In the quiet corner of a dim bedroom, Sophia Lacroix sat cross-legged on her bed, her small fingers clutching a pair of worn Barbies and a stubby pencil. The muffled shouts from the kitchen were background noise to her world, where dolls became muses and each sketch was a sanctuary. Drawing was her escape, and the dolls—her first muses—taught her anatomy in plastic poses. In fifth grade, she entered an art contest at her all-girls Catholic school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. When they called her name as the winner, it felt like sunlight breaking through a storm. That moment became the first brushstroke of a life she vowed to paint differently.
“As early as four, I’d doodle in my baby album,” says Lacroix. “Growing up in a home of domestic violence, I’d use art as escapism, and I also taught myself how to do oils, and I picked it up in my twenties while in college. Since I grew up in Haiti, I wanted to paint Haiti and share its colors with the world.”
It begins with a burst of color—sun-drenched oranges, sea blues, and lush, leafy greens that seem to sway to the sound of distant drums. Haitian art doesn’t just hang on walls—it sings, it dances, it tells stories passed down through generations with every vibrant hue and hand-carved line.
Through every brushstroke, Haitian artists like Sophia Lacroix invite viewers to feel the spirit of the island, to hear the echo of ancestral prayers, and to witness how a nation turns adversity into artistry.
“Even though I came to the U.S. at 15, my art is a reflection of where I’m from,” says Lacroix. “I paint about the Haiti of my childhood, I know that the Haiti of the ‘70s and early ‘80s no longer exists, especially after the devastating earthquake of 2010. However, when I escape into one of my paintings, it is as if I am transported back to the beautiful mountains and beaches, the noisy, colorful and fragrant marketplace of Petion-Ville, the children I used to play with in backyards.”
That spirit has found a new home in South Florida, where two exhibitions—each glowing with memory, movement, and meaning—invite the community to step into a living tapestry of Haitian heritage, alive with rhythm, resilience, and radiant joy.
At the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, “Roots and Realism” features hyper-realistic oil paintings and expressive charcoal portraits that reflect the vibrant culture and everyday life of Haiti during the 1970s and 1980s.
“After graduating from college, I picked up oils,” says Lacroix. “Oil on canvas and oil on paper are my strong points and that’s what I’m known for and I love doing Haitian market scenes and showing the Haitian heritage through it.”
A self-taught artist and mother of a 16-year-old, Lacroix first started painting with oils in the early ’90s—teaching herself the craft while working in social services. She dedicated her days to uplifting underserved communities in 1992 when she started working for the Fort Lauderdale Department of Children and Families. By 1995, her vivid imagination and heart for storytelling translated into a thriving art career. Today, her work bursts with color and soul, capturing the beauty of everyday life through hyper-realistic oil paintings and expressive charcoal drawings.
Deeply inspired by her Haitian roots and the vibrant people of South Florida—where she’s spent most of her life since she was 15—her art is a love letter to memory, heritage, and human connection. One of her most celebrated pieces is a monumental 6-by-9-foot mural commissioned in 2008 by the City of Miami, now a permanent fixture on the southeast wall of the Little Haiti Cultural Center—a lasting tribute to culture, community, and creativity.
“But now with ‘Roots and Realism,’ we get to show and inform people on a Haiti of the past while still showing my newer works,” says Lacroix. “We even have reproductions of my older work.”
“Roots and Realism: A Haitian Artist’s Reminiscence” is on view from through Wednesday, June 21 at the Ali Cultural Arts Center. On Friday, May 16 at 6 p.m., Lacroix will give an artist talk, taking participants behind the scenes of her work.
Through scenes of bustling markets, quiet family gatherings, and intimate moments, Lacroix captures the texture and rhythm of Haitian life with remarkable detail. Her work explores themes of memory, heritage, and identity, portraying a nation shaped by resilience and beauty.
The exhibition offers insight into the lived experiences of the Haitian people, rendered through Lacroix’s signature realism and deep emotional resonance. It stands as both a personal and cultural reflection, presenting a powerful narrative through art.
“For those who remember the streets of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables, the colorful clothing, and the warm people, it’ll be like going down memory lane,” says Lacroix. “For those who weren’t there, it’s a chance to learn about what it was like and how we’re shaped by it today.”
Each piece is more than art — it’s a preservation of culture, a visual diary of a pivotal era when Haiti’s resilience, beauty, and complexity shined against all odds. In a world where histories can fade or be rewritten, “Roots and Realism” stands as a powerful reminder of Haiti’s rich artistic legacy.
“I want to show moments of happiness and not the Haiti we see on the news all the time with the poverty, violence, and the misunderstandings,” says Lacroix. “To show that we’re more than that.
Preserving Heritage at The Hewitt Collection
Just nine miles away, the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center presents the profound Hewitt Collection, a time-honored treasure trove that reverberates with the rich, layered legacy of Haitian and African diasporic art.
The exhibition offers a visually compelling and emotionally resonant experience, weaving together generational narratives through detailed and expressive brushwork.
“I started working in museums and archives in 2007 as a high school student,” says archivist Erin Purdy. “In 2024 I started a new position that allowed me the privilege of also working in the AARLCC Special Collections which houses the Hewitt Collection.”
In Fort Lauderdale, the treasure trove that is the Hewitt Collection captures the vibrancy, struggles, and triumphs of Haitian people and their descendants.
