open call to artists of haitian descent

Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) is thrilled to announce a collaboration with the Alan Lomax Archive. In collaboration with Lomax’s unprecedented recordings of Haitian music from the 1930’s, we invite artists to create work or submit existing work that responds to the these unique sounds of Haiti.

In December 1936, at the urging of his colleague and friend Zora Neale Hurston, a 20-year-old Alan Lomax set off for Haiti under the auspices of the Library of Congress, determined to document the island’s music and ritual life. Over the next five months, he and his newlywed wife Elizabeth, alongside assistant Révolie Polinice, captured over fifteen hundred recordings — some fifty hours of sound — and six moving pictures, all of which were deposited into the Library of Congress upon their return.

What they brought back was an extraordinary collection of Haitian expressive culture: children’s songs and lullabies alongside rara, carnival, and ritual music; performances by Hurston herself; the first-ever recordings of celebrated classical pianist Ludovic Lamothe; and the first recording of a traditional Vodou ceremony. Taken together, they offer an unparalleled window Haitian traditions at a pivotal moment in their evolution.

Exhibition Dates: September 19 – October 18, 2026