DELRAY BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — Coco Gauff slipped into the Cornell Art Museum lsat week for what turned into a quiet, emotional moment in front of a crowd that didn’t expect her. The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority said in a Facebook post dated Nov. 14 that Gauff had come to see a portrait created just for her by artist Harold Caudio, a piece she hadn’t viewed in person until that night.
The portrait originally hung at the museum this past summer as part of its Pop Culture exhibition. Bright colors, heavy movement, a style that fits Gauff’s game. When she finally stood in front of it, the DDA wrote that Gauff told Caudio she loved how he portrayed her — almost like he caught that internal conversation she has on court when she reminds herself she needs one more point to close a match.
Then the night took a turn. Before unveiling Gauff’s portrait, Caudio called forward her grandmother, Yvonne Odom, and presented her with an original portrait of her own. According to the DDA, the piece recreates Odom’s high school graduation photo from Seacrest High School, now Atlantic High.
Odom isn’t just known locally as Coco Gauff’s grandmother. She’s a central figure in Delray Beach’s history. In the 1960s, she became the first Black child to integrate the city’s public schools. She later returned as an educator and taught inside the same building that now houses the museum, back when it operated as Delray Beach Elementary School.
The DDA described the moment between the artist and the family as “moving” and said the museum filled with emotion when Odom and Gauff stood beside their portraits. Two generations, side by side. Different eras in Delray Beach, connected in one room.
The organization wrote that seeing Caudio honor both women — one breaking barriers in local schools and the other now one of the most recognizable athletes in the world — underscored how strongly the family is tied to the city.
A simple line from the post summed up the tone inside the room: Delray Beach is “profoundly proud” that the Gauff and Odom family calls the city home.
Its beautiful….and what a lovely gift to share. We love you CoCo.