FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2006
Contact:
, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442
Katrina Exhibit Explores the Stories and Images of Hurricane Survivors
Press play to listen to the Katrina Public Service Announcement.
If audio fails to play, download it HERE
For a transcript of this public service announcement, click HERE.
The Austin History Center, of the Austin Public Library- in collaboration with the non-profit organization Alive in Truth -announces the opening of a groundbreaking oral history and photographic exhibit, “Surviving Katrina: Sharing Our Stories.” The exhibit opens on January 28, 2006 at the University Hills Branch Library, 4721 Loyola Lane, with an innovative community participation program from 2-4p.m. On February 15, the exhibit moves to the Carver Branch Library, 1161 Angelina. The community participation program is from 6 – 8 p.m. The exhibit will remain at the Carver Library through the end of February.
The community participation program is one of the more compelling elements of the exhibit which features excerpts from six interviews from Alive in Truth’s New Orleans Disaster Oral History and Memory Project. As distinctive New Orleans jazz plays in the background and refreshments and chicory coffee are served, hurricane witnesses, survivors, relief workers, volunteers and concerned citizens will be invited to sit in “listener” and/or “teller” chairs and share their stories. Austin History Center staff will be on hand with free preservation materials.
“This exhibit tells wrenching stories of loss and soaring stories of hope, kindness and survival. These unique and priceless stories are not just important to the survivors but also for the continuity and story of our great and diverse nation.,” said Abe Louise Young, director of Alive in Truth, an all volunteer effort whose mission is to document individual lives, restore community bonds, and to uphold the voices, culture, rights and history of New Orleanians affected by Hurricane Katrina. “Witness is necessary. When we honor these stories by our witness, healing happens– not only for the trauma survivors– but also for those of us who receive and protect their stories.”
Although she was devastated to hear of the potential loss of priceless historical documents as the museums and archives of New Orleans were flooded, Austin History Center director Sue Soy considers these stories valuable for many reasons. “Our aim is to share the history of this unique experience and time in our community,” she said “This exhibit is an opportunity for Austinites and New Orleanians to meet, share experiences and bond as new neighbors.”
Surviving Katrina: Sharing Our Stories is a collaboration between Alive in Truth (www.aliveintruth.org), the Austin History Center/Austin Public Library (www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/ahc) and is made possible by a grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission
