compassion for New Orleans

[JAZ]

Charles Fritchie, who is a frequent contributor on this site, especially here in Figurative, lives in or near New Orleans. As hurricane Katrina is scheduled to slam into Louisiana starting tomorrow, I'd like to express my concern and best wishes for Fritchie and his family. Hopefully the impact will be less than it now sounds.
Take care, Charles.
JAZ

[sculptorsam]

I'll second that. I was thinking about him today as I first began to read the reports. I have to admit, I wasn't too aware of what was going on (the news tends to sensationalize everything so it was water off my back at first) but it has interlocked with an extended report I heard on NPR about this very apocalyptic scenerio several months back and despair has set in. I can only imagine what it's like for those near the storm.

Hope you and your family are safe and well, fritchie.

[GaryR52]

I was thinking about Fritchie, myself, and wondering if he made it out okay. Hopefully, so. They're saying the death toll could be as high as 50,000 because of all those who either have no way out or refuse to leave their homes. If I lived there and had no transportation, I'd get out on I-10 and walk, myself.

Gary

[Ameenah]

I'm visiting in Nashville which I just found out that hurricane Katrina will hit here sometime tuesday. I pray for the safety of everyone in it's path.
-Ameenah :(

[bluedogshuz]

:( There are a number of members is New Orleans and my prayers go out to you all. It will be days before we fully realize the distruction. I was in the sights (St. Petersburg) of the one last year that hit Punta gorda. These poor folks had so little time to prepare... :(

[JAZ]

As of now it looks like things will be a little less drastic than thought because the eye of the storm actually went between New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippee. The ten thousand people who have take refuge in the Superdome have been asked to move to the endzones as a precaution because the dome is leaking badly. Hopefully it will withstand the wind. At last report there was a lull, but another round of high winds is expected soon. The roof of a hotel and windows in several more are gone, according to a correspondent staying at one of the hotels, but the streets below him are not flooded at this time. Perhaps the levees will hold? Since New Olrleans is below sea level, those levees hold the key.
Here's hoping the storm weakens. I wonder what it is doing to all of the good outdoor sculpture down by the Mississippi, and all over downtown.
JAZ

[fused]

My sympathy to everyone in it's path, Slidell, Pass Christian and all points NE of New Orleans. The doplar radar in Baton Rouge is out, but you can see the current location of the storm here (http://www.goes.noaa.gov/browsh.html) and the updated report here (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT2+shtml/281454.shtml).

New reports are slowly trickling in, looks like Mississippi and Alabama took the worst Katrina had to offer. I hope the region is safe soon and that relief help can get to those who need it.

A hurricane blog (http://www.livejournal.com/users/insomnia/599039.html) from New Orleans.

[Ameenah]

I'm still in Nashville the rain has been coming down in sheets for about six hours now and it's really windy.I can't sleep. I'm sure the shelters are full tonight. I plan on finding some were to volunteer in the morning if it's needed.

[Stevem]

My prayers go out to all the people who were hit and affected by this storm. I hope all is well and I wish you all the best in the days to come . Please be careful and may God be with you.

Good Luck ,
Steve Miller

[JAZ]

As of today, it is a catastrophic event for everyone in the southern coastal states and will take a long recovery time. Nature certainly is powerful.

[bluedogshuz]

We have to do more than just pray. La ,ms, & AL
I have a 3 bedroom 2 bath house/studio plus a full bath in garage. I may be able to handle 2-3 families for a couple of months. I also have a 3 bedroom condo that can handle 1 family. The first is in St. Petersburg FL the second is in Jacksonville Florida. If you know of some family that is in need call me at 727-215-1005. I am looking for familes or individuals that have lost there homes. I am not opening my check book I'm opening my heart. Again, folks these people need a place to live for a while if you have the means to open your heart as well please do so. Pat

[Bill Harsey]

Bluedogshuz,
You've made a kind and generous offer. Your heart is good.

Watching the early morning/latenight news it looks as if the flooding is getting worse in New Orleans with more failures of the levees.
I don't think we've even begun to measure the devastation in other areas.

Now I'm trying to track down a friend from Biloxi who'd gone to Florida to ride out the storm.

