Event
Member Gallery Talk
Date
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Time
5:30 pm
Event Details
Members at the Curator’s Circle ($550) and above are invited to an exclusive curator-led gallery talk and reception on the upcoming exhibition “Light Within Ourselves: Haitian Art in Iowa.” We will be joined by Associate Curator Beth Gollnick Ph.D, Chawne Paige, Executive Director of the Waterloo Center for the Arts, and Petrouchka Moïse Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Cultural & Community-based Digital Curator, Grinnell College Libraries.
This exhibition explores the vibrant diversity of Haitian artwork, featuring paintings, metalwork, sculpture, and drapos (beaded and sequined banners). Rooted in historical themes, it considers the influence of the African diaspora and the enduring impact of colonialism on the Haitian people. The exhibition maps spheres of influence between artists of different generations and explores imagery in which spiritual traditions intersect with everyday life. Thousands of miles from the island of Haiti, Iowa has become a beacon for the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage.
After the gallery talk, enjoy refreshments by The Tangerine Food Company.
Free; registration required by May 6. Space is limited.
Curator’s Circle+ members can RSVP by emailing Jess Lane, Gala and Development Events Coordinator at jlane@desmoinesartcenter.org
Questions? Contact Jess Lane, Gala and Development Events Coordinator at jlane@desmoinesartcenter.org. If your membership has lapsed, renew in person or online at https://desmoinesartcenter.org/support/membership/.
Frantz Zéphirin (Haitian, born 1968)
Le Dieu, La Vie, La Mort II (detail)
Oil on canvas. 30 x 24 inches
Courtesy of the Waterloo Center of the Arts