Organized in concert with the exhibition“Light Within Ourselves: Haitian Art in Iowa,” on view at the Des Moines Art Center from April 18 – September 7, 2025, this gathering brings together curators, scholars, and teachers who explore the rich history of Haitian art and culture. It is a celebration of collaboration and exchange between the Waterloo Center for the Arts, Grinnell College, Drake University, and the Art Center. The symposium asks us to consider how Iowa is and can be a beacon for the preservation of Haiti’s cultural heritage.
Presentations will include insights into the exhibition and more about the holdings of Haitian art at the Waterloo Center for the Arts—the largest publicly held collection of Haitian Art in the United States, the role Haiti has placed in the discourse of Caribbean, Black, and Global art history, and more on sharing the richness of Haitian art and culture.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
1 pm: “The History of Haitian Art at the Waterloo Center for the Arts” presented by Chawne Paige, Executive Director, Waterloo Center for the Arts
2 pm: Break with light refreshments
2:30 pm: “Haitian Art from Prairie to World: Caribbean and Global Art Histories” presented by Fredo Rivera Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Art History, Grinnell College
3 pm: “The Kreyol in the Corn – the Formation of the Haitian Arts Digital Crossroads Digital Lakou” presented by Petrouchka Moïse Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Cultural & Community-based Digital Curator, Grinnell College Libraries
3:30 pm: “Haitians in the Heartland: Insights on Migration and Maternal Health” presented by Inbal Mazar Ph.D., Associate Professor of Spanish, Drake University
