Hurricane Katrina forever changed not only the landscape of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but also the lives of those living in the area when it made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, with wind speeds recorded at 125-mph and 30-foot storm surges.

Shortly after this devastating storm came ashore, Vicksburg resident Melody Golding traveled to the southernmost part of the state to lend a hand, working as a volunteer with the American Red Cross. But Golding, who is a photographer, author and artist, realized that along with being part of the recovery effort, she also needed to document this historical moment, so she pulled out her camera and began taking pictures.

Now, 20 years later, those photographs are on display at the Two Mississippi Museums – the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson as part of the “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers” exhibition.

“It is very hard to believe that it has been 20 years,” Golding said. “Such a trying time and Mississippi set a precedent on how to deal with disaster, resilience and recovery.”

Golding spent a year on the Gulf Coast traveling from Pearlington to Pascagoula, all while capturing images using the medium of format film.

The photographs taken, Golding said, reflect a “unique” account of the of storm.

“The story is told through the stark reality of the cameras lens,” she said.

Many of Golding’s images depict the utter devastation of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but others captured the Mississippi resilience she references often.

“One of my favorite images is the one where someone had painted on a board, ‘Do not let Katrina kill your joy,'” she said. “That image, to me, showed the strength and resilience of all of the people who were impacted by the storm. It represented the fortitude and the grit that Mississippians are made of in the face of adversity.”

HORNE, a Ridgeland-based professional services firm, is the title sponsor for the “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers” exhibition, which also features Hurricane Katrina-related artifacts from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History collection.

“Sponsoring this exhibit is an honor,” CEO and managing partner of HORNE Rusty Butcher said in a press release. “Hurricane Katrina changed the landscape of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Mississippi businesses, and the lives of nearly every Mississippian, including everyone at HORNE. We remain proud to be a part of the long-term recovery efforts and proud of the lessons learned and skills gained. Mississippians who were impacted are now able to help people throughout the country as they recover from natural disasters.”

Michael Morris, who serves as the director of the Two Mississippi Museums, said the exhibition is a way to remember those who lost their lives and whose lives were changed.

“And also, how the disaster changed our state,” Morris added. “When Hurricane Katrina first touched down in Mississippi and Louisiana back in 2005, much of the attention was rightly placed on what happened in New Orleans. So, I think this is an opportunity for us to reflect on the catastrophe we experienced here in Mississippi and specifically on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”

Morris said the exhibition will also give school-aged children an opportunity to see how Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“When I think about our museums, I always think about our school children and if you think about it, no student who is in K through 12 grades right now was alive when Hurricane Katrina came through Mississippi. And so, for me this exhibit is a chance for them to get a glimpse, so they can fully experience what happened,” Morris said. “And perhaps, you know, a visit to the museums could also spark a conversation that they can have with their parents or their grandparents.”

The “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers” free exhibition will run through Nov. 7. Museum hours are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday. The Two Mississippi Museums are located at 222 North St. in Jackson.

Additional Hurricane Katrina-related programming at the Two Mississippi Museums includes gallery talks, school programs, special panel discussions, and personal stories of Mississippians. “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers” was created by the curatorial staff at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in partnership with Melody Golding.

Golding’s prior documentary exhibit, “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. All royalties from book sales go to artists who were impacted by the storm.

“This is a human story; a testament to the universal themes of struggle, hope and recovery from Hurricane Katrina,” Golding said of her book. “The resilience of the human spirit was the one thing that Katrina simply could not wash away.”

Golding’s accolades also include the Mississippi Humanities Council’s Chair’s Award for Special Achievements in the Humanities for her contributions to the public humanities in her body of work related to Hurricane Katrina. This work was featured and published by the Royal Photographic Society Awards Journal in Bristol, England.

 

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