"40 Days and 40 Nights" is the story of communities rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, told through the eyes, heart, and soul of Louisiana artisans. Art disciplines include photography, film, video, painting, illustration, clay art, tapestry, glass, jewelry, literature, poetry, theater, and music. Some of the most respected artists and curators in southern Louisiana will develop their disciplines for the show, bringing together some of the most promising artists of our generation.


Purpose
The "40 Days and 40 Nights" exhibit will develop an archived collection of material that voices the experiences of our post-Katrina communities.

We understand that much of what we have learned from social crises often comes from the art generated by the period. From the Great Depression, for example, we draw conclusions about the human experience through the photography of artists and documentarians such as Arthur Rothstein and Dorothea Lange, through novels such as Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, and in paintings by Louisianian John McCrady. While much of the work about the Depression has been generated since then, much was expressed during it, particularly under the auspices of New Deal projects initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Vast collections of artwork and reproductions are housed in government repositories, archiving the story of the Depression through the eyes of its artists – and the upcoming “40 Days and 40 Nights” exhibit at the Louisiana State Archives has similar goals.

The exhibit will open August 9 and will run through September at the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge. The opening night, which is open to the public, will feature theatre, music, and literary readings by participating artists. The performances will be recorded and become a part of the state’s permanent records, along with reproductions of the visual art and photography presented at the exhibit and on display through September.