
IA worked with the Lower Polk Neighbors, the Lower Polk Community Benefits District, the San Francisco Office of Workforce and Economic Development, and the building owners of this building in Lower Polk to manage the implementation of a new six-panel community mural on Hemlock Alley between Polk Street and Larkin Street in the Lower Polk Alleyways District.


The artists adhered to the theme, “San Francisco – Its History and Its Diversity.” Each mural features an iconic San Francisco architectural feature and highlights the diversity of neighborhoods and their inhabitants exploring themes of culture, identity, history, and progress. The resulting six murals span the length of around 140 feet are a colorful addition to Lower Polk, helping to transform Hemlock Alley from a back street to a vibrant, enlivened place that pays tribute to the culture of the city.

Transportation Hub, by Dray

Parrots of Telegraph Hill, by Ali Futrell

Adventures through Golden Gate Park, Will Durkee & Marcus Lee

Hope. Act. The Fight for Freedom, by Twin Walls Mural Co.

Souls of the City, by Mel Waters

Arrival – To Believe in Yourself, by Bahama Kangaroo




Location: Lower Polk Neighborhood, San Francisco
Status: Complete
In addition to creating a platform for emerging local artists, the Hemlock Cultural Narrative Mural Project is part of The Lower Polk Alleyways District Vision Plan, a larger improvement initiative to activate alleys throughout the neighborhood. To celebrate the completion of the mural, IA coordinated the unveiling celebration along Hemlock, temporarily closing the alley to cars. The celebration included live music by a Senegalese band, a performance by a Brazilian Samba dancer, and food; as well as stakeholder speeches from the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and District Three Supervisor Aaron Peskin.