Look Who's Talkin': Kids Reconstruct with Creativity: An Observation

The catastrophic hurricane that ravaged the Mississippi Gulf Coast last August wrought everlasting changes not only upon the land and man-made structures, but also the people who lived there. In addition to having lost their jobs, homes, possessions and even loved ones, many were relocated to new towns and cities. For children, this meant the emotionally devastating loss of friends, classmates, teachers, and familiar routines.

Art, in all its various forms, has always been a means of human expression and communication, and it can have great therapeutic value. Children, not burdened with grownup inhibitions and expectations, are able to draw upon their natural curiosity and innocence to clearly express their innermost thoughts and feelings. Thus, through the channel of creating visual art, youngsters who have experienced significant trauma can contemplate and render in material terms their experiences, fears, hopes and ambitions. As the images on view in this exhibition amply demonstrate, their pictorial eloquence “speaks” clearly not only to other children, but also adults.

An old axiom holds that confession is good for one’s soul. If that is so, the honest and heartfelt visions on view in Kids Reconstruct with Creativity will serve these young artists well as they recover, heal and rebuild their lives.

Daniel Piersol
Deputy Director for Programs
Mississippi Museum of Art