536: Brian Nettles on recovering from Hurricane Katrina
Brian Nettles is a potter and educator based in Pass Christian, MS, an area that was hit hard by a 35-foot storm surge during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We start our interview talking about the history of ceramics in southern Mississippi and the influence of bayous and cypress swamps on his aesthetic. The second part of the interview focuses on his experience rebuilding his home and studio after Katrina, as well as tips for navigating recovery resources after a natural disaster. In addition to his own studio, he was the Studio Director of Ceramics at the Ohr O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, MS from 1997-2005. www.nettlespottery.com. Stream this episode from your browser.
Hurricane Katrina brought roughly three times as much water to Pass Christian as the previous most damaging storm on record. The surge flooded Brian’s home studio to the attic (top left image) and demolished his teaching studio, in addition to moving whole houses down the street (top right). One of the stranger stories of the storm was a casino barge that rose so high with the surge that it landed on top of the Ohr O’Keefe Museum in Biloxi. You can see the mangled architecture below complete with a workman emptying the slot machines on the barge (lower right corner of image below).
Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:
The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com
Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com
Archie Bray Residencies www.archiebray.org