[iowasculptor]

Has anyone heard from our sculpture friends in New Orleans? I heard this morning that the city is filling up with water. The govenor is saying that it could be 15-20 weeks before people can return to their homes and the superdome has to be evacuated now (what a nightmare). Its times like this that show what the real nature of people is. I am always amazed by the compassion for fellow man that is shown during these natural disasters. I wish people would show such compassion always. I am now in South Dakota so any first hand aid is not possible but does anyone have any ideas about how we as a sculpture community can help? An online auction of work to raise money to help people? I know money isn't really the most needed thing at times like this. What else can we do? Bluedogshuz thank you for offering your homes, I wish I had the resources to have some shelter to offer.
matt

[fused]

The single best thing concerned people can do is give cash. Not stuff, cash. Cash is portable, fast, and useful (http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/31/tech_pros_ask_how_ca.html). Everything else has problems -- even if it is something they really and truly need, because it isn't there, and people and resources are needed to get it there.

The canonical example: Bottled water. Something otherwise useless that is critical in this sort of emergency. So you give a few flats to the ARC. Well, you bought them at retail, and now, the ARC has to put them on a truck (which costs money) and ship them down there (which cost money, and time.)

Let's say you give them $20 instead. The ARC notes that they need water. So, they call a bottler in a city close to, but not affected by, the storm. They get wholesale or cost prices, as opposed to retail. For the same amount of money, they get far more water, far closer to where they need to be. In six hours, you're delivering your flats to the local ARC office. In six hours with cash, they're handing water to people who desperately need it.

Here's a list of Hurricane Assistance (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4823690) sourced by FEMA.

[Araich]

Anyone heard from Charles yet?

I think my cousin lives in New Orleans...

[sculptor]

Nothing from fritchie
hope he got out early and is ok
where did he live in relation to the flooding?....is 5121 Clara Street still there? under water?

rod

[BMBourgoyne]

Lets hope he got out indeed. Things are looking pretty bad down there, and only looks to get worse. Although the flooding has equalized, there is only a couple ways out of the city, as Katrina took out I-10 to the east and the causway to the north. And it really doesn't look like the government has a handle on the situation. We've been talking about this possiblility for generations, but still don't seem to have been able to put any contingency plans in place. It is truly frightening. and frustrating.

From the map it looks like that area was flooded. Basically the only area on the east bank that wasn't flooded is the river-side of the French Quarter and along the river (where the city is actually above sea-level).

Our prayers are with him and everyone else to our east here.

-Brad

[Bill Harsey]

Brad,
The government is mobilizing unprecendated resources to deal with the situation. No they may not have a handle on it, yet but the total no. of personel being dispatched has never been done before to aid a disaster in the United States.

This will have to be solved one element at a time.

I have friends missing in all this mess too.
Your right, it is both frightening and frustrating.

[JAZ]

Nothing from fritchie
hope he got out early and is ok
where did he live in relation to the flooding?....is 5121 Clara Street still there? under water?

rod
Hi Rod,
I met up with Fritchie in October during the ISC Fall Symposium weekend. We met at a restaurant in the French Quarter, then walked down by the Mississippi with two other sculptors I had met at the symposium. That area may not have been flooded, sounds like, but the lotting, and lack of electricity, water and gas means that it's uninhabitable even if it isn't flooded. I heard today that the mayor is arranging for the entire city to be completely evacuated.. I don't know where Charles lives, just that it's somewhere in New Orleans.
There was a cluster of contemporary art museums and galleries available to symposium participants and we also went to a complex of artists' spaces a bus ride away. It sure sounds like all of those places are flooded now. It's really horrible.
JAZ

[BMBourgoyne]

Bill,
I realize that everyone is doing everything possible, and that includes those locally and across the country. And now is not the time to be talking about what could and should have been done. Let us all just pray that those still out there in harms way have the time for us to get them the help they so desperately need.

[bluedogshuz]

My companion was in the Miami hurricane and has been through it. One thing is that the insurance companies often allow for a trailer to be rented while the home in question is being repaired. It may be possible for some folks to hook up a trailer to someones electric on their property. I am just throwing ideas out here because I can see a million homeless people out there and I don't think the government is going to be able to do this alone. Any thoughts on temporary housing?

[Bill Harsey]

Bill,
I realize that everyone is doing everything possible, and that includes those locally and across the country. And now is not the time to be talking about what could and should have been done. Let us all just pray that those still out there in harms way have the time for us to get them the help they so desperately need.
Copy all.
Will do.

