Haitian
Art Hopkins
Links
Internet
searches for Haitian art can produce results in the tens of thousands. Individual pages from various gallery websites
account for many of those citations; but the number of discrete sites is
impressive, even if most of them mention Haitian art only in passing.
The following are some of the
best of the many Haitian art websites that I have
looked into. (An asterisk {Q} indicates that I've bought at least one work from a gallery and that I recommend it to others interested in
Haitian art. A florette {_}
identifies an especially recommended gallery.)
ArtCaribe: see
Multivisions.com/ArtCaribe (below).
www.arthaiti.com
*Greenport, New York. While the site
displays relatively few paintings, I know that the gallery's collection is
substantial. It is
owned by Fred Lambrou, sometime publisher of Haitian Art News, a now defunct
and lamented newsletter. The gallery's prices are reasonable.
_www.artmediahaiti.com
QPetionville, Ha�ti. This on�line service of Galerie Metisse offers a large number of paintings as well as
books and other items � and links to many other sites on Haiti and Haitian art.
The artists of 'Galerie Metisse at Art Media Haiti' range from well�known masters
to
talented newcomers. Prices are excellent and include shipping (which is quite
prompt). The gallery was established in 1989 by Lori Manuel Steed, daughter of
an accomplished Haitian artist; she was joined some years later by Birgit Coles,
an American who appears to manage the website.
_www.artshaitian.com
QPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Macondo
Gallery has a huge collection representing nearly the whole spectrum of Haitian art. The owner, Bill Bollendorf,
is a great lover of Ha�ti and its art and his prices are fair. Macondo's website is first�class and easily navigated. Some of my photos of artists come from Macondo's
website, as do my 'Back' and 'Next' symbols
and �notably � a haunting picture of Stivenson
Magliore.
www.carrieart.com
Petionville, Ha�ti.
New to me in mid�2002, this
gallery � owned by Dominique Carrie � has a fairly large collection at reasonable
prices. Included are many or most of today's leading sophisticates and a small
number of na�fs.
_www.caribcreations.com
QMiami, Florida.
UNAVAILABLE as of mid�2006. World Art Galleries is dedicated to promoting the work of struggling artists; it
offers mostly pieces by little�known artists at low prices. Its owner, Sarosh Jacob, also helps those artists directly by
providing them with art supplies. The site, redesigned in August 2002, is
especially attractive and easily navigated.
www.douglasyaney.com
Central Florida. A relatively small number of Haitian paintings, most by
well�known artists, are exhibited on this gallery's website. (It also features
African art.) Prices range from somewhat to exceedingly high: in early 2006, for
example, the gallery was asking $5,500 for each of
two 12x16" paintings by G�rard Valcin.
_www.egallery.com
QCrownsville, Maryland. The Electric
Gallery offers a nice selection of mostly high�quality pieces at prices
that are fair. Its owner, Robert Beckham, is very helpful. The gallery is not confined to Ha�tian
art. Some of my photos of artists come from the Electric Gallery's
website.
www.edwahgallery.com
Austin, Texas. An on�line gallery devoted to the work of Edouard Wah, brother of
the late and better known Bernard Wah. Sons of a Haitian mother and Chinese
father, the two paint in similar styles, often surrealistic, always highly
accomplished. They studied and worked with some of the great names in Haitian
art, including Dieudonne C�dor,
Luckner Lazard,
N�hemy Jean, and
Petion Savain. Edouard settled in the United States in 1971 and in Austin 13
years later.
_www.espaceloas.com/Index_Ang.html
Nice, France. 'Espace "LOAS" � was opened in November 1998 by Patrice and Sylvie
Dilly under the patronage of Mme Devroye Stilz, Curator of the Mus�e
International d'Art Na�f Anatole Jakowsky in Nice. This Haitian Art Centre
permanently features varied facets of Haitian art: paintings, sculptures, metal
art � flags, etc.' The gallery has a good�sized collection, with some
exceptionally nice pieces.
_www.fhash.org
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
UNAVAILABLE as of mid�2006.
In the first part of 2002, this site offered a nice
selection of paintings � especially by Pierre�Joseph Valcin � as well as metal
sculptures, sequined flags, books on Ha�ti, and other items. The site is maintained for the benefit of the H�pital Albert Schweitzer Ha�ti, established in the Artibonite
half�a�century ago by Dr William Lariner ('Larry') Mellon, Jr, and his wife,
Gwen Grant Mellon, who served as a nurse and administrator in the medical
center. Together they established and managed one of the great humanitarian
ventures of the 20th century. 'Friends of H�pital Albert Schweitzer Ha�ti' (FHASH),
which has a branch in Pittsburgh,
also holds an annual art exhibit and sale in Milwaukee.
www.franciscus.com/special_paintings.asp
San Juan, Puerto Rico. Hundreds of paintings are listed on this site, all
from the collection of James Allen Franiscus (see Reading). Most prices are
reasonable. The site has offered � and
still may � an
interesting work by Hector Hyppolite at a price far below what one would expect
to pay anywhere else.
www.galerie-antoinettejean.com
Paris. Ms Jean also has � or had � a gallery in Petionville. Her
French gallery offers top�quality pieces. Prices are mostly not indicated;
those that are given tend to be quite high.
