• By Marquis Sanchez 

I used to bike up and down Eastern Parkway with my cousin, sometimes from end to end. We would go as fast as we could, blasting dancehall and reggae on a portable speaker.

Nowadays, I’ll be going to Eastern Parkway for the Haiti Cultural Exchange. The Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) is a nonprofit established, as per their website, “to develop, present, and promote the cultural expressions of the Haitian people.” It was founded in 2009 “to create a permanent presence for Haitian Arts & Culture” in New York City, where the Haitian diaspora makes up the seventh largest immigrant group.

They host several artist residencies and grant opportunities like “Lakou Nou” and “Vizyon Atistik” that allow Haitian artists to create and show new work, network, and interact with other artists and the community. They put on monthly programs and biennial festivals centered around different art forms—from painting and photography to music, fashion, dance, and film.

Being in the space at 558 St. John’s Place, you feel a sense of community. There is an interactive nature to the exhibits, where you have the chance to talk to the artist whose work is on display, or the Executive Director of HCX herself, Régine Roumain. Everyone seemed to know everyone, as people warmly greeted each other and fervently caught up in Kreyòl.

I loved hearing Kreyòl—it brought back memories of growing up in Flatbush, hearing my neighbors speak it on Beverley Road, or hearing it as I traversed through the hustle and bustle of Church Ave.

The HCX sets the example for cultural institutions in NYC. From March 16th to April 13th, they will be honoring the legacy of Haitian designer Michel Chataigne and showcasing the photography of one of their artists-in-residence, Franck Henry Godefroy.