Haiti's vibrant palette
Jules
By THERESA HOGUE
The Entertainer
When Michael Schapiro arrived in Haiti for the first time during a Peace
Corps assignment, the first thing he noticed were the vibrant paintings
hanging in his hotel.
"(The art) is very representative of their life," Schapiro said. "It's close
knit, colorful, fluid, expressive."
Haitian art is mainly painted to be sold, especially to tourists, but it
comes from a long tradition of African artwork, especially art from Benin,
where many of the ancestors of current Haitians lived before being brought
to the Americas. To Schapiro, the work he saw was powerful and exciting, and
he knew that art buyers back in the United States would feel the same way.
At the time, Haiti was particularly dangerous, and tourists were staying
away because of reported kidnappings. Schapiro said artists are suffering
without the tourist trade.
"It's just overflowing with talent," he said, "and not too many people are
tapping into it. There's a downtime, and no one's buying."
Schapiro spent two years working in rural parts of Haiti for the Peace
Corps, but knew his connection wouldn't end there. In fact, he believes he'll
be working in Haiti for a lifetime. Eighty percent of the population in
Haiti is unemployed, and only 60 percent of children attend school.
"The people need our help immensely," Schapiro said. While they're in the
Americas, Haitians feel that they are largely considered outsiders. Schapiro
said he feels a personal responsibility to help the people he's met in
Haiti, and has co-created a nonprofit organization called the Haitian
Sustainable Development Foundation, which focuses on educational
development, building libraries in small communities and raising money to
send local children to school.
To support art as well as education, Schapiro makes connection with local
artists and art dealers, purchases local artwork and brings it to the
states, where he sells it to collectors. Some of the profits he turns back
into the sustainable development foundation.
When he's not working in Haiti, Schapiro lives in Eugene, and shares his
work around the area. A collection of oil paintings, entitled The Kreyol
Collective, is currently on display at Sam's Station in Corvallis. The
collection features paintings from Haiti and the nearby Dominican Republic,
where Haitians often immigrate to find work. Schapiro, who is also a
musician, has been traveling to the Dominican Republic to learn about their
musical history, and their connections with Haiti.
"I have a personal relationship with the people of Haiti, their language,
their religion and their music," Schapiro said.
For more information, go to www.sustainablehaiti.org.
kafou...@yahoo.com
wrote:
<snip>:
>"It's just overflowing with talent," he said, "and not too many people are
>tapping into it. There's a downtime, and no one's buying."
This is so true. Our human capital is a well - awaiting discovery.
K.
Gwo Mango
Re-discovery even...the issue of art is a big one that entails all
things Haitian, including history, economy, society, international
trade practices...exploitation. It's another untapped source of pride
and revenue for Haiti...I hope the tides finally change.
m. "did I say lespwa?" ;-)
kafou...@yahoo.com
wrote:
How about music? Have you noticed that almost everyone is a musician
of sort?
>m. "did I say lespwa?" ;-)
Yeah. You maybe right.
K.