Franklin Ave Open Streets | Saturdays throughout the Summer
2025-06-07 - 2025-07-26 | NY
This year, we’re making the summer last forever! Join HCX at Franklin Ave Open Streets throughout the summer to shop, dine, enjoy cultural arts, music, dance and family-friendly activities. Pop by the HCX station and our space at 558 St Johns to catch a vibe!
Noon—6pm
Saturdays throughout the Summer
Sponsored by Franklin Ave Merchants Association, NYC Department of Transportation, and the Bridge Street Development Corporation.
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Saturday, June 7
Saturday, June 21
Saturday, July 12
Saturday, July 26
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Follow along on social, or sign up for our newsletter, for the latest updates and information.

Opening Reception: Je Louvri Jenès la Wè | With Open Eyes the Youth See
2025-06-12 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join Haiti Cultural Exchange for the opening reception of this open call exhibition for artists of Haitian descent, highlighting the creative work of a new generation of artists & makers informing the world about the evolving Haitian experience on Thursday, June 12, from 6-9pm.
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ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Pulling from the legacy of atis engage (engaged artists) of countless generations, HCX asks young creatives to bring their expression to HCX Gallery.
Young people are the architects of our future, encountering new and ancient hurdles and visioning a world that demands innovation and possibility. What can we learn from them? What vision do they share with us? This exhibition highlights textural perspectives of young NYC-based Haitian artists working in a spectrum of mediums. Their paintings, sculptural, and photographic work connects us to new and continued realities of urban, political, and personal life.
Exhibition on View:
Thursday, June 5 – Sunday, July 6, 2025
Gallery Hours:
Thursday – Sunday, 1-6pm;
Wednesday by appointment.
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ARTISTS

Isaihrine Bosse
Ani Brutus
Marques DeLoney
Dominique Dorvil
Aisha Jean-Charles
Beverly Joseph
Aleyana Momplaisir
Ismaelle Oriental
Cici Osias
Stephanie Pierre
Robert Provilus
Morvens Regis
Jazmine Saint-Victor
Tiffany Salas

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CURATED BY
Harry Abilhomme, Kassandra Khalil, Watson Mere & Régine M. Roumain
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Isaihrine Bosse, a Brooklyn-born artist, was recognized for her talent early on, becoming a member of the National Arts Honor Society. In 2014, she was honored with the presidency of the society, displaying her exceptional leadership skills. Isaihrine Bosse is a multidimensional Artist specializing in poetry, painting and pottery. Bosse’s artistic journey took an exciting turn when she allowed her two-year-old son who is now five to join her in creating paintings in 2020. That same year, she was inducted into the Converse Allstars Team, an influential collective driving change through the arts.
Bosse’s work has been showcased in various exhibitions, including the renowned “”From Haiti With Love”” at the Box Factory in Brooklyn, NY, which featured a group of talented Haitian artists. Looking ahead, Bosse plans to attend workshops to further enhance her career and will host engaging paint and sip events for adults, as well as paint and punch events for kids.
Currently residing in Long Island, NY, Isaihrine Bosse’s artistic endeavors continue to evolve as she works on a new collection of poems and paintings, inspired by her life experiences and the world around her.
Bosse’s iconic signature the “eye” originally named “Long-legged Larry” represents Isaihrine and all the colors and visions she sees within herself, the world, others, and many timelines. Born to be wild is a limitless design platform created to showcase infinite capabilities through art and design.
Ani Brutus is a Haitian-Filipino Interdisciplinary artist, based in Jamaica-Queens, New York. Of their family’s first generation born in the United States, Brutus explores how ancestors reveal themselves in daily life. They explore built infrastructure, the natural world, and commonplace objects as sites of sacred geometry. Through the layering of paint, fiber arts, installation, and various printmaking techniques, Brutus cultivates portals between ancestry and the diaspora. These multidimensional forms emphasize that multiple realities can exist in tandem. Celebrating how heritage and relationship to the land is a love that perseveres across geography and time. Ani Brutus is a founding member of Creative Solidarity, a collective of artists and cultural workers fundraising towards local and international mutual aid causes. Brutus is an undergraduate student at CUNY Hunter College, where they advance their practice in Studio Arts.
Marques DeLoney shares “Telling stories through images is very important to me. The content I enjoyed growing up, whether it be video games, cartoons, or books, all had a discernible visual language. Each unique aesthetic stuck with me. I look up to artists whose style is inimitable, with a sense of imagination that you can’t find anywhere else. I want to create art with these qualities. I am not afraid of experimenting and combining multiple unlikely elements to create something special. It’s my favorite part of the art process.”
Dominique Dorvil is a first-generation Haitian-American, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her body of work investigates themes of cultural identity, self-perception, and the diaspora which are grounded in her experience as a young Black Haitian-American woman. Among her works are pieces intended to spark dialogue about the complex relationship between Haiti and the United States.
Aisha Jean-Charles is a multidisciplinary artist, loctitian, and NASM-certified personal trainer born in Haiti and raised in Queens, New York. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and is currently completing her BSN in nursing. Deeply rooted in her Haitian heritage, Aisha’s work embodies the spiritual, cultural, and ancestral elements that have shaped her journey. Her passions converge through healing arts—be it tending to natural hair, creating spiritually resonant portraits, or promoting wellness of the body, mind, and soul. Fluent in English, French, and Haitian Creole, Aisha channels her cultural memory and reverence for Vodou into vibrant representations of the lwa and the Pitit Ginen (Children of Ginen). Through her life and practice, she seeks to honor her ancestors and redefine what it means to be a healer and a storyteller.
Beverlie Joseph is a 23-year-old Haitian maximalist and multidisciplinary artist based in New York. A graduate of NYU with a focus in costume, fashion, and art, she blends bold textures and vivid color palettes inspired by her Caribbean upbringing. Through her work, Beverlie celebrates identity, cultural storytelling, and the unapologetic beauty of excess.
Aleyana Momplaisir is an emerging visual artist born and based in New York City. Her upbringing and professional work with women’s health educators heavily influence her artwork, guiding her to cherish art as both a storytelling form and an educational tool. Aleyana often uses vibrant colors in her traditional and digital pieces, depicting Black people in existing and imagined spaces to evoke memories, reflection, advocacy, optimism, and joy. Further inspiration comes from music, web comics, and anime, which kickstarted her interest in art. In her spare time, Aleyana also experiments creatively with nail art, graphic design, and other visual media.
Ismaelle Oriental is a Brooklyn-born Haitian-American artist with ancestral roots in Léogâne, Haiti. She is an identical twin, raised in a Catholic household that also encouraged pride in Haitian culture and Vodou traditions. A graduate with a BA in Africana and Latino Studies, she is also a healthcare worker committed to improving cultural competency and addressing disparities within healthcare systems. Her creative and professional work is deeply influenced by her identity as a Vodouizan and advocate for Black life, history, and culture. Through education, spoken word, and visual art, she uplifts traditional practices while challenging common misconceptions about Haitian Vodou. Ismaelle’s work serves as a bridge between past and present, spirit and body, ritual and reality.
Cici Osias (b. Baltimore, MD) is a textile artist, photographer and printmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work, full of vibrance, draws influence from Haitian, Black American, Congolese, and Nigerian motifs in order to make meaning of her identity and hold her people close. Within her textiles and printmaking, Cici recognizes the role of cloth as a vessel for storytelling within African, Caribbean, and African American culture. Through this work, she traces the vestiges of shared origin and collective memory across the Black diaspora. Cici’s photographs, all of which are analog, embrace family as a verb and the earth as kin. Most recently Cici’s work has been featured at the Weeksville Heritage Center, and you can see more of her work soon at the Textile Arts Center.
Stephanie Pierre is a Haitian-American artist based in Queens, NYC. Her art is a fusion of vibrant colors, textures, and emotions, reflecting her cultural heritage and personal experiences. As a studio art major with a passion for creative expression, Pierre explore themes of identity, culture, and storytelling. Pierre’s work is a celebration of the beauty and resilience of the Haitian spirit, blended with the diversity and energy of New York City. Through art, Stephanie aims to inspire, uplift, and connect with others. She constantly seeking new ways to express herself, whether through painting, drawing, or mixed media. Pierre’s artistic journey is a reflection of growth, curiosity, and love for the creative process. Stephanie is excited to share her art with others and see how it resonates.
Robert Provilus is an art maker and art teacher, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Binghamton University, where he initially pursued a neuroscience major with the goal of becoming a surgeon. Midway through his college journey, he realized his true passion lay in art, leading him to create an independent major titled Medical Arts—a unique blend of art and science.
Robert’s paintings center Black people, from New York to Ayiti to the global diaspora, with intent to speak directly to a generation of Black dreamers and visionaries. His own art making process was facilitated by a community of teachers, family, and peers who encouraged him to expand on his youthful drawing abilities, and flourish in Edward R. Murrow High School’s prestigious arts program. With foundational exposure to drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media, and art history, his work focuses on the importance of telling true and critical stories of his people.
As an elementary school art teacher for grades K–4 at day, and a home studio painter by night, his artist practice is grounded in the fulfilling nature of community service to students and subjects who hail from neighborhoods like the one he grew up in. Robert’s works encourage the creation of images beyond stereotypes. While maintaining a pure representation of the attitude, culture, style, and spirit of the rising revolutionaries of present and past.
Morvens Regis is a visual artist born in Haiti whose work carries the legacy of a dream shared with his father—a dream rooted in creativity, resilience, and the transformative power of art. From an early age, Morvens was inspired by his father’s vision of artistic expression as a bridge between generations, cultures, and inner worlds. Today, he channels that inspiration into paintings and mixed-media works that speak to identity, memory, and the vibrant energy of Haitian heritage.
Jaz Saint-Victor is a Haitian Brooklyn-born self-learned artist who believes the core goal in life is to dream, be open, have fun and give in to being cringely whimsical. Jaz uses art, in whatever form, digital painting, or clothing design to depict beautiful dreamy black people in all things fantasy, folklore, and mythos.
Tiffany Salas is a CEO, international artist, published and awarded art director, designer, curator, and celebrity stylist. The Newark, New Jersey native is the owner of Chiffani Brands Unlimited, a multi-level luxury creative brand offering curation of design, marketing & management. As an exhibiting artist & curator, she has presented at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Miami Art Basel, NYFW, Newark Arts Festival, PFW & more making her the first Afro-Latina in the world to do so. Her childhood experiences as an inner-city youth & her heritage has shaped her into the creative she is today. Her projects are developed based on experiences through culture, the differences experienced on other continents, & within certain socio-economic environments. She is an alumni of the Allstars Project & New Jersey City University, where she founded an organization called Fashion Org. She currently has a traveling exhibition showcasing BIPOC artists throughout this country and abroad. Salas’ artistic mediums include Fashion, Art, Design, Production & Music. Her works have been featured in COMPLEX, HYPEBEAST, HELLO BEAUTIFUL & other notable publications. Her mission is to innovate, educate, motivate, & inspire through her works and vivid imagination. She currently serves as a board member and co-chair of the Leadership Council on Engagement at Arts Ed Newark.

