BATON ROUGE — Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center unveiled a mural on a historic North Baton Rouge barbershop on Tuesday as the cancer center works to make cancer treatment and research more accessible. 

The mural, on Cosey's Barbershop along Plank Road, was painted by California-based artist Venazir Martinez and commissioned by the Walls Project.

It "is designed to spark conversation, deepen public understanding of clinical trials and remind our community that representation matters in cancer research," Mary Bird Perkins said. 

"This mural is a culmination of the Cancer Center's efforts to remove barriers and build trust so that every person —regardless of race, ethnicity, or background—has the opportunity to participate in life-saving research," the cancer center added.