JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An award-winning mural that has become a point of pride on Jacksonville’s Northside was partially damaged after a wall at Bobbie Clark Park was hit, residents said.
The mural, titled “The Cook Out,” recently received a statewide public art award and celebrates the history and culture of the Sherwood neighborhood. A section was torn away when part of the building was damaged, leaving neighbors upset and unsure who will pay to restore it.
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“I was very disappointed because this is the first public art in this neighborhood,” a resident said.
Artist David Nackashi, who spent months designing the work and working with community members, said he was shocked when he first saw the damage. “How did it happen? … People do strange things,” he said, adding that he was encouraged to see efforts already underway to secure the site.
Nackashi said the project was funded through the Cultural Council and that the mural’s colors and design were documented so it can be recreated. But he said repairs depend on the city fixing the wall first. “We need a wall, so that’s kind of the parks’ job — they’ll fix it and then we’ll fix the mural,” he said.
For longtime Northside resident Dana Maule, the damage hit home. Maule said she and her husband had been planning a 20th-anniversary vow renewal at the park but were told by Parks and Recreation that permits could not be issued while the site was under construction.
“This mural is kind of like a welcome sign. Hey, this is our neighborhood. This is where we live, and we’re proud of it,” she said.
News4JAX reached out to the City of Jacksonville’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department for details about the damage and a repair timeline and has not yet received a response.