Artists from Sint Maarten and throughout the world have come together to participated in “Don’t Look Away,” a project to support the efforts of the Haitian-based School of Choice / l’Ecole de Choix (“Choix”) during the COVID-19 crisis, including the distribution of essential food and hygiene supplies, and many more vital activities for people living in the most extreme conditions of poverty in the Western Hemisphere.
The exhibition and its title, “Don’t Look Away,” seek to combat a tendency to isolate ourselves from difficulty, from challenges, and from that which might frighten us. Instead, the project hopes to share what draws us close, what binds us as humans, and what keeps us all connected. The use of art to forge those connections is intentional in its cross-cultural language.
Conceived by local Sint Maarten artist and art educator Tim Dowling and Choix Executive Director Laura Hartman (a permanent resident of Sint Maarten), “Don’t Look Away” is inviting artists to submit their work for inclusion in a global gallery that will premier in June (please see an early glimpses of submissions, below). Those who contribute to the Choix through the online gallery will receive their chosen art piece as a thank you for their contributions.
As in Sint Maarten, Haiti’s president mandated school closures in mid-March due to COVID-19. However, given Haiti’s living conditions, social distancing is practically impossible there. Therefore, the only prevention measures the Choix community can take is to remain as healthy as possible in order to prevent transmission or to reduce complications if someone contracts the illness. Yet food and supplies remain alarmingly scarce. Public health officials fear the country is ill-equipped to handle a major public health crisis and that the situation will exacerbate pre-existing financial and food insecurity challenges; the impact of the virus could be catastrophic.
Choix is a leadership development school located in Mirebalais, Haiti, and serves youth through its 1st – 12th grade education program. Its mission is to partner with Haitians to educate and develop Haitian youth to prepare them to lead their communities, Haiti, and the world. Choix was established in conjunction with grassroots and local community leaders immediately following Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010 and now serves an intentionally equal ratio of girls and boys – vital in a country where girls often are left behind in terms of education.
Submissions by artists will be accepted through June 1; more information on that process can be found at https://gift.schoolofchoice.org/dont-look-away-project.
The “Don’t Look Away” Gallery will be open to the public by mid-June and a link will be available from that same site. For more information, please contact Choix’s Executive Director, Laura Hartman, at LHartman@depaul.edu.