EVENTS
What’s happening at WGZM?
What’s happening at WGZM?
Annual Katrina Remembrance Service
Katrina Reflections August 2025 Event:
Annual Katrina Remembrance Service
On the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the museum will host its annual Remembrance Service at 10am in the museum's Waveland Room. This year's event will honor our first responders. The highlight of the day will be the premiere of the new documentary, "On Call, Katrina's First Responders."
Please RSVP your attendance by leaving a message on the museum’s voicemail: 228-467-9012.
Author’s Panel and Reception
Katrina Reflections August 2025 Event:
Author’s Panel and Reception
WGZM, in conjunction with Studio Waveland, will host an Author’s Panel and Reception on Thursday, August 28, 2025 starting at 6:00 P.M at Studio Waveland (228 Coleman Avenue). Please RSVP.
“Children of the Storm” Panel
Katrina Reflections August 2025 Event:
“Children of the Storm” Panel
Please join us for the “Children of the Storm” panel featuring young adults who were pre-teens/teenagers during Katrina. This event takes place on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. in the WGZM’s Waveland Room. Please RSVP your attendance by leaving a message on the museum’s voicemail: 228-467-9012.
“To Ride A Storm Surge” Book Signing
Katrina Reflections August 2025 Event:
“To Ride A Storm Surge” Book Signing
In partnership with our library system, there is a book signing of “To Ride A Storm Surge”, a YA novel by author, Lisa Hatfield from 1-2pm in the Waveland library meeting room (345 Coleman Ave) on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Art + Coffee with the Artists
Katrina Reflections August 2025 Event:
Art + Coffee with the Artists
Join us at Studio Waveland + Gallery from 12pm to 4pm to mix, mingle, and sip coffee with local artists.
2024 Hurricane Preparedness Seminar
Through the assistance of our expert speakers, this yearly seminar highlights actions coast residents can take to be prepared and stay safe during the hurricane season. Along with informative insights from our attending experts, newly updated, free resources are always made available to museum visitors.
2023 Katrina Remembrance Service
Join us for our Annual Katrina Remembrance Service at the museum. This year we are so pleased to have Father Sebastian Myladiyil, SVD, join us for our service. Father Sebastian was the parish priest at a local church, St. Rose de Lima, during Hurricane Katrina. He will share his Katrina experiences along with stories from community members.
2023 Hurricane Preparedness Seminar
Through the assistance of our expert speakers, this yearly seminar highlights actions coast residents can take to be prepared and stay safe during the hurricane season. Along with informative insights from our attending experts, newly updated, free resources are always made available to museum visitors.
Fiber Fest 2022
In coordination with the WGZM-curated “Quilt Tales: Stories Through Fabric” temporary exhibit, The Arts, Hancock County hosted an outdoor FIBER FEST on Coleman Ave. that included demonstrations and sales of products in weaving, dyeing, screen printing, knitting, quilting, embroidery and other methods of creating unique art through fiber, fabric or yarn.
"Quilt Tales: Stories Through Fabric" temporary exhibit
This was WGZM’s third-ever temporary exhibit, on display from Oct. 7–Jan. 14. This special WGZM-curated exhibit brought together quilts, from residents all across Hancock County, to share their beauty, their amazing stories and their unique histories.
2022 Katrina Remembrance Service
The 2022 Katrina Remembrance Service was held on Monday, August 29th at WGZM. This annual service allows us to come together to remember, heal, and continue to strength community.
Cookies & Conversation
As part of our “Talkative Trees” temporary exhibit, we hosted special days at the museum where the exhibit’s creator, Lindsey Taylor Henriques, was present for meet and greets with visitors.
"Talkative Trees"
Our second 2022 temporary exhibit, “Talkative Trees” by Lindsey Taylor Henriques, ran from June 3-August 27. This exhibit explored the amazing role of trees as nature’s information capsules. Through written narrative, photography, and interactive exhibitory, guests had the opportunity to learn more about trees, how they are studied, and the importance of tree-related research.
2022 Hurricane Preparedness Seminar
On Monday, May 9th, WGZM hosted a "2022 Hurricane Preparedness Seminar" in our very own Waveland Room. This informative seminar highlighted actions that coast residents can take to stay safe during hurricane season. We were joined by several recognized professionals, such as Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and Hancock County, MS Emergency Operations Center. This now annual event is a chance to network with experts and learn how you can be more prepared for hurricane season!
"Secret Coast: Pascagoula to Pontchartrain"
“Secret Coast: Pascagoula to Pontchartrain” by J. Michael Dumoulin was the first in our series of temporary exhibits that came to Waveland’s Ground Zero Museum in 2022. This exhibit highlighted the relaxed culture and beach setting unique to Mississippi’s three coastal counties. This show featured 15 original illustrations and quotes from the book “Balanced on a Moment” by J. Michael Dumoulin.
Lecture Series for "Crossroads: Change in Rural America"
During the run of the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” at WGZM, we launched our “Crossroads” Lecture Series, starting on July 14, 2021 and continuing every Wednesday through August 11, 2021.
Our wonderful speakers included : CEO William Cotter, Owner of Creative Arts Center’s Steve Barney, Retired Education Administrator Art Clementin, and others.
You can find past lectures and resources made available through them on our Lectures & Resources page.
“Crossroads” Lectures:
Port and Harbor: an Asset to Hancock County
(Wednesday) July 14 at Studio WavelandCreative Economy
(Wednesday) July 21 at Lazy Magnolia Brewery, KilnAgriculture Changes
(Saturday) July 24 at the Waveland LibraryBlack History and Influence
(Wednesday) July 28 at the Pearlington LibraryLogtown to Infinity
(Wednesday) August 4 at the Bay St. Louis LibraryPopulation Data and Trends
(Wednesday) August 11 at Studio Waveland
“Crossroads: Change in Rural America”
The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, in cooperation with Mississippi Humanities Council, presents Crossroads: Change in Rural America. The exhibition examining the evolving landscape of rural America opened at Waveland’s Ground Zero Hurricane Museum on July 3, 2021 and stayed through August 14, 2021.
Waveland was expressly chosen by the Mississippi Humanities Council to host Crossroads as part of the Museum on Main Street program—a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The exhibition was part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. The exhibition toured 6 communities in Mississippi and Waveland was the only host site on the Coast.
Crossroads explored how rural American communities changed in the 20th century. “This national exhibit allowed us to reflect on Waveland and all of Hancock County’s history, present and future and we are excited to explore what the future may hold for our community,” said Bernie Cullen, Museum Board Chair and Project Director.
