Art, both public and studio based/personal, is a device used by communities in New Orleans to remember the events prior to, during, and after Katrina. The art is also simultaneously used as a method of healing the trauma and negative emotions that remain in communities whose lives were deeply affected by the natural disaster and lack of government support after the event.
Nik Richard and Monica Rose Kelly’s piece titled, “The Spirit of Lower Mid-City,” lines the street’s median outside of The University Medical Center. The area used to be the home of Charity hospital, a medical center that stood for the underserved citizens of the Lower Mid-City section of New Orleans. The artists selected to present their story through steel-cut sculptures. The story details the events before, during, and after Katrina highlighting stories of rescue and perseverance through the incredibly destructive hurricane. Inventive aspects of the public art piece shows the overtaking of Charity Hosptial and the destruction of the community around it. Through the piece, viewers discover that The University Medical Center replaced Charity Hospital under the guise of Katrina. Homes and the hospital were being rebuilt and on their way to being cleared for use when a bar went across the front doors. People were fired and evicted to make room for the multi-million dollar medical industry.
The piece is a memorial not only for the events of Katrina and the stories of loss and struggle but for the entire community that was torn down by corporate greed. The metal carvings are a subtle and intricate way of ensuring the Lower Mid-City community is not entirely lost from the area.
This article provides information on the artists of the metal sculptures and their motivations behind the installation. The article also provides information on Charity Hospital and the hospital that now stands in its place along with information on the transformation from the old hospital system to the new system.
For more information on Monica Rose Kelly, visit her website. Information on more pieces she has worked on and created can be found on this site. People for Public Art is a foundation created by Monica Rose Kelly to provide financial support and artists for public art projects focusing on healing and celebration in New Orleans. People for Public Art’s site gives more details on the non-profit’s mission and more work they have completed since its foundation. Nik Richard’s website provides more information on his previous and current projects. His site provides methods of reaching him via Instagram and email and includes a tab with his completed visual works.
Fourteen paintings have a specific moment in time captured. All of the moments are memories of the things that came out of Hurricane Katrina’s destructive path. Most of the paintings in the collection by Rolland Golden are social critiques of the neglect experienced in New Orleans. One piece titled, “Throw Me A Line Mister,” shows a helicopter that is passing over the outstretched hands of citizens who are very obviously struggling to survive after their homes and neighborhoods have been destroyed by high winds and flooding. The helicopter stands as a place holder for the government agencies and relief programs that failed to provide timely help to communities that experienced high levels of poverty even before the natural disaster.
Golden’s paintings can be found in the New Orleans Museum of art. They tell a visual story of tragedy and loss with several frames having foregrounds that depict flooded streets and homes. They stand as a reminder of the extent of the destruction Katrina caused and the lack of aid experienced by NOLA communities in the years following the disaster. The Historic New Orleans Collection has more information on the paintings in Golden’s Katrina collection.