[JAZ]

Here's a list of Hurricane Assistance (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4823690) sourced by FEMA.
Thanks for this, Fused. Very useful info about reliable aid agencies. If all of us who are far away and feeling helpless to do anything for the victims contribute something all those $20s, or whatever, together will help in direct and immediate ways.
JAZ

[JAZ]

This link was just discussed on the radio.
http://www.nola.com/
It is the Times Picayune's (the New Orleans newspaper) weblog. It has current information and many personal stories. There are links to information about specific neighborhoods and how to leave messages for specific people.
JAZ

[oddist]

If anyone is interested..here's a link for General Environmental Implications of the hurricane.

http://www.sej.org/resource/index15.htm

And I'd still like to hear from Fritchie....

I've been following this thing all day, off and on, and it's turned into a really sad event...

Edit: Just received this in an e-mail regarding helping with housing...if you are close enough...http://www.hurricanehousing.org/

[GaryR52]

Hopefully, Fritchie was among the wiser ones who left New Orleans when they were told to do so.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma's being impacted a bit, now. I heard that the port of Catoosa (on the Arkansas River, which intersects with the Mississippi and is a major supplier to New Orleans and other ports down-river), near Tulsa has been unable to ship anything at all since Katrina hit.

Gary

[bluedogshuz]

I don't know if people relaize the HUGE economic impact this will hav on US but the gas prices have risen dramtically and knocking out a City of 1 million people not to mention the Gulf coast will have dire consequenses. I suspect we aren't even through this yet with more tropical depressions forming in the Atlantic. On a positive note we were able to help a family that wil be staying at the studio for several months.

[JAZ]

That's ten points for you, bluedogshuz, for taking in the refugee family! How did you hook up with them?
This morning's Boston Globe includes an article on the grass roots effort to offer people's homes to victims. In addition to the weblink that oddist posted, here is one more:
www.homesforkatrina.org founded by Gabe Roffman, a web application designer from Virginia.One feature of this site is its link to a security firm that will donate background checks to eliminate violent or criminal offenders from the site.
You wouldn't think you'd have to worry about that, but we've been hearing about the behavior of a few bad apples down in New Orleans now - people with guns who shoot at helicopters and hospital transportation, and worse - and the site is set up to match normal people who have lost everything with decent places to stay.
I tried the Red Cross donation line 1 (800) HELPNOW yesterday a number of times without success - they were probably swamped. It just takes patience. They'll need donations for this for a long time.
JAZ

[bluedogshuz]

Thanks Jaz. A friend and neighbor of our is from New Orleans and recomended a family. I am alittle nervous about it but there are a lot of people that no people you know? Ofcourse we have to be careful but if someone vouches for someone its worth the chance. We have one more place and my S.O.'s ex hub is working with his church to locate people. I'm not a church person, Sunday worship for me IS thanking GOD for the blessings and letting me do one more sculpture, you know?

[oddist]

I wonder if our presidents "base" is going to step up to the plate and donate to disaster relief???

I've heard of entertainers doing so. But I consider their money to be pretty much public donations coming the long way 'round...

[bluedogshuz]

What base?

[oddist]

Ooooh, let's see..At the Al Smith dinner..quote

Bush gazed around the diamond-studded $800-a-plate crowd and commented on the wealth on display.

"This is an impressive crowd - the haves and the have-mores," quipped the GOP standard-bearer. "Some people call you the elites; I call you my base."

Unless they're all running for dry land now...

[bluedogshuz]

Saw him(Bush) this afternoon. Real glad he could stop by to see 1% of the country absolutely ruined. Hell, I hate to say it but I kinda like Bushes charm,the Texas thing and the funny way he mangles words, its his actions that bother me. I sincerely like Laura she is definitly his better half, I don't get all the comments about getting back to school and work, you know? That was also contrasted with the statement by a critic that 40 or is it 60% of our national guard is in Iraq. I wouldn't leave a dog for 3 days without water! Gotta decide whether to go up and volunteer?!

[GaryR52]

I don't know if people relaize the HUGE economic impact this will hav on US but the gas prices have risen dramtically and knocking out a City of 1 million people not to mention the Gulf coast will have dire consequenses. I suspect we aren't even through this yet with more tropical depressions forming in the Atlantic. On a positive note we were able to help a family that wil be staying at the studio for several months.

