The works by Bates included in “The Storm” are the artist’s personal response to the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. The paintings in this series consist of small and large oil paintings on canvas, as well as watercolor and charcoal works on paper. Many of the paintings consist solely of human faces, stripped down to powerful expressions of grief, sadness, anger and frustration over their jobs, their homes, and especially their city. With such profound emotion, Bates brings to life the emotional toll on the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Robin’s Gardenias I & II are two exceptional oil paintings that are the result of a New Orleans family close to the artist thoughtfully bringing gardenias to Bates’ 2006 exhibition at the Arthur Roger Gallery, originally scheduled for the fall of 2005 but delayed due to the ravages of Katrina. Concurrently with this exhibition, his riveting epic triptych, The Storm, is on view at the Arthur Roger Gallery Project in the Renaissance Arts Hotel as part of the “Katrina: Catastrophe and Catharsis” exhibition.