The Faces of Katrina
My weekend was incredibly eventful, but unrelated to Centenary, so I'll just let Jen talk about that. One of the coolest things about Shreveport-Bossier (to me anyway) is the appreciation for local art. There are murals and artwork decorating a lot of the architecture downtown, we have the Revel Arts Festival every fall, and a place on Texas Street called Art Space. Every few months the Art Space exhibit changes, and right now Bill Joyce is featured for his "Faces of Katrina" exhibit.
I've been planning to go for a while, but haven't gotten around to it. Well Bill Joyce is speaking at a convocation Thursday, which I am required to attend, and I am also required to go see the exhibit beforehand. I went today and it is incredible.
I really was not sure what to expect. Basically the exhibit opens with a little background information, and then these huge collages of newspaper articles that were published in the days following the hurricane.
As I walked through the rest of the exhibit, the only sounds were that of my shoes on the hardwood floor and the faint strains of jazz music. Each turn presented a new set of faces and a different story of the hurricane. Joyce accomplished his goal - Katrina is no longer just an event...it is people. After seeing the exhibit my concerns and problems just seemed so insignificant and petty. Joyce does not focus on one particular race or group of people. The featured faces came from all walks of life and all professions.
The one that touched me the most was toward the end of the exhibit. A 71 year old man had lived in New Orleans for years out of his car. When it quit running, he lived from his bike. He lost everything he owned but was incredibly positive and hopeful. His picture and quote are below. A follow-up on him was cheerful. A group from North Carolina found a sponsor for him, who provided an apartment, car, and bicycle. He is doing incredibly well.
If you are in the area, I really encourage you to make time to go see the exhibit - it is open until October 20. My apologies to everyone involved if I was not allowed to take pictures (I plead ignorance!).
That's all for now...
Rach