Quite right, Blue. I heard on the news this evening that another storm may be brewing. Meanwhile, it will take years to rebuild New Orleans and possibly a year more to restore the oil producing capacity of the Gulf. We are all in for some hard times ahead, I'm afraid. This affects so much more than just the cost of transportation. It will impact the price of food and many other commodities, as well. On the news, I saw before and after aerial photos of a ship that had arrived in Gulfport, Mississippi just a couple of days before Katrina hit, showing the ship docked in the harbor. The next photo showed the same battered ship aground on dry land, blocks inland from where it had been. This ship was loaded with Chiquita bananas, so, if you notice bananas are going up in price soon, now you know why.

Gary

[JAZ]

This morning I saw this on The Times Picayune's website:Rep. Carter makes urgent plea for gas, buses

BATON ROUGE - State Rep. Karen Carter, D-New Orleans, made an urgent plea Friday morning for gasoline and buses to ferry victims to safety who have been stuck in New Orleans under deteriorating conditions since Hurricane Katrina struck the city four days ago.

"If you want to save a life get a bus down here," said Carter, whose district includes the French Quarter. "I'm asking the American people to help save a wonderful American city." Her voice cracking with emotion and her eyes bloodshot from fatigue and distress, Carter said pledges of money and other assistance are of secondary importance right now to the urgent need for transportation.

"Don't give me your money. Don't send me $10 million today. Give me buses and gas. Buses and gas. Buses and gas," she said. "If you have to commandeer Greyhound, commandeer Greyhound. … If you donn't get a bus, if we don't get them out of there, they will die."

Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, who is coordinating federal relief efforts on behalf of the National Guard, could not say when people can expect to be rescued. “If you're human you've got to be affected by it, Blum said. "These people, their heartstrings are torn as are yours. (But) the magnitude of this problem is you cannot help everybody at the same time."

Blum said 7,000 troops from around the country and will be in place by Saturday evening to help restore order.

Col. Pete Schneider, a spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard, said most of the new arriving soldiers are military police or infantry.

Already, the beefed-up police presence is allowing for patrols in area that have essentially been ungoverned since Katrina struck. "We're getting into areas that have been previously inaccessible," said Sgt. Cathy Flinchum of the Louisiana State Police

Asked why the people waiting at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center and elsewhere have not received airdropped relief supplies of food and water despite reports that corprse are beginning to pile up, Blum said: "I don't know. That's what I'm doing here is assessing the situation. Nobody wants anyone to die."

Carter, who expressed frustration with the slow pace of the federal relief effort and compared it to the speed with which U.S. forces react in times of war and tragedy in other countries, insisted there is one key way for people to help.

"If you own a bus, bring it. We'll find a way to get it in to New Orleans," she said.

-Jan Moller and Ed Anderson.

Frustrated with beaurocratic delays, I could'nt concentrate on the concrete thing I was ready to pour. I wanted to go down south, rent a passenger van somewhere and drive to New Orleans to pick up the thirteen or fourteen people or whatever the van capacity is and drive them somewhere. No red tape involved. Fourteen is a small number but it's a significant thing to those few people. I wanted to go now, today. Or tomorrow at the latest because now is when things are most critical for so many people out there. Today.
It would only be useful if I could get to somewhere near the area, and rent a vehicle.
There were no flights available from here (I live 45 miles north of Boston) to New Orleans at all for the next two days, all booked up. So I tried here to Baton Rouge thinking that since it was west maybe it wouldn't be as bad as east of N.O. Nothing. Okay, so heading further away in a straight line on my map, northwest of N.O. I looked at Alexandria, Lousiana. There were flights listed. Okay. Then I tried to find a rental van near Alexandria. Not possible and Hertz's website said that because of the hurricane, any vehicle that was rented would only have half of a tank of gas. Gas would be another problem, wouldn't it. Maybe I could start somewhere further from the coast and get some containers of gas to bring?
I called the local Red Cross chapter here and told her what I was thinking. The representative said that they have not been allowed to go into New Orleans. I asked what she meant "not allowed". FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) had not yet asked them in and so they could not go in. She said that they had set up shelters in other places for 50,000 people, but... I read later that the problem there is that officials want the city evacuated, so they feel that if too much aid gets into the city people won't want to leave.
I was dumbfounded. The local Red Cross person I was speaking to here suggested I call the Baton Rouge Red Cross and she would give me the number. She tried to get it on the website, but couldn't get the number because the site had been overwhelmed with traffic. So, I tried the regular national Red Cross number, and that was overloaded too - on hold for a while, then told by an automated voice that my call could not be responded to right now and it terminated the call.
My husband convinced me that I would be an additional problem to people down there if I went. I can't afford it anyway. But those people need to be taken out of there. I wish I had gone a couple of days ago, but who would have guessed that it would get this bad before help started to arrive?
I've been trained to help evacuate our town if there is an accident at the nuclear power plant at Seabrook, NH. All of the towns within a ten mile radius of the plant have evacuation plans and run drills on a regular basis. In reality, who knows what it would really be like.
Now that I see what's going on in New Orleans I realize that we all had better be self sufficient in the event of a natural or societal disaster.
JAZ

