Charles City Arts Center features special collection of Haitian art

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Arts Center has a special featured exhibit this month.

On loan from the Waterloo Center for the Arts, the Arts Center is exhibiting “Uncle Fun’s Over-Stuffed Suitcases of Spectacular Beaded & Sequined Haitian Art.”

“I’m very excited,” said Arts Center Director Emily Kiewel, who has spent the week hanging up the heavy flags for display. “They’re just stunning.”

Gifted to the Waterloo Center for the Arts by Ted “Uncle Fun” Frankel in 2014, the collection includes dozens of beaded and sequined flags featuring colorful portrayals of saints, deities, and other touchstones of Haitian culture.

Getting a portion of the collection on loan to the Arts Center has been a long-time goal for Kiewel.

“The Waterloo Center for the Arts has the largest collection of Haitian Art in the world,” said Kiewel. “I’ve been geeking out about them all month.”

The Arts Center will officially open the exhibit with a reception on Friday, Sept. 6, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Elizabeth Andrews from the Waterloo Center for the Arts will be there to share detailed information about the collection.