FiveMyles x HCX Closing House Party
2025-06-21 14:00 - 17:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join FiveMyles and HCX for our Closing House Party!
FiveMyles and HCX welcome everyone into their home for a Closing House Party – to enjoy some community-based entertainment, have a bite to eat and raise a glass to celebrate the wonderful legacy of the place, the space and the mission. The doors at 558 St. Johns Place will close officially on July 31, but before then, we will continue being a space for community and creativity.
Food sponsored by our friends at Earth Shine Food & Drink.

HCX Benefit Concert with Paul Beaubrun & Special Guests
2025-06-29 17:00 - 23:50 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Our friend, singer-songwriter sensation Paul Beaubrun will roll into HCX for one final performance at our HQ! DJ Serge Negri will keep the energy flowing with his Haitian fusion rhythms. Your tickets support the future home of HCX and Haitian culture in NYC.
HCX is so very fortunate to have had nearly 15 years of thoughtful, loving friendship and collaboration at our first space ever at 558 St Johns Place. In honor of our time here, we invite you to join us on Sunday, June 29th for an HCX Benefit Concert with Paul beaubrun & Special Guests.

Support HCX and celebrate all we’ve built together – ANSANM!
Sponsored by Providence Rum, La Maison & Velier, Bôn Patés & Lakou Cafe
Sunday, June 29, 2025
5pm – late
Dress code: Roots Rock / Haitian Cool
Tickets available here»
General Admission $50
Supporting Donor $120

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Paul Beaubrun is a Haitian singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer. Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, son of the Grammy nominated band Boukman Eksperyans and the grandson of legendary Haitian comedian Languichatte.
Paul has gained recognition locally and internationally for his unique art; at the heart of his music is a captivating sound, a masterful blend of his exceptional guitar playing skill, soulful vocals, and innovative arrangements. Drawing on his rich cultural heritage, he seamlessly weaves together elements of Haitian Creole, French, and English, creating a musical tapestry that reflects the diverse influences that have shaped his artistic vision.
Paul’s talents and versatility as a musician have led him to collaborate and perform with a diverse array of renowned artists. Through these collaborations and performances, Paul has achieved worldwide success and established himself as one of Haiti’s most accomplished and celebrated musical exports.
Paul has been a touring member of the world-renowned band Arcade Fire since 2022, joining them for their “WE” tour. As part of Arcade Fire, Paul has made several high- profile appearances on shows like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as at major music festivals around the globe. His role in the band has allowed him to showcase his musical talents to a wider audience and further cement his reputation as a versatile and accomplished musician.
Paul’s latest album ‘LIMYÈ A LA’ is set to be released on June 7th, 2024 on Ropeadope Records.

Fèt Èzili | Presented in Collaboration with Riva Nyri Précil
2025-07-12 18:00 - 23:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
An event to celebrate & honor the Èzili tribe through music, dance, food, and offerings.
Èzili (Erzulie) is a family of lwa (loa) or spirits in Haitian Vodou. Each of them have their own colors, preferences, and characteristics. This event will include: Contest with prizes for best dressed Èzili Freda (pink, white, light blue, lace, gold, pearls, femininity), Èzili Dantò (red, navy blue, black, silver, daggers, mother, strength, justice), and La Sirèn (water element, light blue, seashells).
Artisanal Vendors | Activation Booths | Card Readings | Haitian bites and delicacies
Performances include Traditional Haitian dance with live drumming, Afro-House / Rara-Tech DJ set, and Live musical performances by Riva Nyri Précil & Erol Josué
Tab Ofrann (offering table) – Feel free to bring an offering to contribute to the table, including: flowers, fruit, perfume, jewelry, art, champagne or other spirits.
Handcrafted cocktails by MamaJuana Mixes sponsored by Providence Rum.
Traditional Haitian food sponsored by Kreyòl Flavor.
20% of ticket proceeds go towards supporting Haiti Cultural Exchange ‘s move into a new space.
TICKETS:
$77
Get Your Tickets Here »

Mizik Ayiti! at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with Rasin Okan
2025-07-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Avenue, Brookyln, NY, United States
Join HCX at Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Thursday, July 17, 2025 for Mizik Ayiti! featuring Rasin Okan!
Join us for a powerful evening of music, memory, and movement as Rasin Okan presents original songs channeling the revolutionary pulse of Haitian folk music and echoing the deeply ancestral courage of Haiti’s freedom fighters to remember, reconnect, and rise. Let the music move your spirit. Let the memory ignite your soul. Come ready to celebrate culture, connection, and the enduring power of Haitian roots.
Born of Haiti’s mizik rasin movement, Rasin Okan is the only Brooklyn-based rasin sèch band. In the spirit of rasin sèch (directly translated to dry roots), Rasin Okan emphasizes the sounds and songs of traditional Haitian Vodou ceremonial music without much electric accompaniment. Led and co-founded by Jean E. Montina, Sanba Mayombe, the group writes original songs and evocative folk music to insight the revolutionary spirit of Haiti’s freedom fighters, to a pulsating rhythm.
Presented in collaboration with Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Free with Garden admission. Click here to purchase tickets for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden »

Mizik Ayiti! at Hamptons Jazz Fest with Godwin Louis’ Experience Ayiti Project
2025-09-07 18:30 - 21:00 | Southhampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Ln, Southampton, NY, 11968, United States
This special event features the acclaimed Godwin Louis and his transformative Experience Ayiti Project—a powerful blend of traditional Haitian rhythms, modern jazz, soul, and Afro-Caribbean influences.
Through the heartbeat of rara, the pulse of kompa, and the spiritual depth of vodou-inspired grooves, Experience Ayiti offers a musical journey that honors Haiti’s past while reimagining its cultural future.
Presented in collaboration with Hamptons Jazz Festival and Wings Over Haiti, this program is more than a concert—it’s a call to celebrate, connect, and uplift.
Come experience the rhythm, the history, and the spirit of Ayiti.