[GaryR52]

I saw an interview, this evening, with a guy who had stolen a school bus and loaded it with 70 refugees, whom he drove to the Astrodome in Houston. Good man!

Gary

[bluedogshuz]

I'm just gonna give money to the RedCross. Heck it's the banks money anyway! I always tell people I work for the bank. They say "what do you do?" I tell them "I borrow their money and then pay them interest!" Yuo know what I mean jelly bean? Jaz... I commend you for trying! It is heart wrenching. I saw a picture today of an old black man pushing an even older white women. He had the kindest look on his face. I cut out the picture. Southern folk have backbone and grace and I know they will overcome this. I have great respect for Southerners and am saddened that they have lost their homesteads. I am also sad (being a fan of old architecture) about all those fine old homes being lost and the fabric of that society being torn. The loss of life ofcourse is simply overwhelming to me.

[Bill Harsey]

I saw an interview, this evening, with a guy who had stolen a school bus and loaded it with 70 refugees, whom he drove to the Astrodome in Houston. Good man!

Gary
That guy did good.

I just read a copy of a memo from American Airlines that states they will continue to fly non-stop rescue flights thru this weekend out of Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans.

Edited to add, American is flying 3 MD-80's until at least Tuesday of next week and will airlift at least 3000 folks out with this effort.
All American crews involved are volunteering their time to do this.

Go American Airlines.

[JAZ]

I saw an interview, this evening, with a guy who had stolen a school bus and loaded it with 70 refugees, whom he drove to the Astrodome in Houston. Good man!

Gary

I also read about this and apparently that was the first bus to arrive at the Astrodome, a couple of hours ahead of the offical buses. That guy gets my vote. Maybe he should run for president.
JAZ

[JAZ]

In view of the richness of the arts community now suffering in Louisiana, and the ISC's close connections to New Orleans after just having the symposium there in October, is this community willing to do something to help?
It will be some time before anyone knows what the full impact of the hurricane will be on the arts community there. It is still too soon to even know the wherabouts of the artists who were working there. But if we were to start now brainstorming ways to make helpful contributions toward the future recovery of the arts community there we won't fall into the same trap our government has with their beaurocratic red tape.
As an online arts community with more than 2,000 creative members we should be able to come up with some substantive ways to help.
Here are some thoughts to start off with:
- perhaps an online (here on this site) small works auction of works of ours? Establish smallish size criteria, everyone post an image on the same thread here, and everyone link this thread to our own websites and to the main ISC site. Keep prices reasonable, or establish a cap. For instance, a fundraiser show I've participated in twice now here to raise money for breast cancer research has a $200 cap per piece, most of which are 2D. Maybe $500 max for small sculpture? We would donate the art, and the proceeds would go to the arts community in New Orleans. One of the museums or other non-profit arts organizations in New Orleans would be the umbrella group who could determine how it would best be distributed. We could specify to them our intention to focus on N.O. artists, or museums, or public sculpture venues, or whatever.
- Once information is available about who and where the artists are, perhaps help them establish wish lists of materials they've lost and see if any of us can donate some of ours?
- Donate art books to those arts community members.
- Each of us write/e-mail regularly to one or more so they know there is support out here and to have a handle on what more is needed.
- Perhaps we could reach out to established art venues and schools in our own areas to communicate these survivor/artists' needs? Maybe our arts venues (museums, sculpture parks, art schools) can help out beyond what we can do individually, if we can be the liasons to get them the information about what is needed?
JAZ

[bluedogshuz]

I think trying to locate our members and find out what help we can provide would be a very good idea. If we can reach out in some way they will let us know what is appropriate.

