ma galerie d'art haïtien

This round in Haiti I've let myself indulge a little more in the country's amazing visual art scene. I've purchased several paintings by Haitian artists over the last 6 months. In previous years, I only bought art from street vendors or craft shops but recently I've had the chance to learn a bit more about the more established Haitian art scene from the lovely Haitian-Swiss-American family that owns the Gallerie Monnin in the suburb just outside of Port-au-Prince.

After being in and around Haiti for several years now, I have developed deeper convictions about the need to invest and showcase Haiti's incredible cultural resources - both the visual arts and music. They must be capitalized on if this country is going to develop the way of its neighboring tourism-driven economies. (The DR and other neighboring islands actually import Haitian art to sell in their own tourist markets).

My most recent art buying splurge (see pair of paintings on left) was also justified by more selfish motivations - a bit of self-entitlement and even a little self-pity related to the turning 30 in a few weeks. Self-entitlement is a dangerous thing at any time but especially for a graduate student living on a relatively limited stipend....who happens to have a taste for slightly expensive art. I've told myself that I can only purchase one more piece before I go - and only if my bank balance around the time of my departure really allows it. I'm afraid this resolution for restraint in art acquisition might go the sorry way of many of my other resolutions, New Years and otherwise.... but at least there might be some nice art to show for it this time around.