Clarion Alley

8/2/2023 My first time seeing an alley with murals... Just amazes me how creative and detailed murals can be.. We have murals on the utility boxes in my city, and not sure if we have any others, besides graffiti on walls.. It's great to see artists being able to express themselves.. I'm no artist if I attempted- a stick man and happy face would be my style.. lol..

Cool street art in the Mission district (between Mission and Valencia Street). The vibe is definitely more dirty and ghetto on the Mission Street end of the alley with a bit of trash piled up, and the stench of urine at several parts of the short alleyway. But that didn't stop us from appreciating the lovely murals on the walls, created by skilled artists seemingly passionate about their work and the meaning behind it. I liked seeing horror villains like Pennywise and Jason up there too! The artworks look to be in good condition overall. So although the atmosphere along Clarion Alley isn't the most pleasant, it's free public art, and adds a bit of color and beauty to the neighborhood, so can't really complain. It's certainly worth checking out if you're visiting the shops/restaurants nearby.

Interesting alley with lots of murals next to CTS. My friend and I were getting tired after walking almost all day, so didn't walk down the entire alley in this visit, but we did look at some of the art work near the front. A lot of them are very politically charged and many are bright and bold.

Founded in 1992. Must see when in San Fran! Beautiful artwork! Some of the best I have ever seen. I spent so much time walking through the alley admiring the work. My son loved the bright colors and each artists unique creations.

Beautiful, thought provoking, and just one of the many things that makes San Francisco such a special place.

Clarion Alley is a must walk down alley off Valencia between 17th and 18th, with colorful and moving murals adjacent to the former Elbow Room (now called the Valencia Room.). A project with local artists, many of the Clarion Alley murals are remarkable. Yes, you probably will walk over syringes, human waste and lots of other things as you view the murals but this is the harsh reality of homelessness, untreated mental illness, and addiction in the City and often the murals speak of these have vs have not realities in painful, honest and emotionally evocative ways through art. Well worth a visit.

While walking through the mission you might want to walk down this block and take a gander at some of the murals. It's a short block and just adds to the character of the neighborhood!

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.-Degas. If you are in the Mission district, I would encourage you to experience the Clarion Alley Murals off Valencia St and 17th. There is inspiration from social equity, civil rights, sci-fi, drug epidemic, and many more. You can spend a good 30 minutes analyzing and changing the way you think about life. It's relatively safe and it's free!

Nice alley with street art, most with messages of social change. Located just off the bustling Valencia Street, which has plenty of restaurants and shops. But the alley is also quite dirty, with a significant amount of urine and feces. On a warm day, the smell can be overwhelming. There's also several parking garages on the alley, so cars frequently have to navigate through what should be a pedestrian only path. With swinging by if you're on the area, but I wouldn't recommend a trip for it.

One of the best things about San Francisco is the collection of urban gems that feature local art. Clarion Alley in the Mission District is a constant work in progress of street art. It's bright, it's loud, and it makes a statement. Several statements, actually. The murals range from small sections the size of a door to whole sides of a building. There's also a variance of styles, which I appreciate. It's not all graffiti. Check it out if you haven't already.

It is gritty and raw. It is emblematic of a community undergoing gentrification and it's myriad reactions. An oyster bar is next to the trash and fecal littered alley way but the art is everything.

I love street art and when I saw there was an alley of it in SF I made sure this was on my list of places to see. Clarion Alley didn't disappoint with its row of of funky art walls and graffiti work. I wouldn't want to visit this alley at night alone but during the day it was cool and hip. There were people just hanging in the alley but I didn't feel unsafe. I was asked if I wanted to buy some weed a few times but I just said no and kept it moving. I'm a New Yorker so this didn't faze me. lol I took my time checking out the murals and taking pictures of my favorites. Some of the murals had political and philosophical meanings. I enjoyed my stroll through the art alley.

I came across these beautiful shots I took of murals in Clarion Alley in San Francisco, more specifically in the Mission. We went around a nice stroll when I visited and although it was a lowkey walk through the alley, there were people snapping away shots on their phones too which made me realIze what a popular place it had become. The goal of the Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) is to promote a grassroots arts community in the area with the freedom to create to the best of their imagination. A lot of the artwork had messages for politics and human rights in general. In general, the street was beautifully adorned with the variety of artwork but it was unfortunately not in the best area. I wouldn't go there at night to check out the art, in other words. I couldn't choose a favorite work of art. Every wall had its own detailed attention to art with people and objects that almost appeared three-dimensional from how well the work was painted. This place is definitely worth visiting if you're in the area because it has added so much beauty to the Mission and it serves a positive message.