Qwww.galeriedartnader.com
Coral Gables, Florida, and
Port-au-Prince. Georges Nader is a tireless promoter, more of sales than
of art. His downtown Port-au-Prince gallery � which cannot have been doing
much business the past 15 or so years � moved twice during the nearly two
decades I was a frequent visitor to Ha�ti. (In the mid�1970s he briefly had a gallery on
Manhattan's East Side; he's also had, and may still, an outlet in the
Dominican Republic.) On this website he, or his son, boasts of having 25,000
Haitian paintings. I believe him. He certainly has the largest collection of
recognized masters, from Hector Hippolyte and Philom�
Obin to Rigaud
Benoit and J�E Gourgue.
Nader's prices are generally half again to twice as much as one would expect to
pay for comparable works at other galleries: in early 2006, Nader was asking
$2,000 and Haitian Art Company just $600, for similar, 24x24 paintings by
Lafortune
Felix. (Due to a couple of unpleasant experiences, I have avoided Nader's
galleries for nearly two decades. Others have no doubt fared better.)
Galerie Metisse: see
ArtMediaHaiti (above).
_www.galleryofwestindianart.com
QMontego Bay, Jamaica. It
offers good to high�quality pieces at prices that are often significantly less
than what American galleries
charge for comparable works. Its website is very easily navigated � with good links to new acquisitions � and its
owners, Nicky and Stefan, are especially gracious and helpful.
www.groveart.com. This subscription site
provides access to an on�line version of The Grove Dictionary of Art
(N.Y.: Macmillan, 2000). Among the 'dictionary's' 45,000 entries are short biographies of eleven Haitian artists: Castera
Bazile, Rigaud
Benoit, Wilson Bigaud, Pr�f�te Duffaut,
Hector Hyppolite, Antonio Joseph, Jasmin
Joseph, Philom� Obin, Salnave
Philippe�Auguste, Andr� Pierre, and G�rard Valcin.
(Grove's list excludes some of the very greatest and includes at least a
couple of not�so�great.) Selections from biographies may be visited � for free � at
www.artnet.com/library/biosgrove.asp.
www.haitianart.com
Delray Beach, Florida. The gallery's medium�sized collection ranges
from good pieces to ('estate sale') masterpieces. Its prices are premium.
_www.haitian-art-co.com
QKey West, Florida. The Haitian Art Company has an
enormous
collection. That means, among other things, it has a lot of kitsch. But HAC also offers many fine works and a
few masterpieces � and
its prices are generally, though not uniformly, better than those of other on�line galleries. HAC's
annual 'sales,' with 10 to 50 percent discounts, offer bargains. The gallery's
staff are helpful and friendly. (When I worked in
South Florida, in the early 1980s, I visited HAC several times. I liked it then in
real space and I like it today in virtual space.) HAC's website is basic, with
few internal links and none directly to new works. The site does not offer
enlargments; but if your browser has a 'zoom in'
feature, the blow�ups remain high�quality. Some of my photos of artists come
from the Haitian Art Company's website.
www.haiticentral.com
Location unknown. A comprehensive listing of sites relating to Ha�ti,
with links to art galleries, collections, news reports, and others.
www.haitiglobalvillage.com
Port�au�Prince, Ha�ti.
UNAVAILABLE as of mid�2006. A comprehensive site with links to several on�line
galleries as well as many other sites � cultural, commercial, government, and
tourist.
www.haitianpainting.com
Summit, New Jersey. This virtual gallery offers a large number of works �
mostly by established artists, including several acknowledged masters. The
gallery provides a wealth of biographical information about the artists it
features � as well as Ha�ti and Haitian art in general � and detailed
commentary on each work. Prices are on the high side, but reasonable. The site is
attractive and
easily navigated.
www.haitianspirit.com
Philadelphia. The Indigo Arts Gallery offers high�quality Haitian
works as well as folk art from elsewhere in the Caribbean, Latin America,
Africa, Asia. Also at www.indigoarts.com.
www.hopeforhaiti.net
Location unknown.
UNAVAILABLE as of mid�2006.
A Methodist church�sponsored site that, like 'windowsonhaiti'
(see below) promotes programs to help the Haitian people.
www.indigoarts.com/gallery_haiti_main.html
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 'Haitian room' is one of several
maintained by this gallery, with folk art from several countries. Its
Haitian collection includes works that range from masterpieces to kitsch.
www.interiorsfineart.com/haitiancollection.asp
Boca Raton, Florida. Another big collection � nearly 150
Haitian painters, many front�rank � mostly from the last two decades. The
gallery also features sculptures, objets d'art, and 'coffee table [art] books.'