“I think when many people think of Haiti and its history, they focus on the hardships of the nation and its people,” says Purdy. “But in their art, which is inundated with deep cultural meanings and historical narratives, you can see that Haitians are people filled with ingenuity, joy, and pride. Having the honor of preserving the art in the Hewitt Collection allows us to share the beauty, the color, and imagination of these talented and knowledgeable Haitian artists with the public.”
The Hewitt Collection stands as a powerful testament to the depth, beauty, and resilience of Haitian history. Rich with vibrant textures, symbolic imagery, and voices that echo across generations, the collection does more than preserve the past—it celebrates it.
“I also love the fact that the Hewitts were people of modest means,” says Purdy. “John (Hewitt) was a teacher and writer and (Vivian Hewitt) was a teacher and librarian – and yet they managed to become vital members of the New York art world, and brought attention to important Haitian and Black artists. My former colleague, who isn’t of Haitian descent, was inspired by the Hewitt Collection here to begin her own collection of Haitian art. Beyond appreciating the cultural meanings behind a lot of the pieces she has collected, she also loves the pieces based purely on their aesthetic value.”
On Saturday, May 18 from 4 to 6 p.m., the African American Research Library and Cultural Center will partner with the Haiatian American Chamber of Commerce in celebration of Haitian Flag Day at the AARLCC.
“We wanted to find the players in Broward County and with about 352 members, we’ve seen the community grow,” says Djenane Gourgue, one of the founders of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce Inc. “We’ve been a chamber for 14 years, and have seen the Haitian community and our art grow, and when I say art, I mean all of it – painting, writing, and that’s our best thing we have to the world to sell because it’s an authentic community. That authenticity from Haitians shows in all of our art and we’ve helped to bring Broward to the map.”
In a thriving community, the presence of a Haitian Chamber of Commerce is more than a symbol of economic empowerment—it is a heartbeat. It provides a foundation where entrepreneurs, artists, and visionaries can connect, share resources, and propel each other forward.
But commerce does not stand alone. Culture, history, and identity are its companions, breathing life into every endeavor. Just as it is vital to uplift Haitian businesses and dreams, it is equally essential to preserve and celebrate Haitian history—a history rich with revolution, artistry, and profound influence.
Nate Dee: Merging Tradition with Modernity
Part of that future is being shaped by artists like Nathan Delinois, better known as Nate Dee. Beginning with murals in Miami, he expanded to Fort Lauderdale, and now his artistry can be found on more than 30 murals across South Florida. His journey has taken him far beyond state lines and even international borders, with works completed in Iowa, Texas, Michigan, New York, and Mexico, and as far as South Korea and Haiti.
“I’ve been doing the murals for nine years now,” says Dee. “So, I’ve seen us grow and because we have so many of us here, we have so many opportunities to show who we are now more than ever. Even though the predominant culture here is Latin, there’s still a vibrant Haitian community culture and I’ve seen it grow from maybe one or two Haitian artists in Little Haiti to so many more throughout Florida.”
Born and raised in South Florida, Nate Dee channels his Haitian heritage with stunning authenticity. His work is a bold celebration of color, a nod to the rich traditions of Haitian art, where every hue tells a story and every pattern holds ancestral echoes.
“We have a lot of people supporting events around Haitian culture,” says Dee. “I see it growing and it’s not just growing in Broward, but in New York.”
But Dee’s artistry isn’t rooted solely in heritage. His style weaves together a tapestry of global influence: the graceful design elements of the Art Nouveau movement, the emotional intensity of Hellenistic Greek sculpture, and the fantastical allure of pop surrealism. These layers of inspiration give his work a rare duality—rooted in identity, yet expansive and forward-looking.
“I actually saw the ads for it and want to go see ‘Roots and Realism,’ ” says Dee. “A lot of times with groups in the United States, narratives are being told from an outside source and it’s not always correct. But here, were the ones explaining the art, our identity, our history, and our culture. It’s a spotlight like no other.”
In many ways, the Hewitt Collection and Nate Dee’s art speak the same language. One preserves history; the other propels it forward. Together, they remind us that Haitian art is not only a lens through which we view the past—it’s also a mirror reflecting who we are now, and a window into what we might become.
From the historical works in the Hewitt Collection to the public murals by Nate Dee, the detailed paintings of Sophia Lacroix, and the initiatives of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce, Haitian artists and institutions continue to document and express the complexities of Haitian identity.
“From doodling to this, it’s been a dream come true,” says Lacroix. “I’m happy to see Haitian heritage and the arts on the rise. Whether it’s a representation of the past, the pages of history, or something for the future, we’re all one culture showing that we’re all one love and we’re sharing our love with the world.”
WHAT: “Roots of Realism: A Haitian Artist’s Reminiscence Art Exhibition” and “The Hewitt Haitian Art Collection”
WHERE: Ali Cultural Arts Center, 353 Dr. M.L.K. Jr Blvd., Pompano Beach and African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: “Roots of Realism: A Haitian Artist’s Reminiscence Art Exhibition”: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday. Through June 21. The Hewitt Haitian Art Collection, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday.
TICKETS: Free
INFORMATION: 954-545-7800 or https://www.pompanobeacharts.org/ali and 954-357-6282 or www.broward.org/