[fritchie]

Hi, Everybody! I'm back online finally (if briefly), and I'm fine. I just read through this thread, and will reply briefly.

I rode out the storm Sunday night and through the day Monday, with only minor damage to my home. If fact, after the wind died down and the six inches or so of water in my home left, I got out and started to trim downed trees. My yard has lots of shrubs and trees, and all trees but a big magnolia tree were downed or badly dmaged. I had to brush past material to get to the street, and found almost no damage in my neighborhood. I'm about six blocks from Tulane and Loyola universities, in what's called the Uptown or University section.

Lyn Emery, an ISC Board Member and one of the main organizers of the New Orleans conference last year, lives about 12 blocks on the other side on the 2 universities. I haven't heard anything from anyone I personally know in the city, but the area closest to the Miss. River is highest because of the levee. Lyn's house, with luck, may not have had water.

I've evacuated to a brother's house in Baton Rouge, the state capitol, and am doing fine.

Thanks to everybody for all good wishes and actions. As far as help, money to the American Red Cross or a religious agency of some sort acting in the area is the best way to help.

Got to go!!

[JAZ]

Hi, Everybody! I'm back online finally (if briefly), and I'm fine. I just read through this thread, and will reply briefly.

I rode out the storm Sunday night and through the day Monday, with only minor damage to my home. If fact, after the wind died down and the six inches or so of water in my home left, I got out and started to trim downed trees. My yard has lots of shrubs and trees, and all trees but a big magnolia tree were downed or badly dmaged. I had to brush past material to get to the street, and found almost no damage in my neighborhood. I'm about six blocks from Tulane and Loyola universities, in what's called the Uptown or University section.

Lyn Emery, an ISC Board Member and one of the main organizers of the New Orleans conference last year, lives about 12 blocks on the other side on the 2 universities. I haven't heard anything from anyone I personally know in the city, but the area closest to the Miss. River is highest because of the levee. Lyn's house, with luck, may not have had water.

I've evacuated to a brother's house in Baton Rouge, the state capitol, and am doing fine.

Thanks to everybody for all good wishes and actions. As far as help, money to the American Red Cross or a religious agency of some sort acting in the area is the best way to help.

Got to go!!

Halleluja!! Congratulations on making it through. What a relief to "hear" your "voice". It's great that you have family to stay with and fantastic that your home isn't too bad off. Trees are wonderful to have, but they are renewable, whereas you are not!
We've all been feeling pretty helpless in our high and dry studios. I made a donation to the Red Cross, but of course I wish there was something more tactile to be done. I've tried offering to volunteer at our local Red Cross offices to pack boxes or do paperwork or whatever, but I'd have had to go through a training program starting today, which was my first day of school, so I couldn't. There is a shelter set up on Cape Cod here in Massachusetts, but to volunteer to work there the Red Cross requires a 7 -14 day committment, which I can't do either because I teach on Mondays and Wednesdays at the college. As it turns out, Massachusetts, the northernmost state and the only New England state (as far as I know) to commit to hosting residents of the flooded areas, is apparently too far north - the evacuees don't want to come this far away from home. It's possible that the accommodations at Otis Air base that have been set up for 2,500 people may remain empty.
Should we (sculptor's forum people outside of the affected areas) be doing something to help the arts community in New Orleans?
JAZ

[fritchie]

Halleluja!! Congratulations on making it through. What a relief to "hear" your "voice". It's great that you have family to stay with and fantastic that your home isn't too bad off. Trees are wonderful to have, but they are renewable, whereas you are not! - Etc. - the evacuees don't want to come this far away from home. It's possible that the accommodations at Otis Air base that have been set up for 2,500 people may remain empty.
Should we (sculptor's forum people outside of the affected areas) be doing something to help the arts community in New Orleans?
JAZ

JAZ - It's really great to be back on board. I've been following the whole story as much as possible on Fox News. It seems the authorities are trying to keep people within about 500 miles of New Orleans so as not to disrupt lives more than necessary. I did see yesterday that one family has decided to relocate to North Dakota. Are they in for a surprise this winter! I really do appreciate all the concern I see here.

