BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) – A local artist in Hancock County is back with a commemorative painting honoring the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
You may remember the painting – ‘Hope Floats’ from 2005. That same artist, Tami Curtis-Guy, is bringing a new message after nearly two decades: ‘Hope Soars’.
As your eyes scan across the painting, those familiar with the Bay St. Louis area may recognize a symbol of hope.

“I’ve brought the angel tree to life,” Curtis-Guy said.
Inspired by Dayle Lewis’s tree carving, she says the vibrant colors recognize strength and resiliency.
“The bigger message is we’re not staying where we were, you know, we went through a once-in-a-lifetime prayer to Jesus Christ, but we came back out of it,” she said.
“Now we’re stronger, we are more aware, but we’re more community because of it,” she added.
75 percent of the money raised from the painting will go to Hancock Habitat for Humanity.
“Habitat was the one to just go out and immediately help stop the bleeding with the blue tarps, that became just a symbol by itself, the blue tarps,” Curtis-guy said.
Brian Murphy is the Bay-Waveland Executive Director.
“This will help maximize funds for our future and for us building hope, homes, and dignity in Hancock and Pearl River counties,” he said.
Looking back on the 2005 destruction, he said, thousands of homes have been built since then. He also said the mission on the Coast has evolved over the years.
“Initially, it was putting people in homes that didn’t have any, getting folks out of FEMA trailers, which was key. There was plenty of government-backed funding for that. Now, we have to work a little harder for our society to understand and reach out and market our needs and the help we can provide our communities,” he said.
While the first painting encompassed New Orleans and South Louisiana, the new painting, two decades later, is bringing overdue recognition to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and its recovery.
If you are interested in donating money and obtaining a copy of the art piece, you can do so by visiting The Hancock Arts Studio or clicking here. If you donate $100, you’ll receive an 18×24 printed poster, and if you donate $500, you’ll receive a 20×30 canvas print.
See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.
Copyright 2025 WLOX. All rights reserved.