Clarion Alley is located in the Mission District in SF. The city has lots of murals scattered around but this is the place to go to get the most bang for your (Instagram) buck! It's a long alley completely covered with amazing murals from all different artists. My boyfriend and I stopped here on a tour we were on and I was able to snap photos of many of the murals. A lot of the murals in Clarion Alley have a political theme to them, which can make for a great conversation starter. I am not sure how often the murals change, but the ones we saw were all incredible with the level of detail and artistry. It would be fun to go back in the future and see which ones have changed. I wish I knew who the artists were so I could look them up and tag them on my posts. When we were there it wasn't crowded at all but I imagine it could be busy at times. I was really glad we got to stop here and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys art, social commentary, and thought-provoking material.

It was the last few hours in the bay area and was peeping a friend's feed on Instagram and saw she was at Clarion Alley, and I knew I too had to go check it out before I headed home. Hopped on BART and got off at 16th st & Mission and walked like a 1/2 a block and found Clarion Alley pretty easy. I love street art, I am lacking in the drawing skills so it just fascinates me. The art work is beautiful, weird, thought provoking, political and definitely making a statement, everything art work should be. If you are in the city, or even the bay area take some time out and stroll down the alley. I am glad I did!

This brings me back to Berlin, Germany graffiti and Bogota, Colombia graffiti walking tour! I love the colorful expressions on my alley stroll in the heart of the Mission! It's like it's telling me the vibes and history of not only the turned around Mission neighborhood, but of the world and current public dynamics! How exciting to observe the graffiti and think about what it all means! A picture is worth a thousand or so words! I would say and put it, countless words and endless of meanings! On a Mission - it's left to self-interpretation...!

Clarion Alley is one of two alleys in or near the Mission filled with public art (the other is on Balmy Street). Located on a large block is this alley that still is in use as an alley. That means people may come in and out of houses/buildings through the alley dodging tourists taking photos of the art. There are dozens of beautiful murals and public art displays throughout the alley. Many of them are cause-related (there are two "Housing is a human right" murals). Regardless, if you love art and/or photography, this is a place to go. If you're hungry, walk to nearby Tartine Bakery for some of the best food in San Francisco.

Great place to go with friends after a good meal to feed your mind. Here and Balmy Alley in the Mission are where you want to visit most. Appreciate the art and unfiltered political messaging, which has even had its artists pressured for censorship. Thankfully the artists and the community did not buckle! Unfortunately these censorship groups motivated people to deface the art rather than create their own, but the community came back stronger and added more to the mural on the second go-around.

The hodgepodge of colorful, often provocative art has been on the walls since 1992 under the guidance of the Clarion Alley Mural Project, a group of volunteer street artists that have ensured a forum for free expression on an open canvas of fences, garage doors, and building exteriors in this one-block alley between 17th and 18th Streets spanning Mission and Valencia Streets. The best time to come to the alley is during an event like Sunday Streets or the Summer of Love Festival where they close off Valencia Street. This allows people to flow freely into the alley to admire the over fifty rotating works on display. On my most recent visit during Sunday Streets on Valencia, there was a salsa band playing near the entrance (photo: http://bit.ly/2obqulE) with more avant-garde characters deeper in the alley (photo: http://bit.ly/2nNfEi4). I believe I was watching artist Mel Waters put the finishing touches on his painting, Ghost Ship (photo: http://bit.ly/2nURPWp), though his most memorable work is a profile portrait of Prince painted just after his death (photo: http://bit.ly/2oOsscA). There are, of course, more politically charged statements like Stop the Corporatocracy (photo: http://bit.ly/2o83VfT) and Tax the Rich (photo: http://bit.ly/2oSq5ma). Several are colorful renderings of the immediate neighborhood (photo: http://bit.ly/2nNe7Zt) or celebrations of local heroes like tattooist Dean Dennis (photo: http://bit.ly/2oStEsv). A few look simply like works by fly-by graffiti artists. The rotation of art over the past quarter century is an impressive achievement, and it's definitely worth a stroll at any time during the day.

