There is new information today about the planned return of a downtown mural depicting President Roosevelt’s address in Gainesville shortly after the tornado of 1936.
Work has begun on recreating the work, the original having fell victim recently to some new construction downtown.
To see what the finished product is going to look like, read our EARLIER STORY. POSTED IN APRIL: Bringing Roosevelt painting back to life, and then check out:
THE HISTORY OF THE MURAL, ACCORDING TO goodpeopleofgvil.com:
“More than a decade ago, Louis Hokayem, with the help of Joey Summer, painted the Good People of Gainesville mural on a brick wall downtown. The mural grew out of conversations between Hokayem and his grandmother, Beatrice Hokayem, about surviving the 1936 tornado, one of the deadliest in American history, and about the town that rebuilt itself afterward, brick by brick, neighbor by neighbor.
“In 1938, president FDR visited the city and acknowledged the citizens of Gainesville as the Good People of Gainesville while praising them for their efforts.
“That is the spirit the mural represents: the unending desire of Gainesville’s citizens to make things better, to rebuild, to improve, and to leave the city stronger than they found it.
“The mural became part of downtown, appearing in family photos, magazine features, and the daily life of the square. Then, last year, new construction covered it up.
“Now, thanks to a collaboration between Louis Hokayem, Doug Ivester, and local collaborative partners, a new, revitalized Good People mural is coming back this October.”
COMMEMORATION CEREMONY:
October 9 – Back of the Gainesville Renaissance Building
- 2:00 – Commemoration ceremony, collaborative brush strokes, brief remarks, and commemorative giveaways.