The New Mural Is Here.
The Good People of Gainesville Mural has returned downtown on the Gainesville Renaissance Building.
Gainesvilles First Augmented Reality Mural
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A New Mural Unveiled
A piece of Gainesville history is back on the square.
The “Good People of Gainesville” mural, Louis Hokayem’s tribute to FDR’s 1938 visit after the devastating 1936 tornadoes, was officially unveiled today on the back of the Renaissance Building. It went up again after new downtown development covered the original on Bradford Street in 2025.
Doug Ivester, who owns the building, worked with Hokayem to bring it back. The new version also has an augmented reality component that lets you watch an interactive video of Roosevelt’s speech, through a partnership with the Northeast Georgia History Center.
Hokayem says the mural was inspired by his grandmother, Beatrice, who survived the tornado as a young girl and never forgot how quickly neighbors showed up for each other.
“We’re not defined by our difficult circumstances, but instead by how we choose to respond to them.” – Louis Hokayem
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Thank you for joining us at the commemoration!
Collaborative Partners
Doug & Kay Ivester
Louis Hokayem
Access North Ga | WDUN
Northeast Georgia History Center
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Reflections from 1936
On April 6, 1936, a tornado tore through downtown Gainesville, claiming more than 200 lives and leveling the square in one of the deadliest storms in American history. The city rebuilt, block by block, and that resilience is the very spirit this mural was painted to honor. The footage shown here comes from the archives of the Northeast Georgia History Center, where the full story of the storm and the rebuilding is on display.
Visit the Northeast Georgia History Center in Gainesville to learn more.
“For this you, the Good People of Gainesville deserve all possible praise.”