I also believe they said offers of relocation have come from nearly all the "lower 48". Word on Fox this morning is that the Houston Superdome population now is about 2500, down from some 10,000, I believe, in that and affiliated sites. Overall, I think Texas is hosting about 150 to 200 thousand people, but estimates vary widely. For reference, New Orleans' population is about 460,000, and the population of neighboring Jefferson Parish, mostly unincorporated, is about 445,000. Most Jeffersonians relocated to Baton Rouge or other nearly areas in Louisiana, and since that area did not flood badly, they are slowly being permitted back.


As far as sculpture in New Orleans, it's way to early to do anything except possibly make background plans for cleaning and restoration once things get back to normal. That is something ISC might help coordinate. Fortunately, most sculpture is "pedestal-based" and probably above the flood waters. I suspect the New Orleans Museum of Art's outdoor collection, the Bestoff Sculpture Garden, may not have been flooded, because that part of the city is relatively high.


NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Aviation Administration, put up a "Katrina " website about a week ago, with "raw" satellite images of the general hurricane area, as a relief aiid. It covers several states, but the images are difficult to interpret without local familiarity. I found one that covered part of Tulane and Loyola Universities, plus vicinity. The two campuses appear not to have flooded. I have not tried to find the Besthoff Garden, but I will as I have time.

[bluedogshuz]

Hey Fritchie,
Glad to see you made it o.k.! Been in the bullseye a couple of time but haven't been hit yet (although the season ain't over). Gave to the RC. If aou need any thing let me know, my friends went through Andrew and your deal was a whole lot worse. Pat

[ironman]

Hi Fritchie, It's nice to hear from you. I've not seen any posts from you in a while and was wondering how you made out. I hope all your loved ones are okay and like I said, it's really nice to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Have a nice day,
Jeff

[JAZ]

Fritchie,
Thank you very much for the information. It does make sense for people to want to stay close to home, but it seems to those of us further away that we have so much we could share - clean water, food, beds, friendship, safe haven, etc. right now that things are so dire and the government is so incompetent and into the coming difficult weeks and months. It's frustrating in a way, but I'm learning that the best way to help is to send money. Well, I can't send lots, but if everyone sends a little, it does make a difference and the Red Cross knows how to target the people who most need it.
There was an article in our paper yesterday about one extended family of 12 adults and 6 children who found their way to our area by car from somewhere across the Mississippi from you and are staying in Salisbury, MA. I called the shelter that is aiding them to offer sweaters, socks and other clothing, books and other things. I was told that so many people had called to donate things that they couldn't accept them until local churches step in to coordinate.
They will gratefully accept monetary donations, though, so I guess that still is the thing to do. So I'll have a yard sale to sell the things I wanted to donate and send the money to them instead.
Today's Boston Globe printed an article that Boston is now the most expensive city in the country to live in, beating out even New York, Chicago and San Francisco, so I guess if I was a refugee it wouldn't be my first choice either.
Well hang in there. If you see ways that this sculptors' community can help the one in New Orleans, please say so. There are many of us who would like to reach out in some useful way.
JAZ

[fritchie]

Bluedog, Ironman, JAZ and others who have written - many, many thanks from everyone in this vicinity. I have started a new thread in the News section, probably a better place to continue this. It has news on art in NO and vicinity from today's Baton Rouge paper.

[Araich]

fritchie, we're all pleased that you're ok!

[GaryR52]

Glad to see you're still alive and kicking, Fritchie! :D

Oklahoma was to host a few thousand, but last minute changes have postponed the arrival of anyone. I heard last night that, if no one shows up at Falls Creek, where a large group was supposed to come to, they'll take all the supplies, etc. down to New Orleans, instead.

Gary

[fritchie]

Thanks again, everybody! JAZ has started another thread for help to sculptors in New Orleans, and I also started one with local sculpture news. It's really great to see all the concern and willingness to help the Gulf Coast sculpture community.

[sculptorsam]

Glad to have you back, fritchie.l

[fritchie]

Thanks, Sam. My participation here still is a bit irregular, but they'e now saying residents in my area may be allowed back the middle of next week, at least to look and get what may be left. My house is two-story, so the upstairs should be OK.

