My name is Alex Orfirer Maher, I am the Digital Museum Curator at the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) and a MA student at University of Illinois at Chicago. I am a White, Jewish woman originally from Oakland, CA. Before moving to Chicago in 2019, I studied Sociology at Seattle University. It was there that I fell in love with oral histories and the power of storytelling. I began creating digital exhibits for a local historical society which led to my decision to pursue a career in museums. I bring that same passion for complex storytelling into my role at HAMOC.
I started at HAMOC in the fall of 2020 and was tasked with creating a digital space for the exhibit Timoun Ayiti/Children of Haiti. Translating this exhibit into the digital sphere was important to HAMOC and to me as it demonstrates our commitment to making Haitian art and culture accessible to all. For this reason, I aimed to keep accessibility at the forefront of my mind as I designed the layout and composed the labels. We at HAMOC believe that prioritizing accessibility enriches the experience for all visitors. The close up images and visual descriptions I included are intended for visitors with low visibility but they also create a more interesting and engaging exhibit for all visitors. Most importantly I want to point out how my positionality influences how I represent these works of Haitian art.
I am not Haitian and I am not coming from the perspective of someone intimately familiar with Haitian culture. I do not have an Art or an Art History background and tend to view art much like anyone walking into a museum. I am not coming from an expert position on Haiti or Haitian art. I am coming with experience and passion for engaging critically in the work of storytelling in museum spaces. I am very conscious of the influence museums have by telling stories that shape our collective identities. I always want to be mindful of what stories I am telling and how my identities and life experiences shape how I tell those stories.
A part of moving this exhibit online was creating new interpretive labels that go beyond basic information and attempt to draw out thoughts, questions, and emotions from the audience. The original wall text was provided by our long time partner museum, the Waterloo Center for the Arts and all artist biographies remain in their original format. When creating these texts, I purposefully intended with my language to make clear that I am not speaking from an authoritative position. My intention was to allow you, the audience, to draw your own conclusions. However, when I did try to push the audience into a particular interpretation, it was towards one of joy, love, and playfulness that I saw from many of the artists while not glossing over the darker notes of others. I did this intentionally in order to combat the internalized stereotypes that Americans often have of Haiti as a place of poverty or despair. I hope that anyone who is not Haitian and views this exhibit leaves questioning their initial assumptions. And I hope that anyone who is Haitian and views this exhibit, feels thoughtfully represented by my interpretations.
Please feel free to reach out to me or HAMOC with any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns. As we are all continuing to grow and learn, your input is greatly appreciated.
