HADC - Waterloo Center for the Arts

As a partner of the HADC Project, the Waterloo Center for the Arts, located on the banks of the scenic Cedar River in downtown Waterloo, has the worlds’ largest public collection of Haitian Art in the world. The following selection displays a sample of paintings, metalworks, and drapos (flags) from their Haitian art collection.

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Five children dancing with joined hands, joyful expressions; lines incised on metal made up of dashes; three girls wear coats buttoned down; boys, to the lef and right of center girls, are shirtless

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Bird with plummage extending behind and above (peacock?); slice of metal removed from body of bird to show wing and plummage resembles flowering plants, lattice pattern.

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King Palm tree made of metal, bearing a couple of fruits on the tree. A bird is on the lower portion of the trunk. Mirrors hanging in the tree. Known primarily for his distinctive sculptural assemblages crafted from tin and other recycled meterials, St. Eloi is also an accomplished painter, architect, musician and flag maker. The royal palm is the national symbol of Haiti.

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A tall figure located in the center of the piece is standing on one foot. A smaller figure is standing in between the large figure's legs. Various birds are also depicted. Large and rectangular in size and shape. Bien-Aime is known for bending and twisting elements of his compositions to create dimension. The female figure presented here is surrounded by birds or spirits in bird form, symbols of magic and masculine energy.

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Standing figure with head looking back. Surrounded by a fruitful tree in which it is touching. Birds are also depicted. Medium and circular in size and shape. Eve. Images of Adam, Eve or jungle animals often make reference to “paradise” or the African homeland from which the African slaves were taken. The artist, Gabriel Bien-Aime, has relocated from Haiti and now resides in Boston.

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Flag. Decorative border with center rectangle depicting various symbols. In the center the letter S or a a money sign which is white and red in color. On the right side a cup and a candle are shown. The son of a houngan or Vodou priest, Telemaque created this flag which honors the spirit associated with vodou officiates. Telemaque is known for his unique and elaborate border treatments

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Flag. Blue satin border with rectangle in the center depicting a veve ogou. Gold center with various objects on the sides, stars, flags, etc. Knife? Mireille Delice apprenticed in the atelier of renowned flagmaker Myrlande Constant. Having also worked in a wedding dress factory, Delice was one of the early artists to begin introducing new materials and beading techniques into the art form

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Simple metal temple with designed roof. Fenced in on sides and back, with various figures inside. Two front figures are in profile, kneeling down towards a stick or sphere in the middle of the temple or ground. While most metal sculptors in Haiti have traditionally created works which are primarily two-dimensional in form, some artists have employed welding, riveting, bending and assemblage to create three-dimensional sculpture.

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Religious theme with center figure on a cross and two smaller ones to each side of the central figure, which are also on a cross. There stands a crowd of people beneath the three crucified figures.

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Flag. La Sirene, and her husband Agwe in the center with a sailboat in the background smaller mermaid in lower right corner. Framed in yellow cloth. 'AGO DE TAUIOYO' in red top off center right. Bottom center and to the left. 'Haiti' in yellow 'Simeon'

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Flag. Standing figure dressed in black with a top hat. He has a rooster in his right hand andi s surrounded by plant life. Black cloth frame/border. The word barron is in lower left in red beads. Simeon fashioned this flag after a painting by renowned Haitian painter Andre Pierre. The subject, Baron LaCroix, is the loa of the graveyard. Not all gloom and doom, this spirit protects children from untimely death and connects one to the ancestors

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Flag / Banner. Herzulie / Erzulie The flag has red ribbon (satin border) around it, a multi-color half square triangle sequin border and in the center is a picture of St. Mary. The picture is covered in plastic and sequins are sewn around it. Other number: 128 Haitian flag makers will sometimes sew chromo-lithographic prints of the Catholic saints into their works. Each saint corresponds to a different loa or spirit. Freda is a somewhat tragic figure who longs for romantic love and fine things—hence her association with the bejeweled Our Lady of Sorrows.

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Two mermaids face each other, metalic, circle. The mermaids hands touch at the center of the piece.

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Flag. (La Sirene) a Mermaid with short black hair nude from the waist up holding her left breast with her right hand. She has a pink and black tail, and a blue torso. Other number: 121 Lalanne is known for his “high fashion” depictions of La Sirene with heavy make-up, dramatic jewelry, distinctive hairstyles and manicured nails. Diamond borders, fields of multi-colored sequins and an overlay of bugle beads are also typical of his work.

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St. Sebastian flag (Grans bois) a man tied to a tree he appears to have a halo around his head, he is naked except for a pink cloth around his loins, there is a gold face with a pink hood on the left and a burning candle on the right. Other number: 125 Notes: 'Indigo 151 N3rd St. Phila, PA 19160 215 922-4041' '650 'Saint Sebastian' Vodou Flag by Simeon Haiti Sold Janet' While a devout Catholic and not a practicing vodouist (the two are not mutually exclusive), Valris commonly incorporates vodou images into his flags. Gran Bois, the Haitian loa of nature, trees, leaves and the forest is represented by the martyred St. Sebastian

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Homage to 9/11. An American flag torn and glued on canvas. In the center is a mermaid holding an American flag and blowing a trumpet. There is a winged spirit holding a cross and a sword above the water. '0682852' below the signature. In front of her you

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Flag banner. Heavily beaded. Woman in blue robe holds child in red robe. Erzulie Mapiangue. Erzulie Danthor is the mother/protector of the Vodou pantheon. She can be very fierce when required. Not only does she watch over children, she is considered to be the mother of the Haitian people, having fought by their side in the struggle for independence.

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Flag. Beaded banner has green and black zig zag border, a girl with flared skirt and black ponytail holding a large black bird above her head. There is also a big pink heart with gold spikes.

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3 animals, bird, dog or horse, with hair raised in back. Largest animal has a mane and fluffy tail. Possibly a lion. Given by John Will and Mary Shannon Will in the name of Magdaline W Shannon and Lyle W. Shannon.