‘The Art of the Storm’

A documentary about survival, creation

Saturday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m

click to download a pdf invitation

Hurricane Katrina did more than devastate the Mississippi Gulf Coast –

Katrina’s chaos and destruction gave new vision to a group of artists.   

Hurricane Katrina did more than devastate the Mississippi Gulf Coast – Katrina’s chaos and destruction gave new vision to a group of artists. “Art does survive. Better than anything else,” said painter Hamilton Guenard. He is one of 10 artists who tell their story in a powerful, moving new documentary, “The Art of the Storm,” by local filmmakers Stephanie Watts and Amity Johnson. The film will have its first screening on Saturday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m. at the Ritz Theater, 345 13^th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis. The event is free and open to the public. A reception begins at 7 p.m. “We watch CNN, so we thought we knew about Katrina,” Watts said. “But nothing prepared us for what we found. The absolute destruction was beyond words. Yet in the midst of all this, we met some of the most talented, beautiful people. We are proud to help bring their story and their struggle to Minnesota.” Painter Mary-Pat Forrest of Biloxi fled to Tallahassee to ride out the storm, only to return to find her home and life’s work completely destroyed. “There is no way you can describe it. It’s just like a war zone.”