Alward and Public Art: Ray Patlán
Image: Alward parking lot, Ray Patlán Mural; Photo, Alward Construction
Berkeley is home to over 100 buildings and structures adorned with decorative art. One of these adjoins Alward Construction's parking lot. The large-scale mural wall is the work of Ray Patlán (1946–2024), a pioneering Chicano artist known for his significant contributions to the community mural movement. Patlán's work often emphasizes Mexican-American heritage, social justice, and historical figures who fought for equality. Against a bright, vibrant color palette infused with Aztec-inspired designs, the Alward mural depicts Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., with various figures representing labor, community, and indigenous roots.
Image: Ray Patlán; Photo, Ray Patlán estate
Patlán was born and raised in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, a historic Mexican-American community, and attended the Art Institute of Chicago. He painted one of his early murals for Chicago's Casa Aztlán in 1970, featuring imagery of Mexican history and labor leaders. Moving to the Bay Area, he helped shape public art traditions here—especially in San Francisco's Mission District. In addition to creating art, he mentored and taught younger muralists and community artists. Patlán co-founded PLACA (People's Legal Assistance for Community Art), which spearheaded the PLACA murals in Balmy Alley.
Image: Balmy Alley Murals; Photo, Mirtes W
In 1984, the Mayor of Balmy Alley, as Patlán was known, helped organize and lead artists and residents along the narrow Mission District alley between 24th and 25th Streets. The thirty-six multi-racial artists addressed U.S. involvement in Central America, human rights struggles, and solidarity across Latin American communities. Today, Balmy Alley and Patlán's murals continue to reflect enduring themes of immigration and displacement, indigenous identity, social justice, global solidarity, transformation, and hope—demonstrating how community mural art can both document history and inspire change.
