Park Row Gallery News

"Thinkin' New Orleans," an exhibition of works by artist Michael Schell, will be on view at Park Row Gallery, 2 Park Row, Chatham, from Sept. 12 through Oct. 13. An opening reception will be held Saturday, Sept.15 from 4 to 6 p.m.

New Orleans native and Columbia County resident, Schell's recent works explore the psychological effects in The Big Easy two years after the city was devastated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"I just feel there's been so little done with respect to the psychological aspects of this disaster," said Schell, an architectural designer who traveled to New Orleans in January and was compelled to paint what he witnessed.

"The paintings are mostly architecturally driven, but they also include what could be there," he explains, noting that one painting deals with New Orleans' notable row homes that are missing their stoops. He paints, as an overlay, ghostly figures that had once inhabited the steps.

"People lived outside. Now there's nothing for the people anymore," he said, noting that since the storm roughly a third of population -- mostly lower income residents -- have moved out of New Orleans and as many as another third still want to move out."

Schell says that from outward appearances it may seem as if the city has recovered, since tourist areas and more upscale neighborhoods along the high ground looks as if they are in good shape, where as other parts of the city are still in disrepair.

"If you look at National Geographic from August they've shown a map from 1863 (civil war-era) and it looks pretty much the same as a recent map of the city. In the 50s and 60s developers had come in and built up on the wetlands ... all of that is now gone."

Schell says the experience of returning home compelled him to begin painting after a decade-long hiatus. "Those that have not been affected don't want to look at this (work) but I just saw so many people with so much on their plates. I'm just disturbed by how people don't think it affects them."