The Art of Healing
by Mollie DayIn working with the survivors, Leopold realized that the storm changed the internal schema of many of the children. The typical house was being represented by just a triangle: the roof.
'So many of the children knew if they were going to be safe, they had to be on the roof. It kind of became a symbol of what happened to these children and it gives us a benchmark of their recovery as well," Leopold says. Representations of the changes that children underwent as well as particular moments from the storm can be seen in the show. "Brown Baby Dead in the Water" depicts an infant sibling that was guarded and cared for until the family was rescued.
Since Renaissance Village opened in 2005, hundreds of children have passed through the art tent, but it and the trailer park are scheduled to close on May 31. What remains from this period is an exceptional collection of work that encapsulates an important slice of history: the children's story.
'If we don't see this, we miss a very vital perspective of what happened, how it was experienced and how it will continue to play out year after year after year in the lives of our youngest victims," says Sister Brun.
