“Most people haven’t gone to Haiti. Once you’re there, your heart gets caught and you can’t let it go. But if you haven’t gone, how are you touched?”
Catherine Savell, French professor and founder/president of Rendez-Vous Haiti, posed this question after reflecting on her own connections to Haiti. She visited the country to help its communities rebuild after a massive earthquake hit in 2010 and damaged much of the nation, and she was greatly impacted by what she saw.
“I went in June of that year to Haiti right after the earthquake…I was so struck by all of the need there that I came back and I said, ‘We need to do something,’” Savell said.
She took a leave of absence and spent six months in Haiti after this visit. This is how she felt touched by the country. For someone who has not had the ability to go to Haiti, attending the National Gallery of Art’s exhibit of Haitian art is a great way to feel in touch with the country.
As a part of a Rendez-Vous Haiti off-campus event to get Loyola students exposed to Haitian culture, Professors Savell and Kerry Boeye led students through a tour of the exhibit, which is entitled “Spirit and Strength: Modern Art from Haiti.”
Rendez-Vous Haiti is a sustainability initiative sponsored by Loyola that is aimed at empowering Haitians to improve and sustain their community. The initiative was founded by Savell in the wake of the 2010 earthquake.
“Rendez-Vous Haiti is a meeting of wills to help others. It’s pulling on the strength at Loyola, all the gifts that people have, and then [seeing], ‘How do we make that benefit Haiti?’” Savell said.
Savell saw first-hand how much Haitian communities struggled to rebuild, and was touched by this experience. Many people in the Loyola community and beyond have helped support the initiative by donating money, hosting fundraisers, and even traveling to Haiti to help build an orphanage for destitute children.
“We haven’t been the sole contributors. It gave confidence to other organizations to see that we were involved, and it gave credibility to the project,” Savell said.
Co-president of Rendez-Vous Haiti and organizer of the trip, Renee Jones ‘25, spoke about how essential it is for Loyola to have a space for Haitian students to congregate and self-express. She finds Rendez-Vous Haiti to be a vital campus group for Haitian students and others who are interested in the culture.
“For Loyola to express inclusivity, I think it is important for them to have outlets for Haitian people to express themselves. I feel like sponsoring this event to go see a…museum that showcases different Haitian art and allows them to connect to their culture is a good way for Loyola to allow them to represent themselves,” Jones said.
Haiti has recently endured years of gang violence, natural disasters, and political and economic instability. The AP News section on Haiti details the violence, corruption, and poverty that is currently striking the country nearly every day.
Despite the nation’s difficulties, the modern art showcased at the museum does not just reflect the terror of these conflicts, but also the inspiration and hope of the modern artists. The range of art in the exhibit demonstrates the unique spirit and enduring strength of Haiti. At the heart of Haitian art is the country’s deep sense of hope, spirituality, and creativity. The exhibit explains that Vodou magic and spirituality are very prevalent in Haitian culture, and these cultural elements permeate their artistry.
Jones commented on how she saw the trip and exhibit as important exposure for the positive side of Haiti in light of the country’s recent difficulties.
“It allowed people to see the beautiful nature of Haiti, and not just what it’s going through right now, because it is going through a lot right now…but that’s just one side of Haiti. The other side of Haiti is beautiful, and there’s so much that comes out of it,” Jones said.
Savell was encouraged by seeing Loyola students travel to the museum to see the art exhibit. She hopes that students will continue to be curious about what is going on in Haiti and will perhaps feel moved to help the cause in a way only they uniquely can.
“It was encouraging to see young people intrigued enough to spend their Saturday going down there. To me that represents hope. That curiosity to me is a good side of humanity,” Savell said.
The exhibit will be open for a limited time, until March 9, 2025. It is on view in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. This Rendez-Vous Haiti trip was advertised on The Bridge before it departed, so stay tuned for more upcoming events by the initiative.
