The anniversary of ‘Terrible Tuesday,’ April 10, 1979 is just around the corner. But at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU. You can look back on that day for the next couple of months. They also hosted a panel discussion Thursday night that included Frank Gohlke, a photographer who’s art work is being displayed, as well as survivors of that day.
‘Terrible Tuesday’ changed the lives of thousands in the time span of just one evening, 37 years ago.
“I turned on the TV and I said ‘Oh my God, that’s my town. I’ve got to get down there,'” said Gohlke.
Gohlke’s photos of the day after the storm are on display at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU. But what makes this display unique are the pictures he took in the same locations nearly a year later.
“It’s all about peace, people going about their lives. You don’t have any clue, except for the shape of these trees that little over a year ago it looked like this.”
To Gohlke, some photos show the power of the tornado. But he said the real power was the strength of the people of Wichita Falls.
“It seemed, to me, to be a real testament to the power of community and an idea of what life out to look like. Then making it so. We like the way things were, so we’re going to make it back the same way.”
And that is something Gohlke hopes to share through his photos.
“I really haven’t stopped thinking about these since I made them. It’s really a central piece, of not only my work, but my life.”
According to museum director, Francine Carraro, many of the people who come to view the exhibit share that same feeling. And that sparked the panel discussion event Thursday night.
“Where Golhke’s photographs talk about the physical devastation of houses and business and streets,” said Carraro. “The human story needed to be told. And we thought that we would do that at the panel discussion and with the opportunity for people to tell their story.”
The exhibition will be on display until the end of May.