I actually found it hard to find artwork i liked on the street. Clearly, that is a personal presence. The mission district is known for its street art scene (and this was concluded while I goggle searched for street art in San Francisco). Clarion Alley kept appearing in my searches, so my friend and I drove up to the city to check it out. Like any alley way, Clarion was a little difficult to find unless you know exactly where it is. I decided to park nearby where our maps located the alley. Walking made it much easier to find it. There was plenty of meter parking on the street. A lot of other alleys have artwork near the area as well so it might help to park in the center of where you want to go and walk around the mission district on a beautiful day. I can't remember how many murals there were because they were all interesting. I personally like the political murals. There is a lot of depth and you can tell the artists are passionate about the content of their works.

Whenever you're in the Mission, stop by the Clarion Alley and see what new and colorful street art is up. Every time I visit SF the artwork is different. And no matter your viewpoint or what you believe, you can respect the different socio-political pieces that local artists have created, which tends to be the theme here most of the time. I especially love how most people here visiting, contemplates what's being addressed in these murals, which great art often invokes. The Clarion Alley is free and many people, including locals will visit. It's not a long alley at all, so will only take you 15 - 20 minutes to really view and check out all the pieces. It's right in the middle of the Mission neighborhood, sandwiched between shops and restaurants, but will be easy to spot once you're on the main drag of the Mission.

Since living in NYC I've become increasingly more obsessed with street art and graffiti. The colors, the creativity, the overall design is something I'm drawn to. Soooo whenever we adventure to another city I make sure to search out some of these 'local flavor' type of spots to see what the area's artists are creating. Clarion Alley did not disappoint! The alley itself isn't all that long but with all the artwork it'll take you some time to get from one end to the other... and really you should take your time. There are so many beautiful pieces to see, many with positive messages, so worth a trip to the Mission District.

This is a really cool alley with beautiful street art! Apparently they change from time to time and are usually about current events. A few weeks ago, the art we saw was related to the housing crisis, corporate greed, racism and other heavy topics. While there are walls of wonderful art, the alley is a bit sketchy so be careful.

This was our 4th time visiting the Clarion Alley mural project. We love seeing the new artwork along with the ones that have been there. Beautiful colors. Great expression. Also love the thrift shop next door! Can't wait to go back soon!

I really like this place and I try to come here at least once a year. Sometimes they bring in new murals, as old ones fade. But this place is a story of the struggles of marginalized communities and really gives you a sense of the art in the mission. This place discusses through painting the struggles that marginalized communities are facing such as the Black Lives Matters movement, Latinx and Chicanx struggles, and LGBT rights. Definitely worth checking out if you're here for a visit!

This is street art at its finest. It is well maintained,however, it can be shaddy. I saw some homeless individual urinating and asking for money. General background, CAMP( Clarion Alley Mural Project) is a volunteer run organization and recieves support through their annual block party, donations grants and walking tours. The walls that belongs to an artist for as long as they maintain their murals. When an artist moves away or is no longer available to maintain their wall, CAMP will select another artist to paint These artworks are bold, colorful, distinctive, authentic, awe-inspiring, engaging, imaginative,playful, refreshing and symbolic. I was touched by the work I was seeing. It was visionary and visually stimulating. You must go see it for yourself. Amazing and powerful!

This is where you'll get instagram worthy backgrounds, I kid you not. I'm just strollin' through, photobombing all those basic girls trying to get a candid shoot....(not gonna happen, sorry not sorry). Anyhow, besides the people who annoyingly ask you to help them take photos, the murals here are beautiful! I'm not sure how often it changes, but I would be excited to come again next time to see if it did! Check it out- its beautiful! You'll have to google map it. It's between Mission and Valencia St., and 17th and 18th St.

Street art at it's best. Murals with several different artistic styles that address cultural and political issues line either side of Clarion. If you're especially lucky, you might even visit when some of the artists are there and you can watch them in action or talk to them about their work. As of May 2016, there are several murals that address the unfair evictions in San Francisco, and include information and resources through the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project. Stop here and see firsthand how it's affected SF residents rather than just reading about the stats online. If that's too heavy for you, just come for the great photography opportunity and/or some extra exercise.

Incredible murals up and down both sides of the alley. There is street art all over Mission District in SFO but it's concentrated here and another alleyway or two. Even on a rainy day the murals are worth making a trip to go see. Lots of political representation (obviously) but many expressions of love and acceptance, too. Very cool!

