'Reimagining Haiti' to Open as Part of DownStreet Art
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Starting Thursday, July 29, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ Berkshire Cultural Resource Center will present the second in a series of exhibits at Gallerie Haiti, “Reimagining Haiti.”Gallerie Haiti is a Downstreet Art gallery featuring contemporary Haitian and Haitian American Artworks. “Reimagining Haiti” will begin with an opening reception on Thursday, July 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
“Reimagining Haiti” is comprised of four artists: Rejin Leys, Robert Henriquez, Vladimir Cybil Charlier and Andre Juste. These artists focus on the role of theology, iconography, symbology and ways that artists use these motifs and “ologies” to communicate their ideas about identity, politics and nationalism.
The styles of these artists differ greatly, but the concepts come from a similar symbolic source.
Henriquez uses vibrant colors to juxtapose words and images from contemporary society and Haitian Laos or gods in Creole.
Charlier takes mainstream cartoons and superimposes them onto line and watercolor compositions. She sews the characters from sequins and beads, creating a piece that is no longer two dimensional. Her work with her husband and collaborate Andre Juste takes a different approach. They paint landscapes on woven strips of paper made to look like toilet paper or paper towel rolls, as if to say we are wiping clean of environmental and political trash that surrounds us. The images differ from piece to piece. One will look like a wasteland and another is the tree of life, covered in trash – an exchange of environmental and political views.
Leys creates drawings that take the concept “what came first, the chicken or the egg” to a whole new level.
In many ways, all of the artists in this show look at the push/pull and the divides between classes, culture and politics that is prevalent, especially in Haiti, but in other parts of the world as well, including the United States.
According to Melanie Mowinski, the gallery’s curator and a professor of visual art at MCLA, “Gallerie Haiti features contemporary Haitian and Haitian-American art. It strives to raise awareness about Haitian culture that goes beyond the stereotypic tourist depictions and to encourage dialogue about current issues in Haiti inspired by the artworks exhibited. Thirty percent of all sales will go directly to Haitian relief efforts.”
“Reimagining Haiti,” runs through the beginning of September. Gallerie Haiti is at 49 Main St. and is open Wednesday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 413-664-8718, or go to www.mcla.edu/galleriehaiti. The exhibition is part of DownStreet Art, a city-wide celebration of the arts and culture of North Adams. For more information, go to www.downstreetart.org.
