After receiving a $6,874 grant from the Kansas Arts Commission in July, the Gordon Parks Museum worked with St. Louis artist Cbabi Bayoc on a design for the mural. Bayoc then painted it on a set of panels, which were installed on the north side of the Sunshine Boutique earlier this week.
A dedication for the mural is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. on October 2 as a part of the annual Gordon Parks Celebration.
According to museum director Kirk Sharp, plans for the project started when Bayoc was working on the First Kansas Colored Infantry Mural in 2023.
“Cbabi actually wanted to do a mural during that time,” Sharp said. “We told him we couldn't at this time, we're not prepared or don’t have the location, but he proposed the idea that that's what he wanted to do.”
The mural includes two images of Parks, a prairie landscape and a quote from Parks’ poem “Homecoming.”
“It's meant to basically reference Gordon talking about how Fort Scott is the most important city in the universe to him, and he feels this is his home even though he's been in other places like New York, Paris or London,” Sharp said.
With that being the theme of the mural, Bayoc hopes it serves as a reminder and encourages people to learn more about Parks.
“He's known all over the world,” he said. “People know him on many continents. That's a big deal. And he claimed this as his home. He could have picked anywhere, but like he said in his poem, this is the place that he's grown to love.”
Sharp shares a similar sentiment. For him, the mural will be another way the museum honors Parks’ legacy and promotes his work.
“That’s always our goal, to keep Gordon's legacy alive,” he said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to do that. It helps provide a great opportunity to bring more tourists to Fort Scott. That's another featured attraction for folks to come and see and visit.”
While Sharp provided a concept for what the mural could look like, Bayoc and his wife, Amber Howlett-Bayoc, chose the photos of Parks to use. It took just a few days to finalize the design and then a week to paint it.
“Most of the murals, the execution part takes about a week, depending on the scale,” Bayoc said. “I’ve done it so much, I don’t have to think, just put on music and just do it.”
According to Bayoc, the mural was painted on the set of panels so it could be moved if it ever needs to in the future. It’s different from how he did the First Kansas Colored Infantry Mural, which he painted on brick. However, he used the same type of paint for each.
“I get a little more detailed when I’m painting this way,” he said. “I used house paint on the First Kansas Mural, so going back and seeing the detail and just the way it is, there’s definitely a texture difference because the light hits it differently.”
Ultimately, Bayoc hopes both artworks can play a role in telling the story of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and Parks’ life.
“It's very cool that these two things put (Fort Scott) on the map,” he said. “We're honored to be a part of the story, and we'll keep telling people about this place. And maybe we can help drive people here to want to come learn more about the fort and learn about Gordon's legacy.”
Copyright 2025 KRPS. To see more, visit Four States Public Radio.
