Her steampunk Christmas tree of clocks and parts, a winner in the library’s tree gala, enhances the sense of time passed. Younger than us,” she laughed, glancing at husband Doug. It’s coming back, and it’s a lot of young people. Vicki Niolet, owner of Bay Emporium and the Lumber Yard Arts Center, sees an arts scene “poised to jump off again. Major fundraisers, Arts Alive in March and a costume party each November (Pirates & Wenches this year) have joined the social scene, raising money for The Arts, Hancock County, to promote the arts through partnerships. Art’s an economic driver, with the county’s 200-plus artists deriving all or part of their income from it. Now, “We’ve come a long way and we’re proud of it.” Two more galleries opened this year, bringing a count to eight to 10 galleries and art shops. “Everybody was so tired and dirty and frustrated, but that was a chance to hang out, see your friends and feel good.” The first one, post-Katrina, relied on a car radio and cooler of beer. Every week was “Second Saturday” for a few months, hosted by the artist co-op at 220 Main. Second Saturday - a monthly block party/art walk - continued after Hurricane Katrina, and doubled down. Artists are reciprocating on the Katrina anniversary weekend with a “Thanks Y’all” exhibition capping several days of activities. With grants for supplies and, for a while, a salaried position for The Arts, Hancock County helped artists, The Arts president Cynthia Mahner said, as did 10 cities across the country that hosted artists and art shows. Louis was “like a bomb went off,” many say. The storm’s sting still rides close to the surface on the Coast, where corps d’esprit memories and milestones can make tears crest and voices choke. Louis and Ocean Springs, the Mississippi Coast’s artistic bookends. The way back from that devastation has been a journey of resilience for Bay St. Ohr, with a recent installation open in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, “is famous, and he’s ready to bust out on the American art scene,” even as recognition still lags in his hometown and state. The vision: Become the main institution celebrating Biloxi potter George Ohr (1857-1918). The focus is on operations, community relevance and involvement, including an exhibition/programs mix of popular culture and art. “We’re still in construction,” with the goal of raising about $1.5 million to finish the pod interiors. “I’m always trying to look for at a historical parallel for ‘15 years isn’t so bad’ - until I found out that the Colosseum in Rome was built in 10 years,” museum executive director Kevin O’Brien said, with a chuckle. Opening in stages as buildings were finished, the campus formally opened July 2014, when most of the pod exteriors and one pod interior were done. It shoved back its opening by years and its completion by a decade at least. The barge took out 10 to 18 oak trees, decimated a neighborhood and changed the museum’s configuration. The Frank Gehry-designed Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, under construction and about halfway done when Katrina hit, had its campus sheared by a casino barge that came loose. “The 100 Best Art Towns in America” in April 2005 put Biloxi on that list, and by August’s end, Hurricane Katrina about wiped it off, along with neighboring arts-centric towns that had made the Mississippi Gulf Coast a cultural tourism magnet. ‘‘We need a book like ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ to illustrate the extreme prejudice that existed in our country’s past and to help start a conversation about the issues that sadly still exist today.View Gallery: Coast Arts Rebuild After Katrina | Gallery However, it is critical that discrimination, offensive language and racism are discussed in the classroom,’’ the students wrote. ‘‘These derogatory and offensive words are powerful they make people uncomfortable because they are painful to hear. The Associated Press reported that the Biloxi school board received letters from across the country urging that the book remain in the curriculum, including one from an 11th-grade Advanced Placement language class in Tenafly, New Jersey. According to the Sun Herald, eighth-graders will now have a new opportunity to read ‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’’ Though it will still not be requirement, a letter to students and parents from Biloxi Junior High School Principal Scott Powell said, ‘‘8th Grade ELA teachers will offer the opportunity for interested students to participate in an in-depth book study of the novel during regularly scheduled classes as well as the optional after school sessions.’’ What will be required is a parent’s note giving a student permission to read the book during class.
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