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FOREWORD
This book is a celebration of vision—artistic vision, engineering vision, and the vision of a vibrant community.
Vision is about seeing possibilities and formulating a plan to make those ideas come to life. An artist sees a beautiful stretch of coastline and knows how to render that scene on canvas. An engineer sees the same coastline and envisions a strong, graceful structure Kaching across the bay, and knows how to build it from steel and concrete. A community surrounded by destruction sees an opportunity ■> r*build better than before—and focuses on what it can become. These gifts of vision are united in the Bay of St. Louis Bridge, and are celebrated in this book.
When Hurricane Katrina reduced the original bridge to rubble, I asked the demolition crews to salvage the metal bearing plates, then, working with the generous and enthusiastic support of Tish Williams, Executive Director of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, and Gwen Impson, Founder and President of The ARTS, I asked area artists to see beyond the devastation and help us express the ■■•que richness of life along the coast. Their two-dimensional pieces were cast into three-dimensional plaques, formed from the copper Air of those bearing plates—symbolically linking our past with our future. Now, those works of art are showcased along the pedestrian wJkway of the magnificent new bridge.
Each piece can be appreciated simply by strolling along the bridge, and indeed each seems to tell a story. But I wanted to tell the story—who each artist is, what life along the coast means to them, and what inspired the piece they created. This book is only a small window into the lives of these fascinating individuals, but it expresses our appreciation of their artistic vision. May they inspire all of us to MC ihe beauty, hope, and possibilities all around us.
Southern District Commissioner
Mississippi Department of Transportation