Beauty Bar’s iconic mural gets a fresh touch at 19th and Mission

At the northeast corner of 19th and Mission, anticipation bubbles for Beauty Bar’s June reopening. Muralist Deb Parkermotions to owner Jahaziel “Jazzy” Garay for help reaching a spot high on the wall.

“How strong are you feeling today, Jazzy?” Parker calls out from the top of a ladder.

As Garay steadies the ladder, Parker reaches out with a pink spray can to put the finishing touches on a 10  year old mural of  three women at a beauty salon that emerges— bright, surreal, and glowing under an overcast sky.

Parker first painted the mural on the 19th Street wall of the bar in 2015. “There’s been a lot of people dressed up posing in front of it, doing the actions,” she said. “Groups would choose which character they wanted to be. Little things like that are really cute.”

After nearly a decade of upkeep, the mural was damaged late last year. Garay, a longtime bartender who recently took over the watering hole, acted quickly. “I was really upset,” he said. “A mural, you know, it’s a piece of art. It’s beside the money and everything — it’s art. I love art. I like to paint myself.” He knew he had to try and bring it back.

Garay reached out to Beauty Bar’s former manager, who eventually connected him with the original artist. “Finally, you know, the dream came true,” he said. Together, he and Parker decided to fully repaint the mural so it could “sustain another ten years.”

Parker said the excitement from passersby has been constant. “I love hearing people’s stories. They come past and get excited and they say really amazing things. They say they’re excited that the mural is coming back to life.”

Inside, Beauty Bar’s spirit is being carefully refreshed too. “Beauty was always a spot to dance, to have fun. A lot of people met their wives and husbands. It was the place to go,” Garay said.

The bar is expected to reopen in June. “People are really excited,” Garay said. “Just by standing, people looking around, looking through the door, chit-chatting about when it’s going to be open. They’re excited.”