Sunday, September 7, 2025
6:30-9:00 PM
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE »

Oct 9 | Mizik Ayiti! Residency | Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz
2025-10-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays this fall for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The first residency will be held by bassist Bobby Raymond and percussionist Markus Schwartz and marks HCX’s inaugural public event in our new home at 35 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
The 2025 performance season launches at HCX with the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Things kick off this Thursday, October 9
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)
35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY

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About the Musicians
Born in Haiti, bassist Bobby Raymond established his musical career in the 1980s alongside progressive Haitian jazz musicians including Ernst Crepsac Marcelin, Buyu Ambroise, Eddy Bourjolly, Joe Charles, Phillipe Charles, Bobby Sanabria, Mino Cinelu, and Eddy Rodriguez. He joined several influential bands including Freefall, Mozayik, Mystik and the Blues In Red Band, collaborating with artists like Emeline Michel, Beethova Obas, and Alan Cave. During the 1990s, Bobby was part of the Blue Bomba Quartet with Robert Aaron, Willie Martinez, and Ismael Bongo Bruno, occasionally joined by legendary Cuban percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez. Bobby remains one of the most sought-after bass players in the New York City Haitian music scene.
Native to Denmark, Markus Schwartz is a Grammy-nominated percussionist, recording artist and educator with over twenty-five years of experience studying traditional Haitian religious music. Since the early 1990s, he has traveled frequently to Haiti, following Haitian percussionists on pilgrimages to learn the intricate drumming styles of various lakou. He became a respected drummer at Haitian religious ceremonies and was a member of the groundbreaking Haitian Jazz quintet Mozayik alongside Bobby Raymond. As a first-call percussionist on the NYC Haitian music scene, Markus has released four recordings as a leader and currently performs with Lakou Brooklyn Quartet, Grammy-winner David Sanchez’ Carib project, and Ches Smith’s We All Break.

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HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine-tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
Join us for future Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz Mizik Ayiti! Residency performances Thursdays this fall:
October 16, 23, 30 and November 6 and 13.
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)

Oct 16 | Mizik Ayiti! Residency | Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz
2025-10-16 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays this fall for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The first residency will be held by bassist Bobby Raymond and percussionist Markus Schwartz and marks HCX’s inaugural public event in our new home at 35 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
The 2025 performance season launches at HCX with the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Thursday, October 16
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)
35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY

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About the Musicians
Born in Haiti, bassist Bobby Raymond established his musical career in the 1980s alongside progressive Haitian jazz musicians including Ernst Crepsac Marcelin, Buyu Ambroise, Eddy Bourjolly, Joe Charles, Phillipe Charles, Bobby Sanabria, Mino Cinelu, and Eddy Rodriguez. He joined several influential bands including Freefall, Mozayik, Mystik and the Blues In Red Band, collaborating with artists like Emeline Michel, Beethova Obas, and Alan Cave. During the 1990s, Bobby was part of the Blue Bomba Quartet with Robert Aaron, Willie Martinez, and Ismael Bongo Bruno, occasionally joined by legendary Cuban percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez. Bobby remains one of the most sought-after bass players in the New York City Haitian music scene.
Native to Denmark, Markus Schwartz is a Grammy-nominated percussionist, recording artist and educator with over twenty-five years of experience studying traditional Haitian religious music. Since the early 1990s, he has traveled frequently to Haiti, following Haitian percussionists on pilgrimages to learn the intricate drumming styles of various lakou. He became a respected drummer at Haitian religious ceremonies and was a member of the groundbreaking Haitian Jazz quintet Mozayik alongside Bobby Raymond. As a first-call percussionist on the NYC Haitian music scene, Markus has released four recordings as a leader and currently performs with Lakou Brooklyn Quartet, Grammy-winner David Sanchez’ Carib project, and Ches Smith’s We All Break.

—
HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine-tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
Join us for all of Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz Mizik Ayiti! Residency performances Thursdays this fall:
October 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6 and 13.
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)

Oct 23 | Mizik Ayiti! Residency | Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz
2025-10-23 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays this fall for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The first residency will be held by bassist Bobby Raymond and percussionist Markus Schwartz and marks HCX’s inaugural public event in our new home at 35 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
The 2025 performance season launches at HCX with the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Thursday, October 23
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)
35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY

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About the Musicians
Born in Haiti, bassist Bobby Raymond established his musical career in the 1980s alongside progressive Haitian jazz musicians including Ernst Crepsac Marcelin, Buyu Ambroise, Eddy Bourjolly, Joe Charles, Phillipe Charles, Bobby Sanabria, Mino Cinelu, and Eddy Rodriguez. He joined several influential bands including Freefall, Mozayik, Mystik and the Blues In Red Band, collaborating with artists like Emeline Michel, Beethova Obas, and Alan Cave. During the 1990s, Bobby was part of the Blue Bomba Quartet with Robert Aaron, Willie Martinez, and Ismael Bongo Bruno, occasionally joined by legendary Cuban percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez. Bobby remains one of the most sought-after bass players in the New York City Haitian music scene.
Native to Denmark, Markus Schwartz is a Grammy-nominated percussionist, recording artist and educator with over twenty-five years of experience studying traditional Haitian religious music. Since the early 1990s, he has traveled frequently to Haiti, following Haitian percussionists on pilgrimages to learn the intricate drumming styles of various lakou. He became a respected drummer at Haitian religious ceremonies and was a member of the groundbreaking Haitian Jazz quintet Mozayik alongside Bobby Raymond. As a first-call percussionist on the NYC Haitian music scene, Markus has released four recordings as a leader and currently performs with Lakou Brooklyn Quartet, Grammy-winner David Sanchez’ Carib project, and Ches Smith’s We All Break.

—
HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine-tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
Join us for all of Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz Mizik Ayiti! Residency performances Thursdays this fall:
October 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6 and 13.
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)

Mizik Ayiti! at Fall Harvest Festival featuring Riva Nyri Précil
2025-10-25 14:45 - 16:00 | Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Avenue, Brookyln, NY, United States
Riva Nyri Précil will present a demonstration of traditional Haitian rhythms, songs, and dances associated with the harvest season, which is closely linked to the spirit Kouzen Zaka.
Kouzen Zaka is the lwa (spirit) of the harvest and agriculture in Haitian Vodou. Kouzen Zaka’s colors are blue and green, and is recognizable by his blue denim clothing, straw hat and djakout (shoulder sack). He is the protector of the peyizan (rural farmers), defender of the poor, and holds supreme knowledge of herbal medicine. For Kouzen Zaka, and farmers would agree, hard work is returned with abundant harvest! For this reason, he is also considered a lwa of sage business decisions. His favorite offerings are tchaka, a stew made with pinto beans, corn, beef, and chayote squash, and white rum infused with wormwood.
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Presenting in collaboration with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden as part of the Fall Harvest Festival. Celebrate the fall season surrounded by Brooklyn’s most fabulous foliage. Enjoy a cider and beer garden, live music, horse-drawn carriage rides, lawn games, pumpkin-decorating, hands-on activities for families, and more.
Free with Garden admission.
Click here to purchase tickets for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden »
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Riva Nyri Précil is a Brooklyn-based Haitian multi-disciplinary artist. With a degree in Music Therapy from Loyola University in New Orleans, she has built a dynamic career as an author, visual artist, jeweler, musician, and dancer. Her work honors and modernizes Haitian traditions through projects like Altar Art and Wearable Altar. Renowned for blending Haitian music with African roots, R&B, Soul, and Jazz, she directs Tout Se Pa, providing global dance education. Riva focuses on elevating Caribbean culture, promoting wellness, and facilitating healing through music and dance therapy, utilizing traditional Haitian music to foster self-connection.

Oct 30 | Mizik Ayiti! Residency | Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz featuring Godwin Louis
2025-10-30 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays this fall for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The first residency will be held by bassist Bobby Raymond and percussionist Markus Schwartz and marks HCX’s inaugural public event in our new home at 35 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT! Thursday, October 30’s performance will feature guest alto saxophonist and composer Godwin Louis. Louis is a Grammy-nomiated musician who has graced stages around the globe, studing and performing with Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry, Roger Dickerson, Ron Carter, Al Foster, Billy Preston, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Prince, Babyface, Madonna, Barry Harris, Howard Shore, Mulatu Astatke Mahmoud Ahmed, Wynton Marsalis and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, to name a few.
The 2025 performance season launches at HCX with the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Thursday, October 30
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)
35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY

—
About the Musicians
Born in Haiti, bassist Bobby Raymond established his musical career in the 1980s alongside progressive Haitian jazz musicians including Ernst Crepsac Marcelin, Buyu Ambroise, Eddy Bourjolly, Joe Charles, Phillipe Charles, Bobby Sanabria, Mino Cinelu, and Eddy Rodriguez. He joined several influential bands including Freefall, Mozayik, Mystik and the Blues In Red Band, collaborating with artists like Emeline Michel, Beethova Obas, and Alan Cave. During the 1990s, Bobby was part of the Blue Bomba Quartet with Robert Aaron, Willie Martinez, and Ismael Bongo Bruno, occasionally joined by legendary Cuban percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez. Bobby remains one of the most sought-after bass players in the New York City Haitian music scene.
Native to Denmark, Markus Schwartz is a Grammy-nominated percussionist, recording artist and educator with over twenty-five years of experience studying traditional Haitian religious music. Since the early 1990s, he has traveled frequently to Haiti, following Haitian percussionists on pilgrimages to learn the intricate drumming styles of various lakou. He became a respected drummer at Haitian religious ceremonies and was a member of the groundbreaking Haitian Jazz quintet Mozayik alongside Bobby Raymond. As a first-call percussionist on the NYC Haitian music scene, Markus has released four recordings as a leader and currently performs with Lakou Brooklyn Quartet, Grammy-winner David Sanchez’ Carib project, and Ches Smith’s We All Break.

