After nearly 15 years at its home at FiveMyles, a beloved arts space in Crown Heights, Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) is losing its physical headquarters. The building has been sold and the organization’s lease will end on July 31. Now, as it celebrates its 16th anniversary, HCX faces an uncertain future even as it presses ahead with a packed slate of programming.
“It’s a big blow,” said Regine Roumain, co-founder and executive director of HCX. “We’ve been an anchor for so many people in the community, a place to gather, to celebrate and to affirm that Haitian culture matters. The fact that we are losing space in this environment is difficult, but it’s also a rallying call.”
A Cultural Beacon in Brooklyn
Since 2009, Haiti Cultural Exchange has served as a hub for Haitian arts and culture in New York City. Through visual arts, music, dance, film, literature and children’s programming, the nonprofit organization has helped connect the Haitian diaspora to its roots and has created a space of cultural pride for a community that has often been marginalized.
HCX was co-founded by Roumain, the Brooklyn-born daughter of Haitian immigrants who fled the Duvalier dictatorship. Raised between New York and Port-au-Prince, Roumain brings a lifelong passion for the intersection of art and activism to her work.
“I sometimes refer to Haiti Cultural Exchange as one of my children,” Roumain said with a smile. “My actual children don’t love that, but it’s true.”
Roumain has dedicated herself to carving out a space where Haitian immigrants and their descendants could connect with their roots through the arts. Today, against the backdrop of social and political upheaval in Haiti along with growing anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S., the organization’s mission feels more critical than ever. “Given the political climate, where Haitians are consistently under attack, having a cultural space, a space for us to gather and say, ‘We matter’, is absolutely essential,” Roumain said.
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HCX has introduced New York audiences to artists such as writers Edwidge Danticat and Frankétienne, musicians Emeline Michel and Alan Cavé and many other emerging talents.
For many in the city’s Haitian community, HCX has become an essential gathering point, particularly at a time when returning to Haiti remains perilous amid ongoing instability.
Growth and Loss
Since 2011, HCX has operated out of a small office in the back of FiveMyles. Last July, the organization expanded its presence to occupy the full gallery space for the first time. That expansion allowed the launch of Vizyon Atistik Artist Residency, a visual arts program that complemented the organization’s musical, dance, and other cultural offerings.
Over the past year, the program mounted five exhibitions, drawing large and enthusiastic crowds. Highlights included a retrospective of photos from HCX’s 15-year history and a fashion installation by Haiti-based designer Michel Chatainge.
“I didn’t quite expect the visual arts to resonate as strongly as they have,” Roumain said. “It brought renewed energy and a huge audience turnout. It was clear that this was something the community needed.”
However, with the building’s sale and HCX’s lease ending, the nonprofit must now vacate its home of nearly 15 years.
“We always knew the building was going to sell and we only had a one-year lease,” Roumain said. “We were hoping to negotiate with the new buyer to stay longer, but that is no longer possible.”
Navigating Challenges
The loss of this space comes as HCX faces broader political and financial headwinds. Immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration have made it difficult for Haitian artists to secure visas to participate in U.S.-based residencies and events, including HCX’s Haiti X New York artist residency program.
“We’re seeing a lot more distress in the community, more phone calls, more walk-ins, more people looking for resources or legal help,” Roumain said. “We do what we can to refer folks to organizations like the New York Immigration Coalition, but we don’t have the infrastructure to fully support that need.”
On top of that, HCX is contending with a loss of federal funding. A National Endowment for the Arts grant that supported underserved communities was terminated this year, part of a larger trend of federal divestment from DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives. State funding has been negatively impacted as well.
“These things definitely have repercussions on our bottom line and our ability to serve our community,” Roumain said. “It’s becoming more precarious.”
Looking Ahead
Even without a permanent home, HCX will continue its programming through partnerships with other cultural organizations across the city. Past collaborations with venues such as the Prospect Park Boathouse, Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden provide a solid foundation for this next phase.
“We’re not starting from scratch,” Roumain said. “We’ve always had partnerships and those will continue. But losing a centralized hub for Haitian arts and culture is a huge loss, especially when our community is under attack, politically.”
The organization is actively seeking new space that can accommodate its staff and expansive programming. One option under consideration is to rent office space and rely more heavily on partner venues until a suitable permanent home can be secured, a difficult task given rising rents and limited budgets.
Still, Roumain remains hopeful. “The community has a lot of resources and expertise and I believe they will rally to help us find the next home for Haitian culture,” she said.
A Personal Mission
For Roumain, the work of Haiti Cultural Exchange remains deeply personal.
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“My biggest joy, aside from my children, has been seeing this burgeoning community we’ve created,” she said. “When I see us all in a room, celebrating Haitian fashion, music, our pioneers, our young artists — that gives me strength.”
Though the organization faces an uncertain future, Roumain is determined to see it through.
“I’m not discouraged,” she said. “It’s a challenging time, but we’ve built something strong. I know that we’re going to go into the future and be fine. It might take time, but I do know that.”
