Community, beauty and hope are three unexpected things that local artists discovered in Tuscaloosa in the wake of April 27, 2011 tornado. Salvaged wood, collected from devastated sites in the city is now being featured as the base of artistic pieces exhibited at the Kentuck Arts Center. The exhibit, “It’s All Good- Hurricane Creek Reclaimed Wood Art” will be on display until Sept. 26.

All of the wood used was collected from Watson’s Bend at Hurricane Creek after the April 27, 2011 tornado. Watson’s Bend Campground along Hurricane Creek was decimated by the storm and the Friends of Hurricane Creek and the Hurricane Creekkeeper wanted to put the salvagable debris to good use so it didn’t end up in a local landfill.

The Creekkeeper started out selling the timber to local nonprofit organizations and individuals, but the staff at Hurricane Creek found the idea of an art exhibit to be a more comprehensive and community-based plan to use the wood.

An art teacher at Holy Spirit Catholic School, Tricia Schuster heard about the opportunity for her students to contribute to the exhibit through the Tuscaloosa Arts Council. Schuster spent all summer developing projects appropriate for her 3rd-12th grade students to complete.

“My own adult children and some of my Holy Spirit students were affected by the tornado,” Schuster said. “When I heard about the opportunity to take tornado debris and make something beautiful with the wood, I was inspired to get involved.”

The goal of the exhibit is to showcase how artists, students and residents have used this timber to draw hope and beauty out of disaster in the community.

The Hurricane Creek Creekstravaganza will be held on the last day of the exhibit, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m., in the Kentuck Courtyard. A panel of seven local artists were selected as judges of the art in the exhibit, and winners of the contest will be announced and awarded prizes at the Creekstravaganza.

Pieces being judged will be divided into two categories, Young Artists (16 and under) and Adult Artists.

Holy Spirit Catholic School chose the best 10 to 15 pieces from each grade level, contributing about 70 pieces total to the exhibit to be judged at the Creekstravaganza.

“The enthusiasm of the students was amazing as they learned new techniques and worked with a medium they have not had any experience with,” Schuster said. “I was delighted as I watched their problem solving skills kick in and they were able to look at wood in a new way.”

Hurricane Creek Board member Alina Coryell said there will be three prizes awarded in both the Young Artists and Adult Artists categories.

“Prizes will be awarded on the basis of the creative use of reclaimed wood and tornado memorial potential,” Coryell said.

Alabama Outdoors is the adopted parent for this project, and other local businesses have kept the event primarily local by donating an assortment of gifts.

“Alabama Outdoors distinguished itself by being the local outdoor store that values preservation and care for outdoor recreational areas,” Coryell said. “They have given far more than mere lip-service to our efforts.”

The exhibit is free for the public to view on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Tickets for the Creekstravaganza event can be purchased online at hurricane-creek.org/creekstravaganza.