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HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine-tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
Join us for all of Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz Mizik Ayiti! Residency performances Thursdays this fall:
October 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6 and 13.
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)

Nov 6 | Mizik Ayiti! Residency | Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz featuring Monvelyno
2025-11-06 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays this fall for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The first residency will be held by bassist Bobby Raymond and percussionist Markus Schwartz and marks HCX’s inaugural public event in our new home at 35 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT! Thursday, November 6’s Gede themed performance will feature guest guitarist & vocalist Monvelyno Alexis. Monvelyno is a contemporary anchor of Haitian jazz and experimental sound. His skill as a vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist has earned him the respect of the New York and global Haitian community. His music is led by his Haitian culture, particularly the spiritual and musical traditions of Vodou.

The 2025 performance season launches at HCX with the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Wear your black, white, and purple! Best dressed wins a season pass to the Early Winter Mizik Ayiti! series.
Thursday, November 6
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)
35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY

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About the Musicians
Born in Haiti, bassist Bobby Raymond established his musical career in the 1980s alongside progressive Haitian jazz musicians including Ernst Crepsac Marcelin, Buyu Ambroise, Eddy Bourjolly, Joe Charles, Phillipe Charles, Bobby Sanabria, Mino Cinelu, and Eddy Rodriguez. He joined several influential bands including Freefall, Mozayik, Mystik and the Blues In Red Band, collaborating with artists like Emeline Michel, Beethova Obas, and Alan Cave. During the 1990s, Bobby was part of the Blue Bomba Quartet with Robert Aaron, Willie Martinez, and Ismael Bongo Bruno, occasionally joined by legendary Cuban percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez. Bobby remains one of the most sought-after bass players in the New York City Haitian music scene.
Native to Denmark, Markus Schwartz is a Grammy-nominated percussionist, recording artist and educator with over twenty-five years of experience studying traditional Haitian religious music. Since the early 1990s, he has traveled frequently to Haiti, following Haitian percussionists on pilgrimages to learn the intricate drumming styles of various lakou. He became a respected drummer at Haitian religious ceremonies and was a member of the groundbreaking Haitian Jazz quintet Mozayik alongside Bobby Raymond. As a first-call percussionist on the NYC Haitian music scene, Markus has released four recordings as a leader and currently performs with Lakou Brooklyn Quartet, Grammy-winner David Sanchez’ Carib project, and Ches Smith’s We All Break.

—
HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine-tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
Join us for all of Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz Mizik Ayiti! Residency performances Thursdays this fall:
October 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6 and 13.
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)

Ti Atis Second Saturdays: Mapping with Collage and Crayon Rubbings by Ani Brutus
2025-11-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11213
Ti Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Join us for the kick-off event in November featuring mapping with collage and crayon rubbings with artist Ani Brutus!
Saturday, November 8, 2025
2-4pm
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
What is the shape and texture of our neighborhood? Learn how to document features within our natural world and our neighborhood. Families will map their Lakou (community) through collage, paint, and mixed media, including how to capture the textures of our environments using rubbing techniques.
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About the Artist
Ani Brutus (b. 2004) is a Haitian-Filipino interdisciplinary artist based in Jamaica, New York. Born in the United States, first-generation, Brutus aims to highlight the forces uniting ancestry and the diaspora, by uncovering the crossroads in everyday life. Between the layering and distortion of found objects, Brutus utilizes material culture to document social history within Afro-Caribbean and Luzon diasporic communities. Ani Brutus is an undergraduate student at CUNY Hunter College, where they advance their practice in Studio Arts.
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Attendance free with museum admission. Limited number of free community tickets provide to the HCX community. RSVP below while availability lasts.
Spaces are limited. Purchase a ticket to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum here ».
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About Ti Atis
Ti Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Ti Atis (Little Artists) engages youth of Haitian descent and their peers with Haitian history and heritage via the arts, giving young people the tools to build an inclusive and culturally informed future as they learn about diverse art forms from professional Haitian artists.
Mark your calendars! Happening the second Saturday of every month from November 2024 to May 2025.

Nov 13 | Mizik Ayiti! Residency | Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz: Twoubadou Lakay Honoring the musical legacy of Robert Molin
2025-11-13 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays this fall for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The first residency will be held by bassist Bobby Raymond and percussionist Markus Schwartz and marks HCX’s inaugural public event in our new home at 35 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
FINALE PERFORMANCE ANNOUNCEMENT!
Twoubadou Lakay
Honoring the musical legacy of Robert Molin
Guitarist & composer Robert Molin is an often overlooked but important contributor to the Twoubadou traditions of Aux Cayes in southern Haiti. Bobby & Markus have invited a handful of special musical guests for this final residency performance: Guitarists Gary Josama & Roland Cameau, Singer Joe Montour and Percussionist Camille Hostin.
Haitian Twoubadou emerged as an original national genre when Haitian seasonal workers connected rhythms of Cuban guarijo to Haitian merengue. With lyrics mixing satire, romance, and everyday life, twoubadou’s delicate and joyful sound highlights the history of Haitians movement around the Caribbean and some of the instruments that we brought from across the ocean: the guitar and drum.
The 2025 performance season launches at HCX with the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Thursday, November 13
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)
35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY

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About the Musicians
Born in Haiti, bassist Bobby Raymond established his musical career in the 1980s alongside progressive Haitian jazz musicians including Ernst Crepsac Marcelin, Buyu Ambroise, Eddy Bourjolly, Joe Charles, Phillipe Charles, Bobby Sanabria, Mino Cinelu, and Eddy Rodriguez. He joined several influential bands including Freefall, Mozayik, Mystik and the Blues In Red Band, collaborating with artists like Emeline Michel, Beethova Obas, and Alan Cave. During the 1990s, Bobby was part of the Blue Bomba Quartet with Robert Aaron, Willie Martinez, and Ismael Bongo Bruno, occasionally joined by legendary Cuban percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez. Bobby remains one of the most sought-after bass players in the New York City Haitian music scene.
Native to Denmark, Markus Schwartz is a Grammy-nominated percussionist, recording artist and educator with over twenty-five years of experience studying traditional Haitian religious music. Since the early 1990s, he has traveled frequently to Haiti, following Haitian percussionists on pilgrimages to learn the intricate drumming styles of various lakou. He became a respected drummer at Haitian religious ceremonies and was a member of the groundbreaking Haitian Jazz quintet Mozayik alongside Bobby Raymond. As a first-call percussionist on the NYC Haitian music scene, Markus has released four recordings as a leader and currently performs with Lakou Brooklyn Quartet, Grammy-winner David Sanchez’ Carib project, and Ches Smith’s We All Break.

—
HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine-tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
Join us for all of Bobby Raymond & Markus Schwartz Mizik Ayiti! Residency performances Thursdays this fall:
October 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6 and 13.
6-9pm (45 min sets at 6:30 & 7:45)

True North | Community Screening & Conversation
2025-11-21 18:00 - 21:00 | The Center For Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11217
As part of the Fall of Freedom nationwide activation of creative resistance, Haiti Cultural Exchange and Rada Collaborative present a special screening of True North at The Center For Fiction. Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation.
Through never before seen compelling historical footage and the voices of those who lived through the tumultuous period of 1960s Montréal, True North uses a bold cinematic aesthetic that centers the power of memory and archive to expose the pivotal events of a moment that impacted the global movement for Black liberation.

