Haiti Cultural Exchange Makes Major Moves

"For more than a decade, Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) has welcomed celebrities, creatives, artists, actors and activists with something to say at its Crown Heights location, Five Myles Gallery. Founded in 2009 by community organizer Régine Roumain, HCX was created to fill a cultural gap in the New York Haitian community: a permanent space dedicated to Haitian art, craftsmanship and storytelling. While individual events celebrated Haiti through dance and arts, there was no consistent place where Haitians could engage with the full scope of the creative expressions they had to offer."

"However, after 14 years at the gallery, Roumain announced last week that the nonprofit dedicated to highlighting Haitian arts and culture would be moving to a new location many in the Brooklyn Haitian community would be familiar with - 35 Lafayette Ave, next to the now-shuttered La Caye Restaurant. The restaurant, owned by Ralph Gemau, was a gathering space for the community and Haitian elected officials for years. Roumain says their constituents have been excited by this location. "It's a return to Haitian space and as part of one of the most prominent cultural districts in Brooklyn. The accessibility and visibility provide a unique opportunity for Haitian culture," she says."

Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) is moving from Five Myles Gallery in Crown Heights to 35 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene after 14 years. HCX was founded in 2009 by Régine Roumain to provide a permanent space for Haitian art, craftsmanship and storytelling in New York. The relocation follows the building owner informing HCX in January 2024 that the Five Myles property would be sold. The new site sits beside the now-shuttered La Caye Restaurant, a longtime community gathering spot owned by Ralph Gemau. Constituents have responded enthusiastically to the more accessible, visible location within a prominent Brooklyn cultural district.

Read at The Haitian Times