[JAZ]

Thanks, Sam. My participation here still is a bit irregular, but they'e now saying residents in my area may be allowed back the middle of next week, at least to look and get what may be left. My house is two-story, so the upstairs should be OK.
That sounds so awful, Fritchie. What a nightmare to have to be thankful that at least the second floor wasn't flooded. The whole thing is stunning. Everything seems so tenuous.
I read today that a 76 year old man was rescued after 16 days of waiting with only a gallon and a half of water to sustain him.
At least your situation was better in having evacuated right away.
I've written to the director of the ISC, including in the package printouts of some of the conversations we've been having on this forum to see whether they would back some sort of fundraiser or other support we could participate in.
JAZ

[RuBert]

Fritchie,

It is heartwarming to know you are well and I hope that you find your house and possessions intact when you get back.

I have another friend who was displaced by the hurricane and has been living with friends (including our family) since then. I believe she will be forever changed by this disaster, but she hopes to get back to New Orleans next week if possible. There are so many stories it is hard to know where to start.

I think it would be of great interest to record artist's stories about the aftermath of the hurricane and how it has affected their lives.

I got a note updating us from Lin Emery:

Lin wrote:

I'm safe, here in New York with my son. I stayed for five days after the storm, but finally was able to evacuate with a friend, who had a car with gas in it. I don't know anything about my studio, which is in an area under five feet of water, but my house didn't have much damage. I'm so lucky -- everything you've seen on TV is true, and it is heartbreaking to know of the thousands who are suffering.

Also I heard about Paul Higham and his wife Coral who are currently safe with friends at Baton Rouge. Unfortunately, we have received reports that their home/studio compound has been destroyed by the flood. You all may remember this location where they hosted a large party for the New Orleans conference last year.

[RuBert]

Also, from Paul Hubbard at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia:

"If there is anything that needs to be done for the artists in New Orleans displaced by Katrina please pass on the information. We are taking students and I am willing to do all I can to arrange artist visits to the school to help out."

Please contact me via PAUL ROBERT HUBBARD [merlin1@netreach.net]

[JAZ]

Here is an urgent request for art supplies, including sculpture tools, I received this morning through a friend:

09/13/2005

Dear Colleagues,

This is the only expedient way to contact you that I can think of and am making the following appeal.

I am asking for your help in the ongoing efforts to aid the people of New Orleans and Louisiana. Here in Baton Rouge, we have a great need for art supplies for the evacuees who are being housed and educated in the city and at LSU. We have four cohorts in desperate need of supplies: children and adults now living in shelters throughout the Baton Rouge area, children entering the public schools with budgets currently overtaxed and overwhelmed by the doubling of enrolled students, college art students from New Orleans now enrolled at the School of Art at LSU, and professional artists who have lost not only their supplies but their life's work. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is a separate entity and one that I cannot speak for, but the others are those that I can directly reach in this
effort.

Any art supplies, especially drawing pads, sketchbooks, pencils, markers, watercolor sets, crayons, charcoal, printmaking supplies, sculpture tools, papers, rulers, t-squares, and anything else that is not toxic or dangerous (e.g., oil paint chemicals) is sought to give these souls ways to express their feelings and impressions of this unmatched national tragedy as well as diversion and solace in their uprooted circumstances.

Of course, any gift in kind to the university has tax benefits, but your heartfelt willingness to help us in this time of abject need will not go unappreciated or publicly unnoticed. I cannot possibly explain to you the depth of hardship that now exists and the necessity for life-sustaining support. Art is such a powerful means of achieving those true expressions of loss, fear, confusion, grief, and, most importantly, hope, which words alone cannot convey. No donation would be too small. Please, please help us by providing what you can. This is only one form of positive intervention, coming quickly from the entire country, that will enable the people and artists of the Greater New Orleans area and Mississippi to sustain any possibility of a future whatsoever.

All donations can be sent directly to the School of Art office at the address posted.

NASAD and its member schools provide unparalleled academic support. It is my most humble and sincere hope that everyone can rise to this horrid occasion in the most expeditious manner possible. Thank you all, and I will do so again at this year's annual conference.

Respectfully,
Stuart Baron

Contact
Stuart Baron
Director, School of Art
123 Art Building
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
T 225.578.5414
F 225.578.5424
E-mail: baron@lsu.edu

[JAZ]

Please note that there is also donation information posted at:

http://www.sculpture.net/community/showthread.php?p=12790#post12790