Center for Fiction
15 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Friday, Nov 21
6-9pm
RSVP for free here »

6:00 // Mix & mingle – food and drinks available for purchase (from The Center For Fiction)
6:30 // Introduction of True North by director Michèle Stephenson
6:40 // Screening of True North
8:00 – 8:30 // Community conversation
8:30 – 9 // Closing mix & mingle

Vizyon Atistik | Fanal Lantern Workshop with Nathalie Jean-Baptiste
2025-12-06 15:00 - 17:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join Haitian artist and storyteller host Nathalie Jean-Baptiste at Haiti Cultural Exchange for a hands-on workshop that celebrates the spirit of Haiti’s Christmas season.
Come build your very own fanals, handcrafted paper lanterns that traditionally light up Haitian streets during the holidays. In this guided step-by-step workshop, you will discover the history and cultural significance of these lanterns. What to expect: art exploration, storytelling and tradition coming together in this luminous celebration of community.
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Registration required. $40 registration includes all supplies, light refreshments and beverage.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nathalie Jean-Baptiste is a Haitian painting artist and creative host. Her artistic and culinary creations often explore the intersection between tradition and innovation, offering a sensory journey rooted in authenticity and cultural pride. While a painter, she is also the founder of an exclusive dining series that celebrates culture, connection, and soulful storytelling through food and art. She takes pride in blending her Haitian heritage with modern sensibilities. Her work reflects themes of identity, spirituality, and human connection through the essence of community and storytelling. As a passionate learner and educator, she proudly completed a residency with the Guggenheim’s Learning Through Art program where experienced teaching artists are placed into New York City public schools to collaborate with classroom teachers to develop, facilitate, and integrate art projects into the school curriculum. Jea-Baptiste’s curiosity fuels her creations and desire to share knowledge through art and experience. Nathalie is also the author of Trogon’s Song of Hope, a children’s book introducing young readers to Haiti’s national bird, the Hispaniolan Trogon.

Bazaar Kreyòl Holiday Marketplace
2025-12-13 12:00 - 20:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join HCX for Bazaar Kreyòl – our annual holiday marketplace! Purchase unique artwork from the HCX Collection and artisanal Haitian goods for the holidays from a curated array of Haitian vendors.
Saturday, December 13, 2025
12-8pm
35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Celebrate the season by supporting HCX and Haitian artisans and makers. Enjoy a festive afternoon of food, drinks, and music while shopping for a good cause! Take home a unique gift from The HCX Boutik, a specially curated selection of art and artisan craftwork benefiting Haiti Cultural Exchange.
Take a look at the amazing brands joining us at Bazaar Kreyòl this year:
• ARTisANETWORK
• Atelier Mahalia Stines
• Bijou Lakay
• Cantave de Saint Marc Coffee
• Haitian Bae
• KADOKÉLÉ
• Pikliz Please
• Se Lakay
• VB3
• Yoto and Claire

Ti Atis Second Saturdays: Letters & Cloth in Blue: A Cyanotype Workshop with Nica Drice
2025-12-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11213
Ti Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Join us this December for a cyanotype Workshop with artist Nica Drice!
Saturday, December 13, 2025
2-4pm
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
In this hands-on session, families will explore Haitian culture through cyanotype, a sun-printing (UV) process that creates vivid blue images. Using recycled, repurposed materials and natural objects, participants will design paper or fabric inspired by Haitian culture. Each piece becomes a personal keepsake and part of a larger story about memory & heritage.

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About the Artist
Jennica Drice is a Brooklyn-based Haitian artist and designer whose practice bridges textiles, memory, and reuse.
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Attendance free with museum admission. Limited number of free community tickets provided to the HCX community. RSVP below while availability lasts.
Spaces are limited. Purchase a ticket to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum here ».
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About Ti Atis
Ti Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Ti Atis (Little Artists) engages youth of Haitian descent and their peers with Haitian history and heritage via the arts, giving young people the tools to build an inclusive and culturally informed future as they learn about diverse art forms from professional Haitian artists.
Mark your calendars! Happening on the second Saturday of every month from November 2025 to May 2026.

Mizik Ayiti! Residency Winter Series | Okai Musik
2025-12-18 - 2026-02-05 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The Early Winter residency will be held by composer and multi-instrumentalist Okai Musik.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Okai Musik is a Haitian percussionist, M.C., and producer who has captivated audiences globally with his extraordinary talents. With a deep-rooted passion for rhythm, Okai embarked on his musical journey as a percussionist, mesmerizing and healing listeners with his vibrating beats. His rhythmic expertise has taken him to North, Central, and South America, Japan, and Africa.
His genre expansive career throws original and national rhythm into dancing beat across Hip hop, Afrohouse, Afro-indigenous sound and beyond.
Okai Musik’s six week residency at HCX will feature unique performances weekly, including an album release party, Afrolatino night and solo performances. Join our newsletter to stay up-to-date on these announcements by clicking the link in our footer.

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Dates & Tickets
Get your tickets today and don’t miss on on these incredible performances!
Performances will take place on Thursdays from December 18, 2025 – February 5, 2026 from 6-9pm.
Thursday, December 18 Tickets »
Thursday, January 8 Tickets »
Thursday, January 15 Tickets»
Thursday, January 22 Tickets»
Thursday, January 29 Tickets»
Thursday, February 5 Tickets»
Tickets include a complimentary beverage.
Special pop-up offerings with local Haitian restaurants.
Limited capacity, RSVP strongly recommended.

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About the musician
Okai Musik‘s dedication to his craft knows no bounds. He has immersed himself in the rich tapestry of rhythms from the African diaspora, mastering Bomba on the Barril drum from Puerto Rico, Rumba and Son from Cuba on Congas, Vodou rhythms from Haiti on the Rada and Petwo drums, Cumbia and Bullerengue from Colombia on the Alegre drum, and West African rhythms on the Djembe drum, among others. His passion for exploring and preserving these diverse musical traditions showcases his commitment to honoring and sharing the cultural heritage and history of these communities.
As a talented M.C. and producer, Okai showcases his creativity across many genres. His notable works include the albums “Tonight We Fly” (Afrohouse) from Oyasound, “Dekonstruktion of the Mind” (Hip-Hop), and “Int’l Party” (Regime Change). Collaborating with singers, rappers, and producers, Okai crafts a unique sound that resonates with listeners worldwide. He is also a co-founder and lead vocalist for Strings N Skins, alongside Grammy-winning violinist La Lulu from Colombia, and the lead vocalist of the acclaimed group Brown Rice Family, which won the WNYC 2012 Battle of the Boroughs championship. Okai‘s exceptional talent even led him to perform at the Haitian Ambassador’s Ball in Bogota, Colombia, showcasing his percussion skills to the Colombian government.
In addition to percussion, Okai is a seasoned conch shell player with a decade of experience. Playing the conch shell is a heartfelt ode to his Haitian ancestors and the indigenous Arawak and Taino people of the Caribbean. Through the evocative sounds of the conch shell, Okai ensures that the spirits of his forebears are not forgotten. The conch shell serves as a universal healing instrument, resonating in ceremonies and communication across cultures like India, Tibet, Nepal, Hawaii, and Ancient America. Okai‘s dedication to this ancient art form transcends borders, creating a harmonious bridge between tradition and contemporary expression.
In the realm of dance, Okai‘s rhythmic talents have been sought after by renowned dance ensembles such as Soles of Duende, Bombazo Dance Company, Kimani Fowlin, Renegade Dance Company, and Ase Dance Company. His rhythmic artistry has resonated through prestigious venues like Jacob’s Pillow, Bates Dance Festival, Gibney Dance, The Joyce Theater, Chelsea Factory, Drew University Dance Department, and Mark Morris Dance Company.
In addition to his performance career, Okai is a dedicated teaching artist. He imparts his knowledge through collaborations with NYC-based non-profits, including Little Orchestra, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Haiti Cultural Exchange, Town Hall, Brooklyn Museum, and the Department of Education. He has facilitated drum and beat-making workshops at Carnegie Hall and Ifetayo, inspiring musicians and fostering a deeper appreciation for percussion and producing. Okai‘s commitment to education and community outreach underscores his role as a cultural ambassador, spreading the joy of music and empowering others through his teachings. https://okaimusik.com/

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HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Ti Atis Second Saturdays: Haitian Heritage Games with Viv Liv Books
2026-01-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11213
Viv Liv Books’ Justine A. P. Louis brings her amazing collection of Haitian and Caribbean youth books for a special afternoon of learning, making, and play. Learn more about all the traditional games played in Haiti. Then LET’S PLAY! Get hands-on to explore all these new and old games and all the ways we can have fun with our friends.
Saturday, January 10, 2026
2-4pm
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
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Attendance free with museum admission.
Limited number of free tickets provided to the HCX community.
RSVP below while availability lasts!
Purchase a ticket to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum here ».
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Artist Bio
Justine A. P. Louis is an author, educator, and the founder of VivLiv Books, a publishing company dedicated to celebrating and promoting Caribbean and Haitian culture through diverse, bilingual children’s books. Born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised on the Caribbean island of Haiti, Justine grew up immersed in the vibrant traditions and storytelling heritage of her culture. Listening to engaging Haitian folktales and multicultural stories shared by her family sparked her love for storytelling and writing at a young age.
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About Ti Atis
Ti Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Ti Atis (Little Artists) engages youth of Haitian descent and their peers with Haitian history and heritage via the arts, giving young people the tools to build an inclusive and culturally informed future as they learn about diverse art forms from professional Haitian artists.
Mark your calendars! Happening on the second Saturday of every month from November 2025 to May 2026.

