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Instructor John Ripton?s offers insights on Haitian art exhibition at Myhelan Cultural Arts Center.

WASHINGTON TWP. ? John Ripton?s stamp is seen throughout the Myhelan Cultural Arts Center.

The center is located in a building that dates back to 1865. The colorful stained glass windows are original as well as the uneven mahogany-colored floorboards.

The edifice, was once a family-owned Long Valley home, now houses a unique cultural and international experience for members of the community.

A colorful center post or ?Poteau Mitan? in the language of the natives of Haiti, stands proudly in the center of the current ?Inspiration Haiti! Works of Spirit and Nature? exhibit as a symbol for the Vodou spirits to enter and fill the space.

Ripton, history chairman at Gill Saint Bernard?s School in Peapack-Gladstone and adjunct professor of Caribbean history at Rutgers University, curated the Haitian exhibit, which runs until October 21.

Ripton, who received his doctorate degree from Columbia University in Latin American history, has traveled to a variety of countries including Cuba, Haiti, Mexico and Nicaragua. He also co-founded the Center for Central American Refugees (El Centro Hispano Americano) in Plainfield.

Ripton said it is important that people of all cultures communicate and appreciate their roots.

?We?re all people,? Ripton said. ?It doesn?t matter how different we seem, or how different we are portrayed in the media. At the end of the day, we are all humans and it is important to communicate with one another.?

Ripton said Myhelan likes to spotlight countries that have been in the news ?maybe not for good reasons? and bring to light the underlying humanity and cultural similarities between them and the U.S.

The Haiti exhibit, which Ripton said ?has gotten a very positive response,? showcases Haitian artists and their varied artistic mediums of communication.

Ripton?s educational philosophy stems from Brazilian-born, Paulo Freire?s work; ?Pedagogy of the Oppressed,? which states that education is a means of liberation. Freire also discusses the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed and said freeing oneself from oppression is a mutual process.

The philosophy of Freire, at one time regarded as a threat to the educational establishment, has assisted in the empowerment of thousands of impoverished and illiterate people all over the world, Ripton said.

One of Freire?s core beliefs was that there should be a reciprocal interchange between teacher and student and that teachers should learn and learners should teach in the classroom.

?As a teacher, I believe the most important value to be imparted is one of social justice,? Ripton said. ?Mutual respect begins in the classroom.?

Ripton said Freire is a good base to draw from for his own teaching.

?Freire teaches that by giving the tools of education you are giving people power over their own lives,? he said. ?By understanding the world and being conscious of one?s relationship to society, you have active citizens who can advocate their own need for justice.?

Exhibit Highlights

Walking though the ?Works of Spirit and Nature? exhibit, is an all-encompassing experience.

While the pieces on display come from the minds of diverse Haitian artists, they all deal with similar themes of agriculture, oppression, nature, spirituality and humanity.

From sculpture to paintings, the exhibit contains a wide range of interpretations and artistic points of view.

Ripton walked through the exhibit and highlighted facts and supplemental information about the various pieces, most of which were framed at no cost by Kathryn Rust at Riverside Studios in Pottersville.

One piece, entitled ?The Birth of Woman,? by Louisiane Saint-Fleurant is particularly moving to Ripton.

?This is one of my favorite pieces,? the curator said. ?Fleurant is a fine example of the Saint-Soleil school of dream painters.?

The painting features a dark woman surrounded by an array of bright, vibrant colors in flower shapes and what seems like a womb and umbilical cord. He said the painting is an example of ?lyrical, organic composition.?

Fleurant, who died this year, was a manbo (priestess) of the Vodou religion. Her artwork reflects her deep devotion to her spirituality. Although she was illiterate, her visionary work made her one of the most internationally recognized and original artists in Haiti, Ripton said.

Another painting, ?Bathers,? by Wilfried Louis, displays a very different approach to Haitian art.

Louis was born in Port-au-Prince and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in New York City from 1963-1970. There, he learned casting, drawing and ceramics from some of Haiti?s most accomplished artists, Ripton said.

Regarded as one of Haiti?s finest artists, Louis uses a palette knife to blend only three colors into subtly different shades. His striking painting, which displays the style Ripton describes as ?pointillist,? has beautiful texture and differs greatly from some of the more native-looking work on display.

Ripton said Louis wanted to distinguish his art from primitivism and that the artist?s inspiration ?comes from the people, from the experience of life on the streets, the joy the sadness, the wisdom of a poverty-stricken people which, in spite of everything, retains hope in the future.?

Other interesting pieces in the exhibit include Cameau Rameau?s seascape, which was painted only with the edge of a razor blade, as well as various metal sculptures, which were created by seven or eight artisans.

Painter Frantz Zephirin, who describes himself as a ?historic animalist,? has beautiful works on display, which show various animals amid a mind-bending, swirly blue and green water-hued background.

?Doesn?t it look like water in the background?? said Ripton. ?It?s just amazing.?

Zephirin, who cites his major influences as Leonardo daVinci and James Darwin, has had work featured in the Fowler Museum?s historic exhibition at U.C.L.A., ?The Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou,? as well as on the cover of the recent book, ?The Immaculate Invasion? by Bob Schocassis.

Also on display are riveting photographs taken by Long Valley resident, Steve Arnesen, who has traveled to various countries such as El Salvador and Haiti.

?Arnesen is an amazing photographer,? Ripton said. ?His work is beautiful and we?ve already sold a few of his photographs.?

Ripton said that Aid to Artisans (ATA) is responsible for getting the art from Haiti to the Myhelan exhibit. Community development specialist, Alden Smith, who spoke at the Myhelan Haitian exhibit opening and works for ATA, told Ripton he was thrilled with the turnout for the exhibit as well as the overall interest in Haiti.

The money people spend on the paintings and artwork they buy then gets sent back to the artists, Ripton said.

?A small amount goes to ATA, but the majority of it goes right to the artists,? the curator said. ?ATA basically eliminates the middle man between the artists and the buyers.?

?ATA works in the spirit of sustainable development and fair trade. It helps get art distributed and shared with our international neighbors,? Ripton said.

Myhelan Merriment

There are a variety of cultural and creative activities going on at Myhelan to supplement the exhibits.

Executive Director Kathleen Hoffman said the center aims to take exhibits a step further and create interactive learning environments for people of all ages.

Hoffman said the Arts Center could accommodate groups of students to teach more about the art on display as well as the featured country.

Myhelan also offers art classes for children and adults as well as independent film screenings, poetry readings, teen workshops and interactive student activities.

Hoffman said Myhelan is seeking volunteers to help with the ?Center Stage Program,? which features performances by area musicians on the first Saturday of each month.

?We have been unable to do it for the past few months because we are in need of volunteers,? Hoffman said.

Volunteer Rosemary Totten also created an interdisciplinary K-12 curriculum to accompany the ?Inspiration Haiti? exhibit. The curriculum as well as more information about Myhelan is available on the center?s website at www.myhelan.org.