Overview:

After more than a decade at the iconic Five Myles Gallery in Crown Heights, Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) is moving to a new home at 35 Lafayette Avenue, near the former La Caye Restaurant. Founded by Régine Roumain in 2009, HCX has long served as a hub for Haitian arts and culture in New York. The move, prompted by the sale of the Five Myles building, marks both a return to the organization’s roots in Fort Greene and a new chapter in Brooklyn’s evolving arts landscape.

For more than a decade, Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) has welcomed celebrities, creatives, artists, actors and activists with something to say at its Crown Heights location, Five Myles Gallery. Founded in 2009 by community organizer Régine Roumain, HCX was created to fill a cultural gap in the New York Haitian community: a permanent space dedicated to Haitian art, craftsmanship and storytelling. While individual events celebrated Haiti through dance and arts, there was no consistent place where Haitians could engage with the full scope of the creative expressions  they had to offer.

However, after 14 years at the gallery, Roumain announced last week that the nonprofit dedicated to highlighting Haitian arts and culture would be moving to a new location many in the Brooklyn Haitian community would be familiar with – 35 Lafayette Ave, next to the now-shuttered La Caye Restaurant.  

The restaurant, owned by Ralph Gemau, was a gathering space for the community and Haitian elected officials for years.

Roumain says their constituents have been excited by this location. 

“It’s a return to Haitian space and as part of one of the most prominent cultural districts in Brooklyn. The accessibility and visibility provide a unique opportunity for Haitian culture,” she says.

While their move seems abrupt to some, Roumain says they knew about the relocation for some time, after the owner of the building that houses Five Myles Gallery shared in January 2024 that the building would be sold, with HCX needing to vacate by July 2025.  

Roumain says she attempted, unsuccessfully, to work it out with the new owners, inquiring about their new intentions for the gallery space. But amid ambiguous responses, it was clear the organization needed to find a new home, with no clear indication of whether they could ever return. The owners want to explore more commercial opportunities. 

A new chapter

Gentrification and real estate development are likely factors in HCX’s relocation. Roumain noted the rapid transformation of Crown Heights, with large-scale developments reshaping the neighborhood. But the move also stemmed from a more personal shift: the building’s previous co-owner, Edith Ferber—an heir to the Herbert Ferber Trust and a longtime supporter of the arts—passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic. With her death, the trust was required to settle her estate, which included selling the building, leaving  HCX in search of a new home.

“Brooklyn has definitely been gentrifying and developing,” Roumain said in an interview with The Haitian Times. “Real estate interests throughout multiple neighborhoods, [with]Crown Heights being one of the big neighborhoods that have had much larger buildings being developed, changed the landscape.” 

In addition to the change in scenery, HCX has also been impacted by the current political climate. They are currently experiencing funding challenges due to cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, funding that they have received for years. It is a “large strain on a small organization,” Roumain said.

The future of HCX, however, remains promising. The organization launched a Thursday night live music residency called Mizik Ayiti, is currently interviewing artists for the next Lakou Nou residency, and is developing a partnership with Kay Atizan to offer more crafts for sale. The goal is to make HCX a go-to destination for visual art and handmade goods.

“What we’re doing is not only about a Black vision, but a global vision that’s just and real,” said Kassandra Khalil, HCX Program Manager. Khalil also highlighted the convenience of the new location, right in the heart of Brooklyn’s creative district, plus its proximity to Atlantic Terminal. 

Its new neighbors include the Brooklyn Academy of Music, BRIC Arts Media, The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts and Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks production house.

“It’s an exciting chance to emphasize that you don’t have to be big to be in the Brooklyn arts district,” she said.

The beauty of the new location is that HCX is back where it began. 

Roumain started the organization out of her home in Fort Greene. She also worked intimately with Ralph Glemau, one of the former owners of the space over the years. And, years later, HCX has returned around the corner from where it all began. 

“We’re excited to be back,” Roumain said.  “It feels like a return but also an opportunity for something new.”

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