An n Pale with ALASO #6: Mati [Martyr] Contributors
2026-01-17 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
NÈGÈS MAWON and Haiti Cultural Exchange are pleased to host the U.S. launch of ALASO’s sixth issue. This new edition is titled “Mati” (Martyr). ALASO is a trilingual publication in Haitian Creole, French, and English. It serves as a space for feminist expression and dialogue, promoting the production of critical thought, debate, and analysis to make feminist ideas accessible in various formats and modes of dissemination. At the event, the sixth issue of ALASO will be available in both Haitian Creole/French and Haitian Creole/English editions. Previous issues of ALASO will also be available for purchase.
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 6-9pm
6-7pm: Reception
7pm: An n Pale and Q & A with ALASO #6 contributors
This launch will feature a discussion with:

Gaëlle Bien-Aimé: Writer, actress, and one of the reviewers and translators for ALASO. Her work contributes significantly to the literary and feminist landscape in Haiti through storytelling, humor, and critical thought.
Ana María Belique: Sociologist, activist, and founding leader of Reconocido, a movement mobilizing Dominicans of Haitian descent in the struggle for equality and citizenship rights. Her activism centers on restoring nationality rights to those affected by Ruling 168-13 of the Dominican Constitutional Court (2013) and advancing the social and political empowerment of communities of Haitian descent, especially those living in bateyes.
Pascale Solages: General Coordinator of NÈGÈS MAWON
Fania Noël: Afro Feminist writer, sociologist, and publication director of ALASO.

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About ALASO #6: Mati [Martyr]
“Martyr,” the word gracing this sixth issue of ALASO, is often used to describe a defenseless victim. Here, however, this body of contributors engage the term in its political context. The theme draws from liberation theology—evoking the martyrdom of Jesus—but also from decolonial and Third World liberation movements.
The intention is not to be hyperbolic, avoiding what Hortense Spillers describes as a pornotrope. Instead, throughout this issue, “martyr” becomes an analytical framework to examine lives made indispensable through capitalist, patriarchal, and supremacist exploitation—alongside their resistance, their attachment to the land, and the relationships fiercely targeted by these systems.
This edition inaugurates a new rubric Menm Nou Menm Lan (We Remain), featuring contributions from Black feminists worldwide. The first contribution comes from Sudan: The Noon Collective reflects on the war in Sudan and its connection to global patterns of exploitation, militarization, and anti-Black racism. As in Haiti and the Congo, Sudanese women’s bodies remain sites of ongoing genocide.
The issue also offers a moment of historical reflection with a summary of feminist activist Danièle Magloire’s seminar at CFEGES, revisiting the history of the Haitian feminist movement—a trajectory marked by martyrdom and “martyrization.” It continues with an analysis of anti-Haitianism at the core of Dominican national identity, explored by Ana Belique and grounded in Milagros Ricourt’s work The Dominican Racial Imaginary.
As always, ALASO remains a space for emerging feminist voices, featuring the three winning texts from our open call for contributions: “Our Walls of Wind” by Stéphana Dorval, “In the Border Lespwa” by Katiana Altiné, and “For Eliana!” by Emma Clésca. The issue concludes with an interview with singer Vanessa Jeudi.
Learn more about the ALASO Anthology here »
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About An n Pale
An n Pale | Let’s Talk is an ongoing series of artist talks featuring conversational encounters with artists engaged with issues connected to Haiti and the Diaspora.

Vizyon Atistik: JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval
2026-02-12 - 2026-03-29 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
“I think we all wear some kind of mask. There are masks that shield us from others, but there are masks that embolden us, and you see that in carnival. The shiest child puts on a mask and can do anything and be anybody.”
— Edwidge Danticat, quoted from the book “After the Dance: A Walk Through Jacmel Carnival”

Opening February 12, 2026, Haiti Cultural Exchange, Vizyon Atistik is pleased to present JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval. An exhibition exploring the historical, artistic, and cultural significance of Jacmel’s Carnival in Haiti.
Curated by HCX fellow Yvena Despagne and Executive Director Régine M. Roumain, this exhibition examines Carnival as a vital form of cultural expression and underscores the importance of its history for members of the Haitian diaspora and broader global audiences. Through visual art, mixed media, and cultural storytelling, the exhibition highlights why Jacmel’s Carnival is not only a cornerstone of Haitian cultural identity, but an essential history for the Haitian diaspora to learn, preserve, and pass on.
Renowned worldwide for its elaborate papier-mâché masks, political satire, and community driven artistry, JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration, it is a living archive of survival stories, memory, and self-expression. Born from Haiti’s revolutionary past and shaped by generations of local artisans, the carnival has long served as a platform for social commentary, collective healing, and cultural pride.

On view from February 12 through March 29
Haiti Cultural Exchange
35 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY

Visit the HCX Gallery to view this exhibition and join the artists & curators at activations taking place as part of this exhibition.
Thur. February 12 | 6-9pm
Opening Reception: Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval
RSVP Here »
Sat. February 28 | 3-5pm
Papier-mâché Workshop
RSVP Here »

Sat. March 7 | 4-6pm
An n Pale with Steven Baboun, Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre, and Lori Martineau
RSVP Here »

Sat. March 14 | 3-5pm
An n Pale with Tania L. Balan-Gaubert, Bacheler Jean-Pierre, Christina Rateau, and Kedler St-Hilaire (Virtual)
RSVP Here »
Sat. March 28 | 4-6pm
Closing Reception: Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval
RSVP Here »

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About The Exhibition
JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval tells the story of a people who have always used art as a language of survival and freedom. Migration, displacement, and generational distance have often disrupted the transmission of traditions like Carnival. This exhibition is about honoring that legacy and ensuring it remains visible, especially for those in the diaspora who may feel disconnected from Haiti’s cultural history.
Through paintings, sculptural works, archival materials, and contemporary interpretations, this exhibition bridges past and present, showing how Jacmel’s Carnival continues to influence global art, and political expression while remaining deeply grounded in local community traditions. For the Haitian diaspora, the exhibition emphasizes the urgency of cultural preservation and reclamation. By engaging with Jacmel’s artistic practices and historical narratives, the exhibition encourages diasporic audiences to reconnect with their roots and recognize Carnival as a powerful symbol of identity, and continuity of Haitian culture.

