Katrina, Then and Now: 20-Year Community Commemoration

Name: Katrina, Then and Now: 20-Year Community Commemoration
Start: 2025-08-29T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-08-29T20:00:00-05:00
Location: Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall

Schedule

Fri Aug 29 2025 at 06:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall | Slidell, LA

The anniversary date of Hurricane Katrina always brings with it a storm of emotions. While many people state they would rather forget it happened, it remains a defining moment in our city’s and our state’s history. Slidell was the Louisiana city hardest-hit by Katrina, with a direct hit that left 40% of the city underwater, plus 95% of homes and businesses damaged or destroyed.
To commemorate the milestone 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Northshore Cultural Economy Coalition presents “Katrina, Then and Now: a 20-Year Community Commemorative Exhibition,” to be hosted by the City of Slidell in the George Dunbar Gallery in City Hall, with an opening reception on Friday, August 29 from 6 to 8 pm. Admission is free.
Exhibition opening night Friday, Aug. 29, 6 to 8 pm
Special hours Saturday Aug. 30, 2 to 4 pm
Regular gallery hours Monday – Thursday, 10 am to 2 pm
and by appointment - call (985) 646-4375
Closing date Friday, Sept 26, 3 to 6 pm
Free admission.
“Katrina, Then and Now” is much more than an art exhibition. It's an opportunity for the community to share their photos and stories, to be archived in the Slidell for future generations.
The exhibition will include artistic photos of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina (then,) plus new shots from the present day showing those same locations in present time (now.) The event is designed to acknowledge how far the community has come from what seemed like an insurmountable natural disaster, while also being respectful and mindful that the event still has lasting impact on those who experienced the wrath of the storm and the aftermath, many of whom lost everything.
Members of the community are invited to submit their own “then and now” photos and artifacts for inclusion in a video montage of past and present to be presented during the exhibition. The public is encouraged to share their Katrina photos and stories on the "Discussion" tab of this event Facebook page to help create a digital archive of the storm. Also included in the exhibition will be artifacts documenting recovery efforts, uplifting stories and media coverage.
“Katrina: Then and Now” will complement the Spirit of Louisiana Katrina 20th commemorative events to be held on Saturday, August 30, presented by the Krewe of Black & Gold, Northshore CEC and the City of Slidell. The gallery will be open from 2 to 4 pm, and commemorative events will begin at 4 pm with a community gathering in the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.
Founded in 2009, the mission of the Northshore Cultural Economy Coalition is to facilitate growth, development and increased awareness of the cultural economy and its impact by focusing on coalition building, public policy, business support, outreach, advocacy and arts education. To learn more about the CEC and this event, visit https://northshorecec.org.