Princeton University Art Museum receives landmark gift of 20th-century Haitian paintings

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Princeton University Art Museum receives landmark gift of 20th-century Haitian paintings

Philom� Obin (1891–1968), Arrest of Toussaint L'Ouverture. Oil on fiberboard; 50.8 � 61 cm, 64.3 � 74.3 � 3.5 cm (frame). Gift of Kay and J. Roderick Heller, Class of 1959 (2025-234)

PRINCETON, NJ .- The Princeton University Art Museum announces a major gift of 34 twentieth-century Haitian paintings from Kay Culbreath Heller and J. Roderick Heller, Class of 1959. The landmark acquisition, drawn from the Hellers’ distinguished collection, includes works by many of Haiti’s most celebrated modern artists, among them Rigaud Benoit, Wilson Bigaud, Edouard Duval-Carri�, Hector Hyppolite, Jasmin Joseph, Philom� Obin, S�n�que Obin, Andr� Pierre, Louisiane Saint-Fleurant, and Gerard Valcin.

With this gift, the Museum significantly expands its representation of modern and contemporary art from the Caribbean and inaugurates a sustained collection of Haitian art. The acquisition deepens the Museum’s commitment to representing artists from the African diaspora and transforms its ability to learn from the historical, political, spiritual, and aesthetic connections the works propose. Beginning in fall 2026, paintings from this gift will be installed in galleries across the Museum, beginning with the galleries of American and Latin American art, and later in spaces dedicated to African, European, and Modern and Contemporary art—emphasizing the cross-cultural dialogues works from the collection make possible. The new paintings also open significant opportunities for research and teaching across the University.

“The reopening of the Princeton University Art Museum has created new opportunities to present global histories of art with greater depth and nuance,” said James Steward, Nancy A. Nasher–David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976, Director. “This extraordinary gift from Kay and Rod Heller allows us to foreground Haiti’s modern artistic traditions, enriching our galleries and classrooms by inviting audiences to encounter the intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic significance of Haitian art within a truly international framework.”

“Haitian artists have shaped modern and contemporary art in ways that demand greater visibility within global narratives,” said Juliana Ochs Dweck, chief curator. “Thanks to this incredibly generous gift, Princeton can invest in teaching, research, and display that honors the depth, innovation, and significance of Haitian artistic traditions.”

The Heller Collection centers on artists associated with the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince, founded in 1944, and reflects artistic production in Haiti across the twentieth century. The paintings illuminate daily life, spirituality, and natural ecologies in Haiti, while also addressing themes of migration, memory, and the afterlives of colonialism in the Americas. Several works explore Vodou iconography and ritual, including depictions of the sacred mapou tree and the lakou, or communal courtyard, underscoring the spiritual and social dimensions of Haitian life.

Among the highlights are three major paintings by Rigaud Benoit (1911–1986), a first-generation member of the Centre d’Art: Erzulie (ca. 1953), Children Playing (1962), and Vodou Ceremony (ca. 1957–58). In Children Playing, Benoit depicts the lakou as a site of communal gathering and social formation, while Vodou Ceremony portrays ritual activity at the sacred mapou tree, a portal between the earthly and spiritual realms.

Kay Heller’s engagement with Haiti began in the 1980s, when she worked in Limb� and developed close relationships with Haitian artists and cultural leaders. Rod later took up Kay’s passion for art from Haiti, and they built their collection together. The Hellers have previously supported Haitian art through exhibitions and major gifts to institutions such as the Tampa Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art. Their gift to the Princeton University Art Museum ensures that this collection will serve as a lasting resource for research, teaching, and public engagement.

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