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Featured Artists
Steven Baboun | Website
Steven Baboun is an artist, photographer, and creative director from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, based in New York City. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Arts and a minor in Education Studies from American University, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Parsons School of Design. Baboun works in photography, video, performance, textile + multimedia installation, and design. Currently, Baboun is the founder and creative director of Studio Baboun, a creative house based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the co-founder and CEO of NativRoots Collective, a creative agency specializing in visual production and solutions across entertainment, nonprofits, live experiences, and businesses.
Tania L. Balan-Gaubert | Website
Tania L. Balan-Gaubert is a conceptual artist, cultural producer, and writer based between Lenapehoking (Brooklyn, NY) and Shikaawa (Chicago, Illinois). Her practice weaves together personal narrative, diasporic memory, and speculative world-building, moving through histories of displacement and survival while honoring practices of belonging.
Born to Haitian parents on the Council of the Three Fires and Miami lands of present-day Illinois, she was raised between Chicago’s South Side and Brooklyn’s Flatlands neighborhood. These geographies continue to shape her artistic practice, which is guided by Haitian, African, and Indigenous traditions. Working across mixed media, installation, photography, painting, and social practice, she assembles found objects, folklore, craft, and spirituality into hybrid forms that move between the material and immaterial. Her work creates spaces where ancestral memory intersects with contemporary experience and where imagination becomes a tool for reclamation and transformation.
Bacheler Jean-Pierre | Website
Miami-based artist Bacheler Jean-Pierre, known for his love of the statement “NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED”, diversifies self-expression through mediums of music, art, architecture, and fashion. His Caribbean Afro-beat vibe invites you in for a closer look at the personal journey navigating and embracing the essence of an ambitious creative. His creations reveal an intimate rendition of one’s highest self, initiated through strife and strength.
As a survivor of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Bacheler’s will to live cultivates a continuing freedom to establish uniqueness conveyed in his visionary works. Bacheler’s belief in the power of words speaks to vibrations of expansion and growth. His loyalty to being a student of creation demonstrates the voyages in humility of the shadow self thus validating art as “a reason to triumph” where consciousness evolves.
Charles Jean-Pierre | Website
Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre is a Haitian-American artist groomed on Chicago’s south side. Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre’s most tangible connections to his Haitian roots were the paintings and sculptures in his family’s home. He often overheard passionate debates on abuses of power and continual regression in Haiti, but the art that hung on their walls were beautiful contradictions to his homeland’s hopeless narrative. The stark contradictions of beauty and power, as a theme, are ever-present as a theoretical and methodological struggle within Jean-Pierre’s overall body of work.
His art and work has been featured at many institutions, including the U.S. State Department; the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou, Benin; the Obama White House; The Smithsonian; the Mamelodi Project; and International Monetary Fund. His work has been highlighted by numerous media outlets including: The Washington Post, Ebony Magazine, Black Enterprise, NHK Japan, The Village Voice, BET, NBC, Netflix and FOX. Jean Pierre holds a Masters of Arts from Howard University and has created public art murals in South Africa, Panama, New York, Chicago, Washington, Istanbul, Montreal, Port-au-Prince, London, and Paris. He is currently a professor at Howard University in Fine Arts.
Lori Martineau
Lori Martineau is a writer, aspiring mermaid and creativity junkie. Her professional background is in Education and Expressive Arts Therapy. Born and raised in the Pearl of the Caribbean, her work revolves around a ceaseless curiosity in Haiti’s oral history and cultural traditions. Martieau’s fixation on capturing the tiny pieces of larger stories began with her first camera in her youth documenting the bustling activity of Mache Petyonvil. Martineau was exhilarated by the small moments within the mache’s buzzing activity – piles and piles of merchandise and food, every color, smell, and noise imaginable, and humans moving like foumi fou. She remains fascinated by Haitian culture bearers and her images are a collection of bearing witness to little moments within expansive Kanaval traditions. Lori can be found hopping a flight to soak in water, managing a Haitian restaurant in New Orleans or spending quality time with her home in Haiti.
Christina Rateau | Website
Christina Rateau, born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is a visual artist and photographer based in Amsterdam. With a background in Economics from Donghua University (Shanghai, China), her journey spans modeling, creative direction, and analogue photography, reflecting her passion for storytelling and self-expression. Her practice, Occhio del Ciclone (“The Eye of the Storm”), explores identity, memory, and cultural heritage through conceptual, tactile narratives. Drawing on her Haitian roots and global experiences, Christina crafts evocative works using analogue photography, bold colors, and portraiture, often featuring self-portraits to explore themes personally.
Christina’s work has been featured in Photovogue and The New York Times and debuted her first solo exhibition in 2022 at Studio Baboun. She has also participated in group shows like Our Collective Future at Kunstlinie (Almere, Netherlands) and many other shows in Indianapolis. Committed to preserving Haiti’s cultural heritage, Christina aims to inspire strength and belonging in her audience while empowering the Haitian community and the Black diaspora. Her goal is to serve as a cultural archivist, amplifying Haiti’s stories and traditions for future generations.
Kedler St-Hilaire | Website
Kedler St-Hilaire is a Haitian visual artist and graphic designer whose artistic approach lies at the crossroads of formal rigor and chromatic emotion. A graduate of the École Nationale des Arts (ENARTS), he has developed a singular visual language where line, structure, and color interact. Art is neither decorative nor passive: it is a vital necessity, an act of affirmation and resistance against a world often marked by social and moral bleakness. He is driven by a clear mission: to bring originality, dignity, and meaning to places where degradation prevails.
St-Hilaire trained at the Centre d’Art and continues his artistic research by studying tattoo, enriching his visual and textural vocabulary. St-Hilaire is also an accomplished graphic designer, having collaborated with several leading institutions including CARE Haiti, LEGS ÉDITIONS, FOKAL, the Pyepoudre Cultural Center, the Festival 4 Chemins, La Famille Joseph, and Pascale Théard Créations. Based in Carrefour, St-Hilaire, stands out as a unique voice in the contemporary Haitian art scene, building worlds that are colorful, structured, and profoundly human.
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With sculpture works provided by the Tequila Minsky Private Collection

Vizyon Atistik: OPENING NIGHT | JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval
2026-02-12 18:00 - 21:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
“I think we all wear some kind of mask. There are masks that shield us from others, but there are masks that embolden us, and you see that in carnival. The shiest child puts on a mask and can do anything and be anybody.”
— Edwidge Danticat, quoted from the book “After the Dance: A Walk Through Jacmel Carnival”

Join us for the opening reception of JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval on February 12, 2026, presented by Haiti Cultural Exchange, Vizyon Atistik.
Curated by HCX fellow Yvena Despagne and Executive Director Régine M. Roumain, this exhibition examines Carnival as a vital form of cultural expression and underscores the importance of its history for members of the Haitian diaspora and broader global audiences. Through visual art, mixed media, and cultural storytelling, the exhibition highlights why Jacmel’s Carnival is not only a cornerstone of Haitian cultural identity, but an essential history for the Haitian diaspora to learn, preserve, and pass on.
Renowned worldwide for its elaborate papier-mâché masks, political satire, and community driven artistry, JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration, it is a living archive of survival stories, memory, and self-expression. Born from Haiti’s revolutionary past and shaped by generations of local artisans, the carnival has long served as a platform for social commentary, collective healing, and cultural pride.

Opening Night, February 12
6–9pm
Haiti Cultural Exchange
35 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY
On view from February 12 through March 29

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About The Exhibition
JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval tells the story of a people who have always used art as a language of survival and freedom. Migration, displacement, and generational distance have often disrupted the transmission of traditions like Carnival. This exhibition is about honoring that legacy and ensuring it remains visible, especially for those in the diaspora who may feel disconnected from Haiti’s cultural history.
Through paintings, sculptural works, archival materials, and contemporary interpretations, this exhibition bridges past and present, showing how Jacmel’s Carnival continues to influence global art, and political expression while remaining deeply grounded in local community traditions. For the Haitian diaspora, the exhibition emphasizes the urgency of cultural preservation and reclamation. By engaging with Jacmel’s artistic practices and historical narratives, the exhibition encourages diasporic audiences to reconnect with their roots and recognize Carnival as a powerful symbol of identity, and continuity of Haitian culture.

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Featured Artists
Steven Baboun | Tania L. Balan-Gaubert | Bacheler Jean-Pierre | Charles Jean-Pierre | Lori Martineau | Christina Rateau | Kedler St. Hilaire
With sculpture works provided by the Tequila Minsky Private Collection

Ti Atis Second Saturdays: Krik? Krak! Haitian Creole Story Time with Jaden Timoun
2026-02-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11213
In the spirit of oral storytelling that is popular in Haitian culture, Jaden Timoun will engage children and their families in a Krik? Krak! Haitian Creole Story Time session. The afternoon will include singing, movement, and arts & crafts.
Saturday, February 14, 2026
2-4pm
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
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Attendance free with museum admission.
Limited number of free tickets provided to the HCX community.
RSVP below while availability lasts!
Purchase a ticket to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum here ».
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Artist Bio
Serving children ages 0 to 12, Jaden Timoun is a culturally responsive program which boasts an array of offerings including interactive classes and fun language learning tools such as puzzles accompanied by informational guides and a Jaden Timoun storybook. Jaden Timoun’s Haitian Creole interactive classes include storytelling, dance, movement, singing, arts/crafts, games, guest artists, and diverse resources shared with families for extended learning outside of the Jaden Timoun space. From private sessions to group classes to parent consultations on bilingualism Jaden Timoun has something to fit every family’s language learning needs.
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About Ti Atis
Ti Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Ti Atis (Little Artists) engages youth of Haitian descent and their peers with Haitian history and heritage via the arts, giving young people the tools to build an inclusive and culturally informed future as they learn about diverse art forms from professional Haitian artists.
Mark your calendars! Happening on the second Saturday of every month from November 2025 to May 2026.

