Goodrich-With the 50th anniversary of the Beecher tornado in mind, artist Dianne Kudza’s creation of hanging, shiny sheet metal symbolizes much more to her than just art.
‘I was inspired to do the piece because my husband Tom lived on York Avenue in Flint and witnessed the tornado whipping across a nearby field when he was 11,? said Kudza. She constructed multiple pieces of hanging sheet metal with rubble at the base symbolizing testimonials she researched from victims.
‘I hand engraved, letter by letter, the name of each victim on my installation piece. All together, it took about four weeks for me to fully complete it,? said Kudza.
Kudza attends Mott Community College and produced the piece for a 3-D design class. She hung it in the Beecher High School Field House on June 8, 2003 for the Survivor Reunion in memory of the tragic events that occurred on June 8, 1953. Events of the reunion included a wreath laying ceremony at the Beecher Memorial, a commemoration ceremony at Beecher High School, survivor reunion in Beecher High School Field House and an descriptive and somewhat horrifying exhibit of scrapbooks, photographs, a display of historic newspapers, informational booths and Kudza’s sculpture.
‘There were times that I had to stop working on it because it was so emotional to see how many families were affected and lost their loved ones. It brought me to tears more than once.?
The Beecher tornado is known as the deadliest and most destructive in recorded history for the United States and is Michigan’s worst natural disaster ever. On the same evening simultaneously, seven other tornadoes poured devastation across the eastern portion of the lower Peninsula. However, not one resulted in 116 people losing their lives as the Beecher tornado did.
The occasion was bittersweet for many. Person after person approached Kudza to tell their story about the tragic day that changed their lives forever. Many people were reunited with neighbors they had not seen in years and reminisced about family members who fell victim to the Beecher tornado.
The devastation to the small community was so great that the National Guard Armory building was turned into a temporary morgue. All 684 members of the Guard were called to duty, as well as hundreds of Michigan State Troopers and many members of the Red Cross. This was the second time since WWII that the National Guard was mobilized. The Red Cross handled 12,000 messages that day alone.
‘I’d say there were about 400-500 hundred people. We had two speakers who were actual survivors tell their story. It was quite compelling,? said Genesee County’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director, Grace Ranger. ‘It was somber, but very interesting. All they wanted was to tell their story.? Ranger was a small child when the tornado hit the area.
The city of Flint, and its surrounding neighbors, pulled together and started the ‘Red Feather? campaign to gather food, clothing and provide shelter for those who had been affected by the tornado. Shortly after, one of the nation’s largest community supported projects, ‘Builder Bees? was started. The ‘Builder Bees? was a group of volunteers who helped rebuild the community and many of the houses that were destroyed on June 8, 1953.
Kudza and 34 of her artist friends have a gallery called Art at the Market, which is near the Flint Farmers Market.