Street art we love, now

In celebration of the Barry McGee retrospective at Berkeley Art Museum (see our review [1]in this week's paper), here's a list of some of our favorite spots for street art in the Bay Area

Twick: 23rd and Capp

Francisco "Twick" Aquino of the Inner City Phame crew is a legend in this land for his luscious mural works, from big cats prowling Clarion Alley to this Latino street scene, which happens to be one of our favorites in the city right now for its lovingly-rendered paleta carts, flower sellers, and neighborhood feel. It was created through the SF Arts Commission's anti-vandalism Street SmARTS program.

www.sfartscommission.org [2]

The Womens Building

Well this is a duh. Like the nearby Cesar Chavez Elementary School (825 Shotwell, SF), this is Mission street art par excellence. Right now, the center is amid a major restoration project, so its gem tones are under scaffolding. Throw them some dough if you can to keep the city looking fly.

3543 18th St., SF. (415) 431-1180, www.womensbuilding.org [3]

Endless Canvas' Special Delivery

When an arts enthusiast discovered the abandoned warehouse on the Berkeley land he purchased was being used as a gallery for local taggers, he did the right thing: put the three-story space into the hands of graff website Endless Canvas to curate and show to the crowds. The building's still set to be demolished soon, so check out the aerosol beauty this Sunday — it may be your last chance.

Viewing hours: Sun/30, noon-6pm, free. 1350 Fourth St., Berk. www.endlesscanvas.com [4]

Sirron Norris: 18th and Bryant

This fantasy land on the wall of Calumet Photo is the largest one ever painted by the Mission's resident street cartoonist, and judging from a conversation we had with him last week, the undertaking was so vast that superlative will probably stand. Check out the catapaulting bears, row houses, and happy cameras and say cheese.

www.sirronnorris.com [5]

Steel: Tehama Alley and Ninth Street

Hamburger apocalypse! Though this carni-doozy of a mural is behind a chainlink fence, that only adds to its back alley allure. Steel happens to be the art director at hat kings Goorin Bros., whose corporate offices back onto this gem.

www.sleazymccheesy.com [6]

Precita Eyes Visitor's Center

To get the lowdown on the history of wall art in the Mission, join a mural walking tour, or see Cynthia De Losa's phenomenal dioramas made with Homies figurines, hit up this arts center.

2981 24th St., SF. (415) 285-2287, www.precitaeyes.org [7]

Xavi Panneton: Cypress Alley

Maybe Burning Man fried our synapses, but we flip for Panneton's Ganesh. The goddess has conjured a spiral wave of majestic beauty that sweeps the wall around her, but is still vacuuming and performing household chores with her many arms. For the superwoman in all of our lives.

www.xavidesigns.com [8]

Roa: Barlett and 21st Street

Hat tip to the traveling international street art stars who utilize our city as temporary canvas: Ghent's Roa is famed for his massive renderings of droopy animal carcasses, but painted three very peppy seals to adorn a wall overlooking Thursday's Mission Community Market.

flickr.com/roagraffiti [9]

"COPE2: The Rebirth"

Time to get back to where we started from. This famed NYC subway artist mixes lettering techniques, abstract images, and gumption into multimedia pieces in this solo gallery show at the super-shiny Project One art bar.

Oct. 3-Nov. 10. Opening reception: Oct. 3, 7pm, free. Project One, 251 Rhode Island, SF. www.p1sf.com [10]

Apex and Mona Caron: McAllister and Market

Two masters unite for this piece on the back of the Luggage Gallery's Trailhead coffeeshop. Apex crafts 3-D versions of traditional graffiti lettering, whorled and swirled to high art proportions. Caron is peerless in the world of public art uplift – for more proof, check her nearby Tenderloin mural on Jones and Golden Gate. Their Trailhead piece portrays beauty growing amid urban grit, on a particulary gritty stretch of Mid-Market.

facebook.com/APEXONE [11]; www.monacaron.com [12]