Of The Mission | de la Misión

About this series:

“La Misión, La Mission, The Mission
wherever I stand
here, there, everywhere
I’m in the Mission”
— from “Mission Vision” (Stray Poems ©2013) by Alejandro Murguia, former San Francisco Poet Laureate

People who live or work in San Francisco’s Mission District navigate constant change. The corner store looks familiar, but the restaurant across the street has changed hands several times in recent years. It’s a bustling neighborhood where beauty meets decay, the afterlife seems ever-present, and families overcome stark urban challenges.

A decade into living here, I set out to deepen my connection to the community and to ask how the Mission, with its distinctive Latino culture, vivid colors, scents, and textures, permeates our lives. Do we knowingly assimilate into our neighborhood? Here, we’re immersed in it.

These portraits of people who live or work within this historic neighborhood's 1.481 square-mile-boundaries celebrate the Mission in ways we may feel but never see. In this series, participants are transported to real or imagined settings to explore how deeply ingrained we are in this colorful environment.

Muchas gracias to the 59 volunteers, who each received a “normal” portrait for participating; thanks to Foodwise for allowing me to set up a Portrait Pop-up at the Mission Farmers Market; and thanks to the Mission Cultural Center for use of a studio. In the end, all but one of the images were shot outdoors. Also, special thanks to my friendly and patient bilingual assistant, Rosi Lopez, and to Alejandro Murguia, for granting permission to cite his amazing poems and for participating in the project. In some images, you’ll see portions of murals or street art in this neighborhood. My intention is to celebrate and identify these outstanding artists whenever possible.