Straight from the Bay Area – bet you don’t hear that phrase often – here comes the legendary Sylvester!

A Superstar of the disco era long before people even heard of telling you their pronouns, this queen crossed over and back and even had bonafide dancefloor hits. How fitting that queer muralist Josh Katz painted this glamorous portrait to lift spirits in this city where day socializing and nightlife has been hamstrung by the pandemic, even shuttering some gold-plated legends in LGBTQ+ club history.

Katz says he is happy to bring Sylvester out into the street-life, a response to “what I see as a lack of LGBTQ representation in street art.” He promises that he’ll continue painting portraits to honor legacies and increase visibility.

“Sylvester is so loved in San Francisco, and to me they truly embody those classic San Francisco, feel-good funk, disco glamour vibes that we love and have missed so much throughout the pandemic,” he says. “My intention with this mural was to celebrate Sylvester’s life, try to spread a little love, and remind folks that we’ll be back together on the dance floor soon.”

To see more of Josh’s work, see him on Instagram @JKATZART 

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