Vassar Haiti Project

This Haitian Creole phrase means “we’re on fire!’ and is a common response to the greeting “sak pasé?” meaning “what’s up?” A week of sleepless nights, chaos, and frenzied preparations ended in a truly spectacular weekend filled with art, energy, and celebration. We’re on fire!

On Friday, we held an opening reception, and students shared their experiences on the March trip to Haiti. They had the room in tears. On Saturday, the room was constantly bustling, and we kept up our energy with rum punch, and Twisted Soul’s exquisite hors d’oeuvres. Bill Rinaldi, our auctioneer, pulled of an amazing performance, as he teased and jostled buyers to ratchet up the stakes. Our new friends from HaitiXchange stayed for the entire day, interviewing project members, filming the sale, and enjoying the art and company. You can see the video they made of the day here.

Around nine on Saturday night, as the last of us fought through our exhausted delirium to finish tallying and clean-up, we found energy in a spontaneous Abba dance party. After the doors closed on Sunday, many willing hands flocked in to tear-down the room in record time. The music was good and the spirits were up, especially when we heard that the weekend had raised over $55,000 for Haiti.

To all who stretched a painting, bought a painting, donated a dollar, brought a friend, or even just read this blog, we want to say thanks. We couldn’t do what we do without your energy, passion, and support.

>>A few thoughts on my very first VHP art sale (Annie Massa)

At the beginning of last week, the College Center MPR was a blank canvas.  By the time the Vassar Haiti Project’s parents weekend art sale and auction had ended, the space had become a full-fledged, brightly colored masterpiece.  Walking into it on Saturday, I was struck by the flurry of activity—people flitting from painting to painting, taking in the artwork, sampling the outrageous Twisted Soul hors d’oeuvres, making purchases, and speaking animatedly with friends and family.  It seemed like such a long time had passed since that first morning when we’d wheeled in a big green bin of paintings, looked around at the white walls of the MPR, rolled up our sleeves, and gotten to work.

Admiring the art and handicrafts covering every square inch of the room, I couldn’t help but think how refreshing it was to see Haiti’s vibrancy celebrated and on display.  It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of photographs and statistics speaking to Haiti’s desperation; the artwork sold by the VHP, though, shows a side of the country that most media coverage passes over.  In the playful, well-to-do fish of Andre Blaise, the Where’s Waldo-esque markets of Jean Claude Blanc and “The Tree of Life,” heavy with ripe fruit of every variety—just to name a few examples of the art selection— there is great humor and great spirit that reflects the enormous energy of the Haitian population.

Saturday’s art auction was a highlight of the weekend for me.  I had never been to an auction of any sort before, much less an art auction, much less a Haitian art auction.  Many of the paintings people bid on seemed like familiar friends to VHP members—after all, we had spent all week stretching their canvases, transporting them, and hanging them up.   For the bidders, though, everything was new; I loved watching their eyes widen as they looked at each piece for the first time.

For the duration of the VHP sale and auction, the MPR was full of life.  Every fruit, every jungle animal, every bustling marketplace scene and exotic flower was brimming with life and pure energy, as were the busy VHP members and visitors in attendance.  I’m glad that it was only my first experience with this annual event, and that I have three more sales to look forward to ahead of me.