08.10.18 Clarion Alley is a Mission District gem that is composed of an art filled alley way. Each building has a separate mural filled with meaning. We waked over from a nearby coffee shop early in the morning and luckily did not have to experience a large influx of people. It was pretty empty for the most part. The alley is not very long, I would not even say a couple of blocks in length. The murals are beautiful and worth traveling to see. It is a great spot to take photos and take in the neighborhood. I got some great shots with both my iPhone and my Sony A6000 and I am just a beginner in the photo taking department. On our way to visit the murals, we were led in the wrong direction by google maps which had us at an elementary school. After some internet searching we were on our way in the right direction. Make sure google does not lead you in the wrong direction.

This is one of many displays of street art around the city. On this day we made a point of visiting several. Many of them address the issues of today and make you think about which ones are important enough to me to take an action to make a difference. It is worthwhile to visit to enjoy the art and contemplate the world we live in.

Love these murals and the messages behind them! There is so much heat to San Francisco behind all of the tourist spots, and these really showcase that. Be sure to check this out when in the Mission District! It is free and worth stopping by! For more on what to do in San Francisco when on a budget, check out our blog. https://kasventures.org/2019/09/29/how-to-visit-san-francisco-on-the-ultimate-budget/

One of my greatest perks as a travel buddy/visitor is I can be easily pleased. I like views, I like street art, & I love local things. Clarion Alley was a great addition to my SF to-do list. The alley itself on a sunny day is brilliantly colorful & full of depth. There are tons of messages and stories screaming out of these walls ready to be told and listened to. Though it is street art in its literal sense, the moment you take one closer look at the details you realize there's so much more than that. It's a good place to impress some visitors but it's an even better place to just soak in and reflect on the murals presented to you. Worth a walk & a talk, yelpheads. Enjoy!

An alleyway filled with dope street art. Nope, not simply your typical can of spray paint graffiti...this is artwork in its rawest expression. During my visit to San Francisco, Clarion Alley was a must see. It it did not disappoint. I opted for an evening stroll in hopes of catching some work in progress. There wasn't a session taking place but I was able to capture many amazingly vivid murals and messages. I have to say that Clarion Alley is definitely something to experience. Bookmark it! Thank me later. ~Christy (from St. Louis)

Expecting to come across a lot of quality artwork here is like going to a nude beach thinking you'll see a bunch of hot chicks naked. Good luck with that. At least it's relatively effortless to find (in close proximity to the 16th St. Mission BART station and easy to stumble upon while on Valencia) and there are many good places to eat nearby too. Several friends that really know what I like highly suggested I check it out, but it ended up paling in comparison to street art I've encountered in places like LA and NY. Much of the work at Clarion Alley was too amateurish and devoid of compelling features. The political "art" largely lacked substance and seemed more like a parody of someone trying to make a profound point, thereby trivializing the issue they intended to spotlight. Not everything was a complete miss though - there were a couple of unicorns. I will acknowledge that just about any public art is subject to a short shelf life due to others constantly painting over things, so it's possible I "caught them on an off day" and there will be better stuff if you go in the future. And it's possible that those that gave it 4 and 5 stars walked into an alley that looked a lot different than the run-down one I was at in early August of 2017. To give a place 2 stars when you're not even paying money though, that says a lot.

This place is so wonderful and beautiful and colorful. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this alley. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting sf. Here is the link to my blog post about this beautiful alley. http://www.paddlinginstilettos.com/2017/05/three-days-in-san-francisco-ca-d-y-o-n-e.html?m=1

Such a cool, vibrant alley in the Mission with tons of beautiful murals/wall art. Seems to change every so often -- so I try to come back whenever I make a visit to the Bay Area. I'd say it's worth seeing even on a rainy day. A lot of the art is political/social commentary, about some heavy topics & current events, as is expected. All of the pieces are colorful and beautifully done. You'll get some great photos here. Definitely recommend stopping by Clarion Alley if you're in SF's Mission District! [29/100]

REVIEWER # 163 I was blessed to be born with a lot of great skills and talent....but one thing I wasn't blessed to have is a good hand that can work miracles. No people! I am not talking about a message therapist...I am talking about an artist. I can't draw for sh!t! True story...That stopped in like 5th grade after my teacher thought that my painting which was a family photo looked like a zoo full of animals. *Bows head in embarrassment* So when I go out, I love seeing drawings and graffiti that's dope! I mean photos that tell a story just by looking at the picture! I was walking in Mission Street when I had seen tons of people in this bright alleyway. Being the noisy person that I am...I decided to go see what everyone was looking at & oh boy!!! Who would have known that Mission Street would have an alleyway full of bomb artwork? Wowzers, a definition of hidden graffiti artwork. I have to admit with other Yelpers about coming here to take beautiful background photos or just hanging out and being a tourist. I don't know how frequently the artwork changes but the last time I came here I was able to see a nice beautiful photo of Prince and the sh!t looked dope! I would definitely be back here and matter of fact, this may be my background to a couple neat sexy photos. This is definitely snapchat and Instagram worthy photos, so get your phone ready while you take it all in! A wonderful place to bring friends and family that has never explored San Francisco before! You have to come and see it to believe it! REWIEW 163/196

