Yet Another Reason to Hate Katrina

My friend Pete informs me that Andrew Brott, an old childhood friend from Chicago, is one of the countless New Orleans residents displaced by Katrina. We attended the same church as kids...Andrew has come a long way from being the Sunday School class clown (if he denies it, don't believe him...). He fled with his wife in advance of the storm, and they're currently living in suburban Chicago with his parents. They're not sure of the status of their home...but it's clear that returning to New Orleans in the forseeable future is not an option.

Andrew runs a glass-art studio in New Orleans. His artwork is really quite impressive. Many examples can be found on his studio website, as well as here. Andrew's resume is available here (wow). Since he has no idea how long he'll be displaced, he's trying to find work in the Chicago area.

I'll post more information as I get it. In the meantime, if you'd like to commission a stunning piece of glass art, contact Andrew by email (the address is available on his site).

UPDATE: Donating to the Craft Emergency Relief Fund is a great way to help artists in need. In addition, Tyler Green at ArtsJournal is blogging about the effect of Katrina on cultural institutions in Louisiana and Mississippi. It's an angle of the story that isn't getting much attention, but it's something I'm sure we'll hear more and more about as the humanitarian crisis eases. When the water finally recedes and the dead are buried, we'll find ourselves mourning the loss of the artistic and cultural treasures that make New Orleans so unique.