WHO WE ARE
The Jakmel Ekspresyon Community Arts Center is the only organization of its kind in Haiti, providing local artists with space and facilities to explore various mediums of artistic expression in a safe, non-discriminating environment.

The JE Arts Center was founded in 2010 after the massive earthquake that left Jacmel and much of Haiti destroyed. Since then, the center has become a vital community resource. JE is run with only one paid employee; all other staff are volunteers.

Haiti can be a harsh place for those on the margins of society. People with physical handicaps, identify as gay or gender ambiguous, and women may face discrimination. At Jakmel Ekspresyon, everyone is welcome, and JE is devoted to providing and preserving a safe haven for these Haitian artists.

Jakmel Ekspresyon's leadership believes that JE can help community members develop their personal voices by providing resources, training, and equipment without its members experiencing discrimination.  


WHAT WE’RE DOING
The Screen Printing Artist in Residency Program will teach screen printing to resident artists.

Screen printing will bring a new form of artistic expression to Jacmel, and it will also offer a new source of revenue to the town and its resident artists. Jacmel doesn’t currently have a local screenprinting shop for publicity materials, so businesses must travel to Port au Prince to order items such as promo postcards, or t-shirts for their staff. This Screen printing business will allow those businesses to spend their money locally and provide the artists with income.  

It would also allow the artists to create business specific souvenirs. What’s more, screen printing would benefit all of Jacmel, not just its artists -- it will be used to spread health care information such as cholera prevention, and will create a new outlet for Jacmel’s residents to express themselves publicly in print, promoting the sharing of ideas and organizing for community improvement.

The program will also offer the artists training in general business; finding a job, approaching a business owner, and negotiating a contract for hire for the first time can be extremely intimidating circumstances. This project will walk the artists through those processes for the first time and give them ongoing support as part of a mentoring program, offering the tools they need to succeed.

HOW WE WILL USE YOUR DONATIONS
Your donation with be spent on screen print supplies, a build out of the facility and two artist residencies.

Donations that come to us through Paypal transfer immediately. This allows us to actively work and progress as we are raising funds. Contributors will see the fruits of their generosity -- we will document the progress at Jakmel Ekspresyon each step of the way.

The Impact

Over the first year of its existence, the Screen Printing Project will teach design and screen printing, self-marketing including “How to Get a Job” and “Go Get That Job.” There will also be a buildout of the studio using locally sourced materials.

Our goal is for these artists to graduate from the Program with a useful skill that enables them to become employable.

Please consider being a part of this endeavor!