Page 16 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2019

COASTNOTES
For those living on the Coast on August 17,1969, the effects of deadly Hurricane Camille, the second most intense tropical cyclone to strike the U.S., are more than just a memory. Now, 50 years later, Biloxi’s Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum is hosting Camille at 50, a series of speakers, events and exhibitions telling the story of destruction, and most importantly, the story of the Coast’s rebirth.
“The intent of Camille at 50 is to remind our residents of the strength and resilience of the Coast,” says Executive Director Robin David. “We have repeatedly come back stronger after every disaster that has come at us through the years. This exhibition not only features the destruction of the storm, but also tells the stories of our communities and citizens at the time of impact and throughout the recovery that has taken place over the last 50 years.”
Exhibitions are set up on the first and third floors of the museum. On the first floor, visitors will see newspaper articles and headlines about Camille over the years. The third floor exhibitions include
a recreation of the phone banks that provided the only form of communication for Coast residents following Camille. The phone bank exhibition is sponsored by AT&T.
“We also have a collection
of photographs of the storm’s destruction from the collection of Charles Sullivan at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston Campus,” says Outreach Coordinator Corey Christy. “This exhibition is sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources, Hancock-Whitney Bank, Mississippi Power and the City of Biloxi. There is also an exhibit of furniture made by local furniture maker Wade Guice. Wade is the grandson of Wade and Julia Guice who each played integral roles throughout Camille.”
Camille Conversations, a lunch and learn speaker series, will take place every Friday throughout the exhibition, which will be on display through November 30. Each event costs $10 to attend and includes lunch from Burger Burger and admission to the museum.
“On August 16 we will be premiering the documentary Camille: the Original Monster
Storm by Oxford, Mississippi filmmaker Rex Jones at Premiere Cinema in Biloxi, which will then
be shown in our Hurricane Gallery for the duration of the exhibition,” says Christy. “We will also be rededicating our Hurricane Gallery in honor of Wade and Julia Guice on August 17 at our Hurricane Party. This event will include drinks and hors d’oeuvres and is open to
the public.”
Camille at 50 Exhibition
Now through November 30 Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday 12-4 p.m. Tickets: $10 for adults, $6 for students ages 5-15, seniors and military
16 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2019
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story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum
115 1st St., Biloxi 228.435.6320 www.maritimemuseum.org