Mizik Ayiti! Residency Winter Series | Mikaëlle Aimée
2026-02-19 - 2026-03-26 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join us on Thursdays for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The Winter residency will be held by Haitian-American singer-songwriter Mikaëlle Aimée.
Mikaëlle Aimée is a New York–based musician who brings jazz, folk, soul, and vibrant Haitian musical traditions to life through her voice and guitar.
Mikaëlle Aimée’s six week residency at HCX will feature unique performances weekly.
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Dates & Tickets
Get your tickets today and don’t miss out on these incredible performances!
Performances will take place on Thursdays from February 19, 2026–March 26, 2026, 6-9pm.
Get your tickets to one, or all these performances, here »
Tickets include a complimentary beverage.
Special pop-up offerings with local Haitian restaurants.
Limited capacity, RSVP strongly recommended.
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About the musician
Mikaëlle Aimée is a Haitian-American singer-songwriter based in New York. She sings and plays guitar and has become known for her dazzling performance styles ranging from Jazz, Folk, Soul, and across Haitian musical genres.
Mikaëlle Aimée first debuted on the Haitian Music scene in 2009 where she began performing regularly for the variety shows Ayiti Deploge, and Havana Guitar Night. She also participated heavily in the Port-au-Prince Jazz music scene between 2010 and 2014.
As lead singer of the jazz band Kayel, Mikaëlle Aimée held residence at the well-known Quartier Latin in Pétion-Ville, Haiti from 2010 to 2013.
She also hosted the popular television show “Metro Night” on Haiti’s Tele Metropole station between 2012 and 2014.
Mikaëlle’s journey took an unexpected pivot when she found herself stranded in the US, in Summer 2014, due to passport complications. As luck would have it, the travel delays would be the catalyst that jumpstarted her music career here in the US.
She quickly plugged into the Haitian Jazz community and eventually joined some New York-based ensembles. She would later participate in the 2018 Apollo Theater Amateur Night, where she reached the semi-finals, marking her first major accomplishment on US soil.
Her musical pursuits have taken her throughout the 5 boroughs, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Miami and Atlanta. Her international performances include Spain, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
Mikaëlle Aimée released the soulful ballad “Lay me Down” in 2019 and Kreyol Funk tune, “Adye” in 2021.
She is currently in the process of completing her first EP “Hope in Disguise”, with Queens based Producer Gurpal X, and is also working towards the release of several tracks in Haitian Creole.
In 2025, she created “Soirée Sérénade”, a compilation of Haitian traditional and folk music, french chansonettes, jazz and bossa nova. It serves as a representation of what would be popular on the radio when she was a child. The purpose of this show is to unite Haitians with a voyage through time, a bit of nostalgia for the exiled.
For more information or booking, please contact Mikaëlle Aimée at MikaelleAimee@gmail.com or visit her on Instagram @MikaelleAimee
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HCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency
HCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress, showcase new work, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages.
Rarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form, experiment, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks, resident artists receive a platform to fine tune approaches, activate jam sessions, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences.
On Thursday evenings, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.

Haiti Film Fest Pop Up | The Forgotten Occupation: Jim Crow Goes to Haiti
2026-02-20 18:00 - 21:00 | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11213
Haiti Cultural Exchange and the team behind “The Forgotten Occupation: Jim Crow Goes to Haiti” present a special community screening of this pivotal documentary followed by a discussion with filmmaker Alain Martin.
Friday, February 20, 2026
Doors: 6:00pm
Screening: 6:30pm
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum Theater
145 Brooklyn Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11213
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FREE
Donations welcome
Registration required.
Follow this link to RSVP on Eventbrite »
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About the Film
100 years after the Haitian Revolution, the people of Haiti find themselves once again having to defend their liberty, this time against a powerful neighbor: the United States.
What happens when the oppressor becomes your salvation? Through a letter to his grandfather, a Haitian filmmaker revisits the U.S. occupation of Haiti, unraveling the paradox of a man who longed for American rule and a nation scarred by it. Blending intimate memory with sweeping history, the film confronts exile, love, and the uneasy truths at the heart of freedom.
Directed by Haitian filmmaker Alain Martin and executive produced by New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist).
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About HCX | Haiti Film Fest Pop Up Series
This special film screening is part of the Haiti Film Fest Pop Up Series offering more intimate opportunities to engage with the filmmakers and deepen connection to the themes explored on screen.
Haiti Film Fest is the only New York City film festival devoted to Haiti-focused cinema and Haitian filmmakers. Launched in 2011, the festival screens motion pictures in many genres and formats, ranging from documentary shorts to extended narrative film. Presenting these films to a broad audience, Haiti Film Fest is also an opportunity for the Haitian community to see itself represented in this vital and prevalent medium.

This event is presented in collaboration & with support from the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Diaspora Community Services, Kinfolk Tech, the Fund for Haitian Women, and NYC Council Member Rita Joseph.

Vizyon Atistik | Papier-mâché Workshop with David Sainté
2026-02-28 15:00 - 17:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
In this participatory workshop, join artist David Sainté to learn methods of mask making and why Jacmel’s Carnival is not only a cornerstone of Haitian cultural identity, but an essential history for the Haitian diaspora to learn, preserve, and pass on.
Each participant will receive a pre-made mask to decorate with demonstrated techniques , a complementary beverage, & light refreshments.
This event is part of the Vizyon Atistik public programming for JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval on view until March 29, 2026.

Saturday, February 28
3–5pm
Haiti Cultural Exchange
35 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY

RSVP required. Limited Capacity.
Get your tickets here »

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About The Exhibition
JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration, it is a living archive of survival stories, memory, and self-expression.
Learn more about the exhibition and artists here »
Join the artists & curators for other activations taking place as part of this exhibition »

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About the Instructor
David Sainté is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and interdisciplinary visual artist of Haitian descent whose work bridges experimental documentary, installation, and new media. His practice merges archival footage, video, and sculptural environments with emerging technologies to create immersive, narrative-driven experiences that explore memory, grief, and cultural identity.
His recent work includes Bedsheet Bunker, presented in Oslo as part of Nou La: Apertures into Haiti at Kunstnernes Hus, alongside Jelsen Lee Innocent’s exhibition Truth Has No Friends in The West. The generative film explores Haiti’s artistic legacy and diaspora through themes of spirituality, resilience, and resistance, situating Haitian voices within global contemporary discourse.
Another cornerstone of his practice is Nou Mache lè Solèy Kouche, a part-sculptural, part-generative documentary installation supported by the En Foco Media Arts Fund and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Originally intended for the Ghetto Biennale in Jacmel, the project was left without a home after the event was cancelled due to the crisis in Haiti. The installation has continued to evolve in Sainté’s studio, weaving light, film, and memory with car parts, sequin fabrics, found objects, and glowing masks that evoke Jacmel’s Kanaval traditions and ancestral memory.
Sainté’s broader projects have been supported by institutions such as The Shed, MIT, the MUD Foundation in Miami’s Little Haiti, the Museum of the Moving Image, where he has developed XR environments, sound, and experimental moving image installations.

Vizyon Atistik | An n Pale with Steven Baboun, Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre, and Lori Martineau
2026-03-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Haiti Cultural Exchange, 35 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, United States
Join this in-person conversation with featured artists of the current exhibition Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval on view now in the HCX: Steven Baboun, Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre, and Lori Martineau.
This event is part of the Vizyon Atistik public programming for JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval on view until March 29, 2026.
Saturday, March 7
4–6pm
Haiti Cultural Exchange
35 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY
Limited capacity, RSVP strongly suggested.
Seating first come, first served.
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About The Exhibition
JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration, it is a living archive of survival stories, memory, and self-expression.
Learn more about the exhibition and artists here »
Join the artists & curators for other activations taking place as part of this exhibition »

Ti Atis Second Saturdays: Haitian Folkloric Dance with Robenson Mathurin
2026-03-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11213
Through music, rhythm, and creative play, families will learn the basics of Haitian folkloric dance while discovering the stories and meanings behind each step. This Ti Atis dance class will nurture self-expression, cooperation, and cultural pride, helping children connect with Haiti’s spirit of resilience and joy in a fun and supportive environment. Led by caring and experienced teaching artist Robenson Mathurin, families will dance, learn, and celebrate together—honoring their heritage while creating something new.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
2-4pm
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
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Attendance free with museum admission.
Limited number of free tickets provided to the HCX community.
RSVP below while availability lasts!
Purchase a ticket to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum here »
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Artist Bio
Robenson Mathurin is a New York–based dancer, choreographer, and teacher who shares the beauty and spirit of Haitian culture through dance. Trained in many styles and having performed around the world, he continues to teach and inspire students of all ages. In 2022, he founded NANM, his own dance company, which uses movement and storytelling to celebrate Haitian traditions, honor personal stories, and bring families and communities together through the joy of dance.
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About Ti Atis
Ti Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Ti Atis (Little Artists) engages youth of Haitian descent and their peers with Haitian history and heritage via the arts, giving young people the tools to build an inclusive and culturally informed future as they learn about diverse art forms from professional Haitian artists.
Mark your calendars! Happening on the second Saturday of every month from November 2025 to May 2026.
