Dorsey Park Murals
MURALS FOR DORSEY PARK
OVERTOWN, MIAMI FL
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Approximately 6,000 square feet of strikingly beautiful murals created by kids, mentoring artists and volunteers now adorn Historic Dorsey Park in celebration of Negro League Baseball and the Historic Black community of Overtown Miami, FL
BACKGROUND
The Murals for Dorsey Park Project was a community arts, youth literacy promotion and community engagement initiative designed to engage young artists in the revitalization of Overtown, Miami's Dorsey Park with the help of mentoring artist to create murals collaboratively that commemorate Dorsey Park as the historic home of Negro League Baseball in S. Florida.
BY THE NUMBERS
Sixteen (16) mentoring artists, including nationally renowned artist Kadir Nelson contributed to the design and development of the murals. Fifteen (15) teenage artists interns from Overtown obtained summer jobs to continue the development of the murals over three summers under the direction of local teaching artist Alex Douyon. Approximately 650 children, youth and families participated in the quarterly community paint days held between the fall of 2013-2014.
Over twenty (20) organized groups used the project to perform their community service including faith-based organizations, school clubs and corporate volunteers; some of which included, The Links- Greater Miami Chapter, SHAPE Club- North Miami High School, Miami Shores Presbyterian Church, Overtown Youth Center, Touching Miami With Love, YES Camp, University of Miami Volleyball Team, Marlins Ayudan, Experian, Barry University, Florida Memorial University, and FIU student clubs, and Unite4Good.
DEDICATION CEREMONY
February 2015 | HISTORIC DORSEY PARK
City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and District 5 Commissioner and Chairman Keon Hardemon spoke at the Mural Dedication Ceremony at Historic Dorsey Park honoring the Legacy of the Negro League in South Florida. Special guests included the Miami Marlins, Miami Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, and Matt Haggman of The Miami Foundation.
FUNDING PARTNERS
Knight Foundation | National Endowment for the Arts
South East Overtown Park West Community Development Agency
Ethel & W George Kennedy Family Foundation | City of Miami Parks and Recreation
All Aboard | Home Depot | Macy's | The LInks Inc., Greater Miami Chapter
THANKS TO ALL CONTIBUTORS!
Preserving the Legacy. Inspiring the Future.
URGENT, Inc.’s Historic Dorsey Park Mural Project is a vibrant celebration of Black history, community storytelling, and youth empowerment. Rooted in the rich legacy of Negro League Baseball, the project brought together local artists, young people, and cultural leaders to commemorate this important chapter in American history through public art and digital innovation. Inspired by internationally acclaimed artist Kadir Nelson, the author and illustrator of the award-winning book We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, the project transformed the walls of Historic Dorsey Park into a living tribute to the pioneers of Black baseball. Nelson, who served as one of the project’s mentoring artist, guided a team of young artists to contribute their ideas in how to honor the players, stories, and spirit of the Negro Leagues.
The project was spearheaded by Emily Gunter, URGENT, Inc.’s Director of Building Literacy Through Art and Culture, whose visionary leadership has made this initiative a catalyst for innovation, growth, and historical transformation. Former Negro League players, including Dr. J. Arenas-Chico and “Birmingham Sam” Brison, shared firsthand stories that helped bring this powerful narrative to life.
For over three years, mentoring artists and community members collaborated to create murals that not only beautified the park but also served as tools for education and pride. Youth from URGENT, Inc.’s FACE (Film, Arts, Culture, Coding & Entrepreneurship) Internship Program extended the project’s impact into the digital realm by developing the Dorsey Detector — a mobile app and website that offered a self-guided tour of the murals.
This project reflects URGENT, Inc.'s mission to integrate arts, literacy, culture, and community empowerment. Through professional artist mentorship and youth leadership, we preserve history while nurturing the next generation of storytellers, coders, and culture-keepers.
Supporters of this project include: All Aboard Florida, Branches, City of Miami, City of Miami Parks & Recreation, Ethel and George Kennedy Foundation, Experian, Home Depot, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Macy’s, Marlins Ayudan, National Endowment for the Arts, Public Allies, Punting’s Pizza, Shape Club, Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, Starbucks, The Links Inc. – Greater Miami Chapter, Unite 4 Good, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.
Mentoring artists included: Candice Anderson, Grace Bio, Shari Campbell, Lee Damus, Chiva S. Davis, Jessica Diesel, Alex Douyon, Caridad Gutierrez, Michael Hill, Derek Jackson, Adria Llerena, T. Elliot Mansa, MLK Project, Ingrid Maturin, Robert McKnight, Adrian Mora, Colliysha Modest, Kadir Nelson, Javier Perez, Rodney Royal, Wolfgang Senates, Alejandra Suarez, Mikhail Solomon, Martha Welter.