The Waterloo Center for the Arts, located along the Cedar River in Waterloo, Iowa, features the largest public collection of Haitian art in the U.S. Grinnell College Libraries and the Waterloo Center for the Arts were recently awarded a major National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant for the planning of a digital database and online portal for Haitian art. This two-prong project – the planning of a database for the Waterloo collection and the creation of the Haitian Arts Collaborative interface – aims to redefine the field of Haitian art. Accurate information available on Haitian art and artists is largely lacking and scattered, despite a growing number of international exhibitions and publications devoted to the subject. Haitian art exists at the nexus of the Americas, showing traditions of modernism and vernacular or popular styles prevalent throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. This endeavor will inform multiple art historical, museological and scholarly endeavors, shaping a prominent field where there is a notable lack of coordinated resources. View the Haitian Art Digital Crossroads website for more information.
Over the course of the Fall 2023 semester, I will:
Update the ARC-GIS map listing of the number of Haitian art pieces in permanent collections across public museums across the United States and surrounding territories.
Assist Dr. Moïse in creating a Lib Guide of Haitian art and culture in relations to the HADC project.