Opening reception: January 23, 4-6 P.M.
Creating Dangerously presents six exceptional international artists: Vladimir Cybil Charlier, Sasha Huber, Pascale Monnin, Nyugen E. Smith, Edouard Duval-Carrie, and Didier William, whose work is inspired by Haiti’s long-tail legacy of slavery, revolution, exile, and diaspora. Their works – which engage a knowledge of Haiti that is both lived-in, representational, and conceptual – are set against a backdrop of “traditional” Haitian art sourced from Eastern’s own extensive collection, as well as loans from Trinity College, Pioneer Works (Brooklyn), and private collectors. Together, they constitute a lineage that communicates the energy, joy, and inspiration of Haiti’s world historical revolution.
Creating Dangerously borrows its title from the celebrated Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat’s essay, Create Dangerously: The Immigrant artist at Work, 2010, which examines the vital role of artists in the turbulent history of Haiti.
Artist Talk: Vladimir Cybil Charlier January 23, 3-4 P.M.
Charlier will speak about her work in relation to Haiti’s history of conflict, transformation, and cross-cultural exchange. She will address issues of survival, community, self-acceptance, environmental rights, and creative resourcefulness as central to the challenge of imagining a post-colonial trajectory for the Caribbean archipelago. Charlier is a Harlem-based, multidisciplinary artist, born in Queens to Haitian parents. She lived between the US and Haiti during her childhood – an experience that left an indelible legacy that inspires her current work.
March 4, Marie-Celie Agnant, lecture. University Hour, University Theater
Marie-Celie Agnant is a celebrated Montreal-based Haitian writer. Her two novels, La dot de Sara (1995) and Le livre d'Emma (2001) highlight the issues of the immigrant experience: exile, alienation, bicultural identities, hybridity, and migrant memory. Agnant’s visit to Eastern will be co-sponsored by the Department of World Languages and Cultures, with Michèle Bacholle, Professor of French Studies.
Additional programs during Creating Dangerously will be announced in early January.
The Happiness Curriculum: Art of the South Asian Diaspora presented six artists with roots in the Indian subcontinent. For each of them their art is a negotiation of their continuing connection to their culture of origin as influenced by their current lives in America. The subjects of exile, violence and exclusion are at the center of their practice, coinciding with the deep, post-election disillusionment regarding India’s democratic future. These artists help us understand the harsh impact of exclusionary national policies and media manipulations. Their installations, video, and paintings communicate the power of art to transcend national boundaries.
Yulia Tikhonova, Director
Fine Arts Instructional Center, Room 112
Office: Fine Arts Instructional Center, Room 111
Eastern Connecticut State University
83 Windham Street
Willimantic, CT 06226
Gallery (860) 465-4659
Office (860) 465-4647
Eastern Connecticut State University’s permanent art collection serves primarily as a teaching and research tool for students and faculty. The collection focuses on contemporary art produced by artists with a connection to New England.
Tuesday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday 1-7 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 2-5 p.m.