Literally an alley way of random murals on the walls and walkways by various artists . It's a pretty cool little alley way . Lots of vibrant colors and interesting designs . The art seems to change regularly, and most of the art seems to to have some sort of social- political undertone. It's fun to walk through the alley way, if you're in the area , but I wouldn't make a destination out of it . Takes under 10-15 minutes to walk and admire the art and then get on with the rest of the day .

Cool art work, would drop by if in the neighborhood again. It was cool to stumble on to this, and wonderful how accessible it is to the public

Fantastic gem. Clarion Alley mural project houses awesome, weird, fantastical, odd, beautiful, and head scratching murals and thought-provoking quotes and political standpoints. It's a great place for art lovers or even the casual street art-consumer, or seeker of the perfect selfie backdrop. I don't know how often things get painted over and how quickly the scenery really changes, but it seems like a great public art space for a little stroll to experience the self-expression of the community.

Murals are cool. FREE & in SF I love it. I've been to Balmy Alley and now Clarion Alley - both are good, but different. Clarion Alley is wild & everything goes. Balmy Alley more ethnic. Go check out both since they are in the Mission. Clarion Alley is close to 16th St Bart. Go to 17th St, then turn Left on Clarion Alley. It's so colorful! Great photo ops. Just don't take pics of the people sitting there, smoking or drinking - too scared they might jump me.

Big fan of street art. The alley goes on for longer than I had expected. Great inspiration and talent to be found here, I have a few favorites. Very vibrant colors in most pieces, and some contain social messages. Worth stopping by for a peek. I would come here again, especially since new pieces get put up?

Alleyways usually get really weird. This is one of them, but for completely different reasons. Clarion Alley was a cool spot to check out while walking around The Mission. Great street art which had some great messages. I loved the art and stood there looking at some pieces for awhile. As mentioned, some did have a great message about several issues and they were subtle about it. They didn't actually have writing that said it. You had to interpret the art itself. The pieces I didn't care for, were ones with messages actually written on the piece of art. On top of being blunt and losing its artistic appeal, they were quite whiny. Really dude? Complaining about gentrification. Get a life. Oh no! Places are safer, cleaner and more fun. Hating on Google? Dude, it's Google. The world is a better place with Google. Worth a visit for sure!

I've heard about this place for a while and I am a sucker for street art and wall art! A lot of the art here is pretty legit. I really love the creativity and different styles that was put into this place. I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you're visiting or are in the area! You can park a few blocks down and walk to this place. You'll pass by a lot of different shops and stores that I would recommend checking out as well.

It was alright. Great art work... And a bit of a smelly alley walk lolx.

Three words: Urban art gallery. I won't even lie: I'd rather walk down alleys all day long than step inside the DeYoung, MOMA or Legion of honor. I can appreciate museums, but I love grassroots art. These are my pictures from the alley: http://flickr.com/photos/calmenda/sets/72157603672744211/ I had been to a couple of other alleys (Balmy) but this is by far my favorite. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going out there alone with expensive Dslr gear as there are tons of drug deals and transient people on the Mission side of the alley. You're safe on the Valencia side since the Mission police station is there. Anyone interested in urban art owes it to themselves to check out Clarion alley.

An alleyway full of beautiful and unique murals. :) This is a fun & free stop if you are in the city visiting. Definitely go check it out if you are into grafitti/murals/artwork.

Clarion Alley is nice, but it's unfortunately being overrun with photographers and Instagram models at all hours of the day. I don't know how lot of these murals are still intact (not defaced or anything) after a few years of being painted! Overall cool art with predictable political messages embedded. A good place to get the exact same photos that a thousand other people have for your Instagram. If you're a tourist, go for it. If you're from the Bay, I'd personally recommend trying to be a little more creative and capturing other parts of the city that haven't been done over and over and over again. But that's just me, it's your Instagram, do what you like! Overall a nice little bunch of art in the heart of the Mission, though it hasn't changed much in a few years and that can be taken as awesome or taken as boring.