Just days after false allegations about Haitian immigrants eating cats in Ohio unexpectedly dominated the headlines in the presidential election, a new exhibit opened at the National Gallery of Art. The bright posters that appeared on D.C. bus stops felt like a timely, pointed rebuttal to the political discourse, though the exhibition had been in the works for over a year following a gift from a private collection.
Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti highlights liberty and resilience, often in the face of political and economic disaster. Rigaud Benoit's 1965 Marketplace captures Haiti's vibrant commercial life, while Lois Mailou Jones' The Green Door presents a vision of spontaneous order, where community work is accomplished through cooperation. These paintings, along with two dozen others, remind us there is more to Haiti—and Haitians everywhere—than the headlines.
The post Review: Liberty and Resilience in Haitian Art appeared first on Reason.com.
