From its neon sign to its distinctive Art Deco architecture, the Castro Theatre is known throughout the world as one of the symbols of San Francisco’s historically LGBTQ Castro neighborhood. When the movie house closed its doors on March 13 to comply with San Francisco’s limits on gatherings before the city’s shelter-in-place order, it left a message of hope on a marquee that usually advertises upcoming showtimes: “Stay healthy and safe we’ll be back soon.”

A month later, a contractor was hired to build a plywood shelter around the free-standing box office in front of the building.

“When I saw the photo of the boarded-up Castro box office, my heart broke,” says Marc Huestis, the producer known as “The Impresario of Castro Street” for his three decades of events at the theatre that opened in 1922. “Joni Mitchell’s lyric, ‘Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone,’ quickly came to mind.”

For the Castro, designed by Timothy Pflueger and made a San Francisco historic landmark in 1976, those boards became another opportunity to offer the community a message of encouragement.

After covering the box office, Castro Theatre’s management reached out to Gallery 415 in the Mission, which put them in touch with award-winning San Francisco muralist Mace. The well-known street artist was commissioned (for a fee) to transform the barrier into a mural depicting portraits of heroes of the pandemic. On every side, a different essential profession is depicted by one of Mace’s sympathetic-eyed figures: a nurse, a grocery store worker, a fireman and a postal worker. Each character holds a rainbow umbrella over themselves, protecting them from the coronavirus as it falls from the sky.

“The owners wanted something there that had to do with the community,” says Mace. “I thought of how coronavirus is raining on us. When we’re amidst the rain, the only way to shelter is an umbrella. What better umbrella than a rainbow umbrella in this community?”

The project began on April 17 and took three days to complete, with the work entirely created with spray paint in a cartoon-like style that has become the artist’s signature (he’s also a curator for the Cypress Alley murals in the Mission district).

“The Castro Theatre chose to beautify the protective box office barrier in an effort to add positive visual life and inspiration to the streetscape during these difficult times,” says Keith Arnold, the Castro’s general manager. “We are proud to collaborate with Mace to honor these modern heroes, workers who continue to serve the public through the pandemic. We appreciate their sacrifice and dedication.”

So far, reaction in the neighborhood and on social media has been enthusiastic.

In addition to grateful comments on Mace’s Instagram page @mace_wod about the work, he says that people passing by encouraged him as he painted, with some even thanking him for representing the different professions.

Huestis says that, “seeing this only-in-the-Castro color mural painted over the plywood made me so happy.”

Terry Beswick, the executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, whose museum is located around the corner on 18th Street, says that he appreciated the depiction of “everyday queer heroes” in the murals and that it was great to see them celebrated so colorfully.

“We learned how to do this with AIDS and, while this epidemic is different, the spirit of service and personal sacrifice is the same,” says Beswick. “ … We’re boarding up the GLBT Historical Society Museum around the corner tomorrow, and we’d love to have a mural there.”

Share with us the ‘good news’

The news these days can be sobering, even grim. There’s a lot of uncertainty and discomfort most everywhere you look. But amid the darkness, there are rays of light: young people helping older neighbors, musicians and fitness coaches offering their talents online, neighbors having outdoor dance parties (using proper social distancing).

We’d like to know about examples of good news you have witnessed during this time. You can tell us your thoughts online at SFChronicle.com by using our Assignment Editor tool, or send an email (which can include a photo) with the subject line “Good News” to metro@sfchronicle.com.