The Union Art Gallery walls are currently lined with art honoring 2005’s Hurricane Katrina victims and survivors.
The exhibit, “Katrina: MS Women Remember,” is a collection of photographs chosen by Melody Golding, from her time at the coast as an American Red Cross volunteer.
“The whole point of the exhibit is to tell people the story,” Golding said.
When she asked people about their stories, Golding promised she would tell them to as many people as possible if they trusted her with it, she said.
“It’s difficult. It’s so hard to choose [pieces],” Golding said. “I was trying to be as representative as possible with the ones I chose.”
The gallery holds 24 photographs while the book, named after the exhibit, has 85 images, she said.
“The book was taken from my exhibition,” Golding said.
The exhibit not only holds print photographs, but also letters and stories of Mississippi survivors. There is also a streaming DVD with more photographs of the Mississippi Gulf Coast after the storm, she said.
The exhibit also has “Song for Katrina” playing in the background, written and performed by operatic soprano Lucia Lynn for the exhibit.
“She wrote and composed the music that goes with the streaming DVD of the devastation all up and down the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Golding said.
Golding said she wanted to bring the exhibit to Mississippi State University because she is attached to the school through her husband, who is an alumnus, and her two sons, both currently enrolled at the university.
Her son Austin Golding was a freshman when Hurricane Katrina hit. He told her about the steps MSU took to help those displaced by the storm, she said.
Gallery director Samantha Musil said Golding approached gallery staff about bringing the exhibit to MSU.
“We thought it was a fabulous idea,” Musil said.
Seeing the pictures and hearing the stories from Katrina survivors makes it more real than just hearing about the storm on television, she said.
“I think it brings remembrance. So many people were personally affected by Katrina,” Musil said. “It allows people to look back and remember and to grieve too. I’m sure there’s still grieving going on for people who lost loved ones and homes and possessions.”
She said even though Starkville and MSU weren’t as physically effected by the storm, damage was still done.
“I think [hosting the exhibit] shows support of Mississippi State for the rest of the state,” Musil said.
The exhibit makes students think about Katrina because people forget easily, international business senior Saul Murgui said.
“I think [the photographs] makes you depict everything from nice houses to pool people and how they all got ruined,” he said.
He said he remembers being in his MSU English Composition class his freshman year, talking about the storm and the destruction.
The pictures show the devastation from the storm is still going on and people need to remember, Murgui said.
The exhibit’s opening reception was Thursday. It will be open through March 22. For more information call, 325-2930.