Mural absconded by Inner Mission, artist remains in the dark

Where there once was beautiful art that spread joy throughout the Mission, all that remains today are the dilapidated windows that once housed a factory built to construct battleships during World War II.

While the factory was shuttered after the war, the building has long since been transformed into a community art space that has been in operation for nearly 20 years. Launched as CELLspace, the project started by Jonathan Youtt in 1996, is now working to carry on his vision as CellspaceSF.

But the future of the building is under threat as the Beast on Bryant threatens to replace an affordable sanctuary for artists with luxury apartments that only the city's elite can afford.

The landlord, Inner Mission, accepted a buy-out last month that seemed to pave the way for development. But a community backlash continues to stymy the property owner's plans, and the tenants living inside the building have pledged they won't leave without a fight. Now it appears that Inner Mission has struck back with a hit below the belt.

On Friday the landlord at CellspaceSF removed a beloved mural celebrating the life of long-time volunteer Victor Ayala without consulting with the artist, Alex Rupert, before unbolting the mural and carting it away. Ayala passed away in 2013, after a long battle with cancer, and Rupert painted the mural to celebrate all of the energy that Ayala poured into the space throughout many years of his life.

Eric Reid, the co-owner of Inner Mission, told me the painting was being returned to Rupert at his request, but when Jonny Knucklz, who lives at CellSpaceSF, called Rupert, who said he was unaware of any plans to remove his artwork from the building.

While it's not clear why Reid decided to take down the painting without consulting with Rupert, the removal of the art closely coincides with a press conference CellspaceSF hosted Wednesday to announce that the tenants plan to invoke their lawful right to stay in their home and join the fight to beat the Beast on Bryant, an often-used term to describe the planned development of more than 200 luxury apartment on a Block of Bryant Street. Some tenants have suggested that they believe Reid removed the mural in retaliation because they refused to accept a small sum of money and because they alerted the media of their intent to defend their rights.

While the mural is notable on its own — it was recently highlighted by UpOut.com as one of the top ten examples of street art in San Francisco — the painting holds special significance as a memorial for an important member of the community. The community at CellSpaceSF hopes to see the painting returned home soon. Everyone is actively working to ensure that Rupert's painting remains protected and available for the world to see.