Jennifer Berkemeier has long held a fascination with the people — and the culture — of Haiti. So much so, that she adopted her daughter, Helen-Widma, 6, from the island nation and brought her home to Farmington Hills nearly three years ago.
Describing Haitian art and music as having “a special attraction all its own,” Berkemeier wants to make sure Helen-Widma grows up proud of her native culture. That’s why she was thrilled when the Haitian Network Group of Detroit, which she’s a member of, presented Farmington’s first-ever Haitian Art and Cultural Festival, the aptly-named “Bèl Bagay Lakay,” at Riley Park last weekend.
Bèl Bagay Lakay, translated from Haitian Creole as “beautiful things from home,” featured tents filled with artwork, books and handmade clothing created by Haitian people to showcase their culture, Haitian music, food and more. Activities included interactive storytelling for children, games, drum workshops and a “Rara parade,” which organizer Margareth Cookery said was “the biggest hit of the afternoon.”
“All the festival attendees participated and it was beautiful,” she said.
Gazing at some art pieces by Saturday evening, Betty Jean Hebel said the event was “fabulous.” Hebel is a marketing instructor at Madonna University, who provided marketing services for the festival. The school also offered lodging for the visiting artists.
Shella Augustine from Haiti serves up food to festival-goer Patrick Rushing of Farmington Hills. (Photo: Aileen Wingblad)
“The colors (in the artwork) are so startling, so engaging — they draw you in,” Hebel said, as she checked out acrylics by artist Alix Rey, MD. Rey, a native Haitian, has become an accomplished artist after taking up painting since retiring from a career in neuropsychiatry.
He serves as president of Les Artistes da Reminiscences, a Montreal-based group of Haitian artists.
“I used to prescribe painting to my patients as therapy, and now I prescribe it to myself,” Rey said, smiling.
The art festival, he noted, was “excellent.”
“It’s as we expected — and a bit more,” Rey said.
Crockery said it was “a great experience for me and more rewarding than anything I have co-chaired.”
“The HNGD committee and our partner Madonna University put a lot of work into it,” she said, “but we got a whole lot more out of it.”
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dear maam i have got a mail from the haiti ministry he says his name is carmelle john maris and he is the finance minister of haiti is it true.and he wants some business vehicles over there
Marie-Carmelle Jean-Marie was Finance Minister but resigned
Tuesday evening, the first rumors of the resignation of Marie-Carmelle Jean-Marie, Minister of Economy and Finance began to circulate from sources close to the Minister. In her letter of resignation addressed to the Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, that we obtained a copy, Marie-Carmelle Jean-Marie explains her decision by the lack of support in the context of major reforms that she has initiated “I can only note that I no longer havethe support expected on all of these points. I can fight against adversity and against external hazards that hit with regularity our country, but not against the lack of solidarity with my own peers.”