The drab office building lobby at 124 Mount Auburn St. has been transformed into a gallery filled with brilliant colors. These colors will not be unfamiliar to devotees of Haitian art, the focus of “Radiant and Resilient: Haitian Art Today,” a new exhibition at the Cambridge Art Association. The exhibit is part of a larger program, Haitian Art Today, that runs from October through December 2003, and also includes lectures, tours, readings and music in order to explore Haitian culture and benefit the New Jerusalem community center.

“Many people know Haitians as hard-working members of the community, but they do not know much about their rich culture,” says Anne Anninger, co-curator of the exhibit. Anninger and co-curator Charlot Lucien traveled to Haiti in the spring of 2002 to acquire paintings and sculptures for the show, and supplemented those with work by Haitian artists living the Boston area. “It was an extraordinary experience to go to Haiti and meet with the artists. Everything is art there—everyone paints. They express themselves through color and shape even when their lives are difficult,” says Anninger.

The importance of the exhibition in Cambridge draws primarily from this cross-cultural communication. The art tells the story of daily life, Christian and Voodoo religious practices and Haiti’s history. The style of painting is vibrant and unique, often incorporating bright colors and lively action sequences. Haitian culture is particularly important in Mattapan, Dorchester and the greater Boston area, home to more than 60,000 members of the Haitian disapora. Because the art is so closely tied with the Haitian people, it is an ideal vehicle for cultural exchange and exploration.

The exhibit comes to Cambridge not only in the name of cultural exploration, but as means of support for the local Haitian communities. The New Jerusalem Evangelical Baptist Church and Learning/Community Center in Dorchester is a Haitian community center, and proceeds from gifts and the sale of the art at the exhibit will benefit the Center and its community members, hopefully in the form of a new property and facility that can accommodate its needs.

Other Cambridge events taking place October through December in support of Haitian culture are a Seminar on The Art and Culture of Haiti (Saturday, October 18, 1–3 p.m.) at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St.; a cultural evening of Haitian music, poetry and dance (Saturday, December 6, 8 p.m.) at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St. Events for students will also take place at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University (Wednesday, October 22, 6–8 p.m.) and at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (Thursday, November 20, 5:30–8:30 p.m.).

Radiant and Resilient: Haitian Art Today opened yesterday at the Cambridge Art Association, University Place Gallery at 124 Mount Auburn St.