La Vie Quotidienne showcased 29 paintings and 2 sculptures by 23 artists from Haiti, donated or on loan to George Mason University by David A. Kravitz, a retired professor in the School of Business. Kravitz is the son of the late Boris Kravitz, who assembled the collection, and founded the Haitian Art Company in Key West, Florida, which he ran from 1980 until 2009. The gallery acquired and sold a variety of original Haitian art, including paintings, sculptures, and spirit flags used during Vodou ceremonies. Made by a range of international renowned, nationally respected, and virtually unknown artists from Haiti, the paintings in the exhibition showcase a rich array of talent. The exhibition, led by Michele Greet, both celebrated and contextualized late twentieth-century Haitian painting. In the curating class, students researched Haitian history and religion, the history of art making and scholarship in Haiti, and the impact of the tourist market on artistic production in the region. Their texts on these topics complemented the display of paintings in the gallery and were included in a short catalog of the exhibition. Students also gave gallery talks to introduce visitors to the works and the themes of the exhibition.
April 01, 2023