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Date 5-16-06
Contact Angela Kilcrease 601.266.4988
WITH PHOTOS
Hattiesburg—The
University of Southern Mississippi Museum of Art presents “Drawing
on Katrina: Mississippi Children Respond to the Storm,” a May 23-July
8 exhibition of two-dimensional works consisting of drawings, paintings,
collages and prints by elementary school children grades K-five
who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The show includes
children’s works from Forrest, Harrison, Jackson, Jones and Pearl
River counties. The Museum will host an opening reception for the
exhibition from 1 to 3 p.m. on May 27.
These works
poignantly represent various stages of the Katrina disaster, including
the storm itself, the rescue effort, and the rebuilding process.
“Children’s drawings are so emotionally honest by means of direct
mark making and a very creative use of shape and color. They really
capture the heart of a situation,” said Southern Miss associate
professor of art Janet Gorzegno.
As lead organizer
of this unique project, Gorzegno said the exhibition was designed
to feature the viewpoint of children in the wake of this terrible
disaster, with the hopes it will become an important venue for dialogue
and healing in the affected area.
“Visual expressions
from some of our youngest and most talented Mississippians in relation
to this powerful storm can enrich us all and show evidence of enduring
human spirit and strong Mississippi resilience,” she said.
The exhibition
also includes a mural created by students from Magnolia Park Elementary
School in Ocean Springs and a story quilt created by children at
the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport.
A special addition
to the children’s works of art will be the recordings of children
whose voices were heard over Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB)
as part of the Rural Voices Radio broadcast.
Emily Noble,
coordinator for Rural Voices Radio at Mississippi State University,
said, "As part of Mississippi Writing Thinking Institute's
response to Hurricane Katrina, Rural Voices Radio wanted to provide
the children of Katrina with a place to share their response to
the storm. Many of the students we recorded faced situations that
we don't think should be faced by a child.
“Through writing,
reflecting, and voicing their fear and confusion, students from
the Mississippi Gulf Coast found a place to preserve what for all
of us is an eternal memory,” Noble said. “Hear their voices as they
describe their desperate travels away from the storm as well as
their solemn journey home to the unknown."
Mark Rigsby,
museum director at Southern Miss, called this art show “one of the
most gripping exhibitions we have ever put together here at Southern
Miss…only when the children’s works started coming did we truly
realized how powerful this show would be. This exhibition will pull
at the heartstrings of all Mississippians and everyone who attends.”
The University
of Southern Mississippi Museum of Art is located in the Fine Arts
Building at the southwest corner of campus. The hours are Tuesday
-Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission
to the museum and reception is free and open to the public. School
and community groups are welcome. Call the Museum of Art at 601.266.5200
for more information.
For more information, contact Angela Kilcrease at 601.266.4988 or
visit the Web at www.usm.edu/arts.
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Courtney Harper.
grade four, Nora Davis Magnet School, Laurel; Eye of the Storm
by Chris Wilkins, grade two, Sacred Heart Elementary, Hattiesburg;
Jeffery Kaezmarek, grade two, Pecan Park Elementary, Ocean Springs;
Katrina by Janis McAllister, grade two, Woolmarket Elementary,
Biloxi; and Oh No by Victor Harris, grade two, Nora Davis
Magnet School, Laurel
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