By Caitlin Donohue
“Naya Bihana” (A New Dawn), a Martin Travers mural in Balmy Alley commemorating the struggle for freedom in Tibet.
Balmy Alley is awesome. In general, I am content to mosey through this painty wonderland with a loved one, preferably with a cup of coffee from Phil’z or a $1.50 24th street taco grasped firmly in my paw. But this Friday there’s a top-shelf chance to enjoy Balmy in my most favoritest form of celebration: the block party.
The alleyway gallery on Balmy Street was started in 1975 by Mujeres Muralistas, and exploded into its present glory in 1985, when three dozen muralists threw up 27 pieces on the back road’s garage doors, walls and sitting stoops. Originally a celebration of Latin American indigenous culture and refutation of our government’s malicious shenanigans south of the border, its walls now include send-ups of Mission gentrification and a commemoration of the Katrina tragedy. It has become an important focal point of the neighborhood and is a kickass place for a block party.