Leading Haitian Art Historian to Curate Tribute Exhibit of Haitian Art at Caribbean Fine Art Fair – Barbados
BARBADOS – For the first time in the English speaking Caribbean over forty-five exhibitors of paintings, sculpture, photography, drawings and original limited edition prints, exploring the cultural traditions of the Caribbean will be on view at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center in Barbados, from March 31- April 3, 2011.
A special aspect of the inaugural CaFA Fair Barbados is a tribute to the Haitian art movement. The tribute will take the form of a special exhibit of Haitian art and a benefit concert on March 30, 2011, proceeds from which will benefit Haitian artists impacted by last year’s devastating earthquake.
One of Haiti’s greatest treasures is its pool of talented artists and the works they have created.
January 2010, saw a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the country, and while it lasted less than 20 seconds the impact was devastating. One of the causalities was Haiti’s culture. Thousands of paintings and sculptures housed in museums, galleries, homes of collectors, cathedrals and artist studios were destroyed or badly damaged. CaFA Fair Barbados is presenting this special exhibit to pay tribute to the rich visual art heritage of Haiti and to help it recover from the effects of the earthquake.
Axelle Liautaud, an art historian working in the preservation of Haitian culture for the past 40 years will curate the exhibition of works by contemporary Haitian artists at CaFA Fair Barbados 2011. Ms. Liautaud, who is a board member of the Centre d’Art, a 66 year non-profit gallery and school that provided the catalyst for the Haitian Art movement, has been instrumental in rescuing collections from the rubble and for their restoration. She has been feverishly working to arrange fundraising activities and in planning the reconstruction of the venerable Centre d’Art.
Among the works in the Haitian Art exhibit to be showcased at CaFA Fair is a selection of pieces by renowned Haitian sculptor Georges Liautaud, who is included in the collections of various museums around the world, as well as works of art by the most prominent contemporary sculptors like Lionel St-Eloi, Nasson, Guyodo and Serge Jolimeau. Old masters represented by the works of Wilson Bigaud, Andre Pierre, and Luce Turnier will also be present, as will works by the St-Soliel group including Dieuseul Paul, Denis Smith, contemporary works on canvas by Burton Chenet, Arijac and others.
Numerous artists have suffered death and destruction in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. However as they have done through so many other disasters, catastrophes and obstacles, Haiti’s artists have continued to create powerful works of art. CaFA Fair Barbados 2011 will provide an opportunity for the world to see a wide cross section of this work and create a venue in which collectors can acquire these works.
Caribbean Fine Art Fair will grace the halls of the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center in Barbados until April 3, 2011. CaFA Fair opens Thursday March 31st, 2011, with a Charity Gala to benefit Haitian artists affected by the January 2010 earthquake and representatives from FOSAJ, Fondation Sant D’A Jakmel will be in attendance. In addition to the impressive collection of Haitian art, works by internationally recognized contemporary artists such as Ras Akyem I Ramsay, Barbados; Leandro Soto, Cuba; Dudley Charles, Guyana; Michael Escoffery, Jamaica; Carlos Santiago, Puerto Rico; Christopher Cozier, Trinidad & Tobago; and many others from the English-speaking, Hispanic and Francophone Caribbean will be on view.
