It has been nearly a year since Hurricane Helene ravaged the CSRA area during the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Almost everyone living in the CSRA during the hurricane has a story to tell that involves turmoil, struggle and tales of overcoming the effects of the storm. On Friday, Sept. 6 the Jessye Norman School of the Arts hosted an opening reception for a photography exhibition that visualized the effects of the storm. The exhibition showcased photography created by community members that experienced Hurricane Helene firsthand. Each of these local artists shared an experience that is almost universal among human’s that have lived through natural disaster. During the exhibition opening event, attendees could view artworks as well as speak with the artists that were present.
Here is a list of the artists: Abigail McDonald Drescher, Allisone Greene, Carmen Moses, Camilla Reid, Carol Cross, Coco Rubio, Dylan Wilson, Erin McLure, Erin Tallent, Eva Creel, Hannah Ewest, Gerald Woods, Grace Halverson, Graham Gooden, Haliegh Key, Harley Sousa Goodman, Henrique Nardi, Jai Gillish, Jim Wynn, Jordan Hendrix, Katelynn Bell, Krystal Lyon, and Sue Bruss.
Hundreds of attendees filled the Ana and Ellis Johnson Gallery to view the large collection of photographs in “One Year Later – Scenes from the Hurricane.” Carmen Moses, who is afterschool site director at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, was one of the driving forces behind the exhibition spoke to The Augusta Press.
“The Jessye Norman School’s purpose is to transform lives through the power of the Arts. Even though The Jessye Norman School of the Arts is typically geared towards young students experiencing Art,” Moses said.
She further described the goal of the exhibition stating, “We wanted to show that everyone had similar experiences after Hurricane Helene, how the Augusta community came together during and after the storm, and we wanted to celebrate that.”
Hurricane Helene may soon become a distant memory in the minds of people of the CSRA, however the sentiment of the crowd Friday evening was that this exhibition was a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of the community. Mark Albertin was asked to curate the collection of photographs exhibited from hundreds of photography entries.
“It was a little like post-traumatic stress, looking at the pictures. It brought it all back from the storm. At the same time, I was glad that all these people were taking pictures, and we have this record to show it,” Albertin said.
The “One Year Later-Scenes from the Hurricane” exhibition is on display at the Ann and Ellis Johnson Gallery, located at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts from Aug. 15-Oct. 13. The address is 739 Greene St., Augusta, GA 30901 and the hours of operation are Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays from noon-3 p.m., and Saturdays by appointment. The Jessye Norman School of Art can be reached at 706-828-7768 or through their website at www.thejnsa.org.
