NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale commemorates “The Indigo Room”, a collaborative project by Duval-Carrie
Ten years ago, Haitian-born, South Florida artist Edouard Duval-Carrié joined with students and teachers from Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard High School in a unique collaboration that resulted in the creation of The Indigo Room. This iconic room-size installation brings to life the story of the historical and contemporary Haitian experience and is on permanent display in the heart of NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. The groundbreaking project redefined arts education and set a new standard for collaborations between professional artists, museums and public schools. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of The Indigo Room, the Museum of Art will reunite Duval-Carrié with art students and teachers who participated in the project during a rededication ceremony on October 17 from 6 – 8 pm. The event takes place at NSU Museum of Art, and it coincides with Caribe Arts Fest, a multi-genre art festival in Fort Lauderdale celebrating the arts of the Caribbean and the Americas.
“ The Indigo Room is an important work in the Museum of Art’s permanent collection that is also a symbol of its longstanding commitment to education and the community,” said Museum of Art Director and Chief Curator Bonnie Clearwater. “We invite everyone to join us as we celebrate its anniversary.” Edouard Duval-Carrié has been called one of the most daring and original artists of our time, and The Indigo Room was the first project launched in the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale’s Artist in Residence program. With its lush, subaqueous glow, The Indigo Room creates an environment that envelopes the viewer in 200 years of Haitian history, resilience and spirituality. During the creation of the work, the students from Dillard High School’s Dillard Center for the Arts gathered information and personal objects from the Haitian community that had settled in the area. The artifacts were ultimately incorporated into the gridwork of translucent cells that lines the installation’s walls. Several of the students who participated in the project have gone on to pursue careers as professional artists.
