students to put their education into practice. 

“Painting the mural was a really fun experience,” Lechado said. “It allowed me to connect with friends and create new connections. Even though we weren’t in a classroom, we were still learning how to socialize and work together.” 

The collaboration was long in the making, Stillman said. With the support of Assistant Principal Clare Jackson and Principal Seemaa Prasad, the partnership was established over a year ago. Seeing the results filled Prasad with pride.

“Our student artists poured their vision, time and talent into this mural,” Prasad said. 

The mural was developed with one of San Francisco Unified School District’s strategic goals in mind, to encourage a sense of belonging among students and ownership in their schools. The names of student participants are marked on the right side of the wall, establishing their legacy on the campus.

 “We’re all very, very proud of this project,” Stillman said. “Belonging is one of the key elements that the district is focused on, and we’re very happy that we could include belonging on behalf of the students and community in this mural.”