Faces of the Flood
Photographs capture the stories and people of last year’s historic flooding.
The devastating floods of last August were a sharp reminder of how we all live at the mercy of nature. It’s easy to forget that… until it becomes impossible to ignore. Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s exhibition Faces of the Flood confronts that fact, but balances it with stories of kindness, hope and renewal.
Visitors proceed through a short entryway, containing materials that will remind them of the background of the flood and weather forecasts from those days. This will encourage them both to relive their own experiences and to reflect on the ways in which they themselves have moved on. The main focus of the exhibit is a series of photographs by local photographers Collin Richie, Frank McMains, David Morris, Dan Jones, and Kristin Basilica. Each image captures a person dealing, in some way, with the aftermath of the flood, and each is accompanied by text explaining the person and their situation, often containing the subject’s own words. While the subject matter is certainly not easy, curator Elizabeth Weinstein believes viewers will be struck by how many people said, “…oh, I’m going to rebuild, I’ve lost everything but I’m going to start over.” It was a heavy blow, but Baton Rouge came together to recover; that story, not just the flood, is reflected here.
Visitors will have the opportunity to leave a note of thanks for someone who helped them or showed a kindness during the floods, and can see pictures submitted by the public of their own experiences. Faces of the Flood runs June 14 through September 3, and is included with admission to the museum. For more information, visit lasm.org/exhibitions/art-exhibitions/faces-of-the-flood.