Minneapolis, Minn.-The Augsburg College Art Galleries are honored to present "Art of the Storm", an exhibition made possible by MinnesotaHelpers that features artwork created by fifteen Gulf Coast artists who are still rebuilding their lives and careers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to the fine art, the exhibition includes a special debris-filled re-creation of hurricane damage and a film that documents the stories of these spirited artists and the heroic effort of one woman, Mary Gray, to connect these talented artists with art audiences and collectors in Minnesota.

Mary Gray, a resident of Plymouth, Minn., started the non-profit MinnesotaHelpers to provide housing for hurricane victims and to send needed supplies to hurricane-ravaged areas of Mississippi. When trucks were returning empty, Mary came up with the idea of bringing artwork from Mississippi to exhibit and sell in Minnesota, thus the "Mississippi ArtShare Program" was born. This latter venture has been extremely successful. Over the past nine months some forty-five artists from the Gulf Coast have had their art exhibited at galleries throughout the Twin Cities and suburbs. Thousands of dollars of artwork has been sold with all the proceeds going directly back to the artists who need it so desperately.

The exhibition "Art of the Storm" is the latest brainstorm of Mary Gray and her son Adam Gray. By adding actual hurricane debris to the exhibition space, visitors have the means of connecting viscerally to the damage. Lisa Marek, a 1992 alumna of Augsburg College's studio art program and owner of Fat Cat Art Studio, has been the creative director of "Art of the Storm."

A closing reception and silent auction for this show will be in conjunction with "Art Attack," a multi-campus college art gallery crawl on Saturday, October 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. Special buses will shuttle visitors to Bethel's 9th Street Entry Gallery, the College of St. Catherine, the College of Visual Arts, Concordia University, Macalester College, and the University of St. Thomas. A special presentation featuring Mary Gray will begin at 7 p.m.

All events at the Augsburg Art Galleries are free and open to the general public.

The Student Art Gallery, Christensen Center
Augsburg College
22nd Avenue South at 7 1/2 Street

Gallery Hours:
Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
For more gallery information call 612-330-1524
For information about Minnesota Helpers:
www.minnesotahelpers.org

For information about Fat Cat Art Studio:
www.fatcatartstudio.com

For information about the documentary "The Art of the Storm":
www.theartofthestorm.com

Image credit: Lisa Marek