Dr. Banks & Dr. Cosby

Dr. Banks & Dr. Cosby
Acrylic on Brick
6 ft. wide by 9 ft. high

This painting makes me proud beyond words. 

A little background… 

This is on the southern wall of the Project YouthBuild headquarters in Gainesville. 

Project YouthBuild (PYB) @projectyouthbuildgnv is an organization that provides a second chance for young people— to earn their high school diploma, construction or CNA credentials, and a post-secondary scholarship, all while giving back to their community.

PYB is housed in The Dr. Banks & Dr. Cosby Youth Empowerment Center. 

Dr. Banks was the first Black physician to have admitting privileges to Alachua General Hospital and Dr. Cosby was the first Black dentist to serve on the State of Florida Board of Dentistry. They ran their practices from a shared building on 6th Street. Over the decades, the building had fallen into disrepair after years of vacancy and neglect. Project YouthBuild brought the building back from the brink, completely renovated it inside and out, and named it in honor of these two pioneering men who launched their careers and served the community from this same location. 

We discussed the idea of painting a mural that would serve as a way for the current students to connect to these two men from whom they might otherwise feel fairly removed. Something that would show these two Black professionals when they were young, like the PYB students. We incorporated “We will…” which are the key words from their commitment mantra, and the YouthBuild core values (love, accountability, leadership, diversity, collaboration).

More photos and videos are on our Instagram.