Special art displays commemorate Tropical Storm Irene

SHELBURNE FALLS, Mass. (WWLP) - One year ago today, Franklin County was beginning to deal with the wrath of Tropical Storm Irene.

The Art Garden wanted to commemorate the day with art displays along the Deerfield River. It's a project that's been in the works for 8 months. They wanted people share their memories of the storm.

Kate Stevens says it’s all part of our healing process.

One year ago this is what Franklin County looked like when Tropical Storm Irene passed through.

The Deerfield River rose nearly 20 feet in Shelburne Falls.

The Art Garden wanted to remember this day by sharing more than 75 stories and poems in bottles, jars and jugs from the people who were impacted the most.

Kate Stevens wanted to share her experience on the bottle she wrote on.

“It just isn't an event for one day it has destroyed rivers and its banks for generations. The small brook we live on is completely different there are no deeps places in it anymore,” said Stevens of Charlemont.

The project is called "The River Within Us: Stories Inspired by the Waters Around Us." There are six different locations along the Deerfield River.

The Director Jane Wegscheider of the Art Garden told 22News so many people lost so much during the flood and holding all of that. “What we do can be integrated into our community and how we can integrate community through art making,” said Wegscheider.

“For me it was a way to give voice to our grief and the change relationship to the river and also a voice to the resilience,” said Phyllis Labanowski of Conway.

Shelburne and Buckland were two of the towns hardest hit by Tropical Storm Irene. Some say the community is what brought them back to normal.

David Reading of Conway says voluntarily people is just rallying assisting as best they could not looking for any thanks or compensation just helping out.

The art displays will be left up until September 4th at sunset.