抖阴ap

The pain, grief and trauma that Denver artist John Doherty felt watching Hurricane Katrina destroy his hometown has evolved into something beautiful.

A dedication ceremony was held Friday in Slidell, La., where one of the sculptures Doherty created and donated is being displayed. Slidell sits across from New Orleans on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

As the powerful winds and storm-surge waves hit the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, half a continent away in Denver, Doherty turned to his art to ease his mind.

“With no way of knowing who and what survived, I made a small, steel fleur-de-lis sculpture in Denver as a diversion,” Doherty said.

That first fleur-de-lis, an official state symbol of Louisiana, led to many other works that Doherty has contributed to recovery efforts.

Now, his large Fleur de Triomphe sculpture recognizes Slidell’s triumph over the many challenges the great storm brought. He donated the 13-foot, 1,200-pound sculpture of raw, rusted steel to his hometown.

Nearly 10,000 people in the city of Slidell were left homeless after Katrina.

The Fleur de Triomphe sculpture has a waterline mark at 7 feet above the ground, “which is Hurricane Katrina’s storm-surge level at the exact spot where it is standing” in Slidell’s Heritage Park, Doherty said.

“It’s a tremendous gift,” said Kim Bergeron, the city’s director of cultural and public affairs. “It will still be there standing strong for many years to come, even through the future storms.” Adam Singleton, The Denver Post