BEACONS of History

64 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102

The BEACONS of History mural honors queer venues of the Tenderloin and San Francisco. Neon signs are a proclamation: “we are here!” – which is not something that queer spaces have always been able to do.

All of the signs in my mural depict places that are closed, except for Aunt Charlie’s, which continues to be a center of drag and underground culture to this day. Divas, formally known as The Motherlode, is the most recently shuttered place depicted in my mural, and was special as a place conceived especially as a trans bar. 

Finocchio’s and Mona’s are rare early examples, from North Beach, where cross dressing as entertainment flourished as part of the tourist industry as early as the 1930’s. Then followed a period of crackdowns and fearmongering that put queer spaces back into the dark, until through resistance efforts we won our rights to gather together and be visible. Queer bars and entertainment venues started putting up neon signs in the 60’s and 70’s, and their signage and storefronts, including Club 181 and the Frolic Room, were captured by photographer Henri Leilue.  

I hope that people in the neighborhood who see the mural will get curious and learn about these places that offered sanctuary, education, culture, and freedom to the queer community throughout the history of San Francisco, and keep those stories and history alive.

Completed in June 2026

FAVE Brand Pride Window

329 Noe St San Francisco

Painted for San Francisco Pride in 2025 for the theme “Queer Joy is Resistance.” The bands of color represent the diversity of the queer community, inspired by the progress flag.

Painted May 2025

House of Tadu

1130 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94158

“Adey-Abeba” is a mural covering two full parklets at House of Tadu Ethiopian Kitchen in San Francisco’s Mission Bay Neighborhood. The Adey-Abeba flower is common in Ethiopia and is used to celebrate the Ethiopian new year, symbolizing hope and new beginnings.

Completed in December 2024

Nursery Mural

Private Residence

This San Francisco Icons Nursery Mural was designed on commission for private clients for their new baby’s room, featuring their favorite places in San Francisco.

Painted December 2023

Mersea

699 Avenue of the Palms
Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA 94130

“Rocky Purslane” is a 22′ wide shipping container mural created for Mersea restaurant on Treasure Island. It celebrates the many succulents at the restaurant and adds a bright pop of color to the space.

Painted fall 2023

Tala Wine

4625 Mission St, SF 94112

This dahlia mural was designed as the visual centerpiece for Tala Wine, a woman owned, destination wine shop and bar in the Excelsior. Dahlias are San Francisco’s official flower, and this painting is based on dahlias grown by Tala Drzewiecki in her backyard.

Painted Summer 2023

Sour Cherry Comics

3187 16th St. SF, CA, 94103

“Castro Comics” and “Roxie Queer Comics” are based on the movie marquees of the Castro Theater and The Roxie Theater. Each is a cornerstone of their neighborhood. Sour Cherry Comics specializes in queer comics, graphic novels, and art.

Painted Spring 2023

Iris Mural

Private Residence

The Iris Mural evokes decorative, geometric floral designs of arts and crafts wallpaper designs and art nouveau detailing, but scaled up to a huge size. It makes a striking accent wall for its living room.

Painted Summer 2022

Commission your own mural!

I offer custom designed murals for both private and commercial spaces. Though I specialize in large scale botanicals, my background in scenic design gives me the experience to design whatever is best for the space. Reach out to me at nathaniel@njbice.com to start the conversation!

Photo by Kayleigh Shawn