Prices tend to be high, though not unreasonable.
www.josephcantave.net/home.html
Haverhill, Massachusetts. Joseph Cantave is an outstanding artist now
living and working in Massachusetts. He sells directly from his on�line gallery; the Medalia Gallery (cf infra)
also promotes his
work.
Macando: see www.artshaitian (above).
http://www.martellyart.net
Port�au�Prince. Its website says this
gallery was established in 1995. Whether it's an on�line gallery only, or has a
physical lcoation is unclear. Telephone numbers both in Port�au�Prince and Miami
are listed. In any event, it offers a large selection of paintings � by newcomers
as well as recognized masters � at reasonable prices.
_www.medalia.net
QEast Setauket, New York. The Medalia Gallery has an
enormous collection, one that includes several acclaimed masterpieces. Its prices are fair and its
frequent 'specials' are good buys. The owner, Warren Kahn, is helpful and a great lover of Haitian art
� and his site includes a short but valuable history and other information about
Haitian art. Some of my photos of artists come from Medalia's website.
www.morissetgallery.com
Brooklyn, New York.
UNAVAILABLE
as of mid�2006.
A gallery with a good�sized collection � at more than
premium prices.
www.multivisions.com/ArtCaribe
Boca Raton, Florida.
UNAVAILABLE as of mid�2006.
The works of a dozen painters are offered on this
site. All are well known; several are masters; and some � Jacques Gabriel and
Carlo Jean�Jacques, for example � rarely appear on the market. More surprising
than the availability of these artists' work is the number of paintings by most
of them: 31 (!) by Gabriel and 18 by Jean�Jacques as well as 12 by
J�E Gourgue�. Many of the paintings are
among the larger or largest the artists ever did, making a fair comparison of prices
difficult. Still, my sense is that this gallery's prices are generally double � and
that a few are five or more times � what I'd expect to pay elsewhere.
(There is also an ArtCaribe, with its own website, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Since it offers no Haitian works, the two may not be connected.)
_www.paintingbazar.com/artists.html
QMontr�al, Qu�bec.
UNAVAILABLE as of mid�2006. The 'gallery' � a private collection up
for sale � is no longer on-line. It featured works by about two dozen
painters, all well�known, several of them among the greatest � e.g., Rigaud Benoit, Wilson Bigaud,
J�E Gourgue, Wesner LaForest, Philom�
and S�n�que Obin, and Micius St�phane.
The site was maintained by a couple who'd bought a house that came with the
paintings; the previous owners had apparently inherited the place from a Haitian
art lover, but the heirs had no interest in the works (and no idea of their
value). I obtained several outstanding works from the couple, with the assistance
of the owner of Galerie Soleil � www.galeriesoleil.com
� a Montr�al gallery that acted as a broker for the owner of Painting Bazar and that
itself handles some Haitian artists.
www.port-haiti.com
Port�au�Prince.
UNAVAILABLE as of mid�2006.
A comprehensive Ha�ti site: links to art galleries,
tourist sites and tour agencies, and much more.
www.provo.net/bamboo
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, British West Indies.
At latest review, the 'Bamboo Gallery' had only a handful of Haitian artists. In
the past it has had many � and may again.
www.savannah.ai
Anguilla, British West Indies. The gallery has a small selection of
mostly high�quality works � at high prices � as well as pieces from elsewhere in the Caribbean.
www.the lady from Haiti.com
Naples, FL. A relatively small collection of paintings by lesser known artists
priced to sell. Also papier mach�,
steel drum art, and other items.
_www.trocadero.com/jznica
New York City. Jos�
Zelaya's gallery features paintings from Ha�ti, Mexico, and Nicaragua �
outstanding works at premium prices � as well as various other fine and folk art
items. Among his Haitians are pieces acquired from the famed Kurt Bachmann and other
noted collections.
www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/haiti.html
St Louis, Missouri.
A stupendous site � page after page devoted to everything from Haitian art and
life to critiques of books about the country and its people. I assume it
is part of a scholarly project. It is a great
resource.
www.westindiesbooks.com/Index.aspx
Unknown. Patrick
Jamieson's site appears to offer books for sale and to list Haitian paintings
(not for sale) in his nice collection.
www.windowsonhaiti.com
San Francisco. A comprehensive site that gives as its goal correcting
misimpressions about Ha�ti. At /~haitiart.htm the site offers images of works by
over 60 artists. Like 'hopeforhaiti' (see above), it encourages viewers to do
what they can to help the Haitian people.
Yaney:
see www.douglasyaney (above).
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