As August marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson are beginning to roll out a slate of programming that will document the devastation caused by the storm and how the state has recovered in the two decades following.
The first Katrina-related exhibit is called Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers, Photographs by Melody Golding and will be open to the public from Friday, March 8 through Friday, Nov. 7. The exhibit aims to tell the story of Mississippians’ resilience in the aftermath of the catastrophic storm through photos snapped by Golding, a photographer and artist from Vicksburg.
“This exhibit explores Hurricane Katrina through the lens of Mississippians. It allows us to reflect on the immediate and long-term effects of the storm, which is the most devastating natural disaster in Mississippi history,” Two Mississippi Museums director Michael Morris said.
When Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005, killing hundreds and causing billions of dollars’ worth of damage, Golding traveled to the Gulf Coast as a Red Cross volunteer to deliver water and meals to storm victims. She soon recognized upon arriving the need to document the unique and tragic story that was unfolding right in front of her eyes.
Golding pulled out her cameras, which fortunately she already had packed, and began capturing not only the category five hurricane’s physical devastation but also the resilience of the people being forced to rebuild their lives.
“These photographs are the result of my journey to the Mississippi Gulf Coast shortly after Hurricane Katrina came ashore in August 2005,” she explained. “They are my personal witness to the events of this sweeping and non-discriminating catastrophe.”
The incoming exhibit with Golding’s photos will not be the first time her post-Katrina work has been featured in a museum setting. A previous documentary exhibit called Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember was acquired by The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History Archives Center. Her book of the same name was published by the University Press of Mississippi with all royalties from the book going to artists who were impacted by the storm.
Golding has also been the recipient of various accolades for her photos documenting the aftermath of Katrina, including the Mississippi Humanities Council’s Chair’s Award for Special Achievements in the Humanities and seeing her shots published by the Royal Photographic Society Awards Journal in Bristol, England.
Additional Hurricane Katrina-related programming at the Two Mississippi Museums will include gallery talks, school programs, special panel discussions, and personal stories from Mississippians. A full schedule will be announced soon.
The Two Mississippi Museums, which include the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, first opened in December 2017 in celebration of the state’s bicentennial. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the museums is free every Sunday.
