Vassar Haiti Project

As co-vice president of the Merchandise Committee, I have always seen the paintings in the setting of stretching, inventory, and art sales at Vassar. Yesterday was a great opportunity to experience the artwork in Haiti not only for me, but also for the trippers because this is where it all begins. VHP flourishes through the artwork and handicrafts that we sell, but there is so much more to just selling the paintings. We are able to bring a part of Haitian culture to campus and are able to share the artists’ work with the students of Vassar campus as well as the community members.

Students with George Desarmes and his paintings

Yesterday morning, we had the opportunity to meet with George Desarmes, one of the artists who we greatly admire. Being able to hear his story was truly a blessing. During the discussion, Desarmes told us that he’s inspired by “what’s around me,” from boys and girls playing in the street to sweeping Haitian landscape.

For the rest of the day, we visited three Haitian art galleries, each of which had a different flavor and feel. We were lucky enough to meet Haiti’s regional director of Heiffer international, who helped us learn about agronomy-related sustainability projects.

It was an action-packed and exciting day. Today we’re off to Gros Morne. It’s a 4 hour drive! It bears mentioning that we’re all getting to know each other very well :)

Stay tuned for more updates later on in the trip!

– Lorraine Kwok ’15