Artwork of Marble Falls teen killed in flood leaves lasting impression
Malaya Hammond was a lifelong artist, according to the short biography included with her exhibit at the Marble Falls Public Library. She picked up the brush when she was 3 years old. The 17-year-old was killed July 5 after being swept away by floodwaters near a washed-out bridge. Photo from Harrell Funeral Home of Llano Facebook page
Malaya Hammond’s post-high school plans included traveling to Greece and other parts of Europe to paint and learn sculpture. Tragically, the 17-year-old Marble Falls resident was killed in the Fourth of July weekend flood, less than a year before she was to graduate from high school. Her family and art teacher are sharing her talent with the community, letting her memory live on through her paintings and drawings.
Malaya’s work is currently on display at the Marble Falls Public Library, 101 Main St. The library is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Amy Miller, Malaya’s art teacher at One Day Academy in Marble Falls, asked the teen’s family for permission to show her work, paying to have it framed and coordinating with the library to exhibit it.
“She created a portfolio in my class, so I knew that she had at least 10 really nice pieces,” Miller told DailyTrib.com. “Her work needs to be seen. She was one of the most talented students I had.”
Malaya’s art ranges from detailed sketches of roses and coffee berries to dreamy paintings of the natural world. Her family’s personal favorite is a watercolor of a small Scandinavian village by the sea.
Miller hopes to find other community venues for an exhibit after the library. Numinous Coffee Roasters, where Hammond worked, also might display her art. Email Miller at amymiller.oda@gmail.com to learn more about hosting an exhibit.
The teen left a lasting impact on her teacher, who remembers her as a thoughtful, creative student with an outsized impact on the classroom.
“There are just a few students that really taught me more than I taught them,” Miller said. “That is how I felt about Malaya. She was just an outside-of-the-box figure, and she changed the way I taught. I think the main thing about her was her humility. She would just rave about everybody else’s work rather than taking any compliments herself.”
Malaya was killed in the dark morning hours of July 5 when her family mistakenly drove into the raging waters of Cow Creek on RR 1431. Their vehicle plunged into the water at the site of a bridge that had been swept away by floodwaters earlier in the night. The normally calm creek had become a monstrous torrent during the flood, fueled by enormous amounts of rain falling farther north in Burnet County.
Multiple accounts of the incident state that Malaya helped open a door to the family’s vehicle, allowing them to reach safety, before she was swept away.