»culture THE ARTS
A Start In Art
Website Plays Matchmaker for a Haitian Painter and a Would-Be Collector By Pam Forrester
138 May–June 2012
tallahasseeMagazine.com
children in the Assemblee de las Foi en Christ en Action. Lesly Haco acted as an interpreter for Muller, who speaks only basic English. Haco is an artist and entertainer, never lacking for words during our multiple conversations and often weaving tales of his Voodoo art inspirations. Haco sent me to Muller’s website to explore more of his paintings and learn more about his background and goals as an artist. Muller was born in May 1964 in Cap Haitian, Haiti, and has been painting since childhood, often inspired by the natural landscapes of his country. Muller works mostly in acrylic and oil and works with just a handful of colors: green, red, yellow, blue and black. But to see his works, you would never think that he has limited himself. It was exactly those blending colors that attracted Elizabeth to his work. “I chose this painting because it is unfussy, versatile and could easily hang on any wall in any apartment or house. The colors are relaxing, something I could put above my desk without it distracting my late-night study sessions,” Elizabeth says. The arrival of the painting was timed perfectly. Home for Christmas break, Elizabeth was the first person to open the box. Now it was my turn to live up to the “trust” part of the deal. The next day, I sent off a check to cover the shipping charges, which are the adopter’s responsibility. A leap of faith on the artist’s side but a trust well placed — and a very small investment for the beginning of an art collection. n
START YOUR FINE ART COLLECTION BY VISITING fineartadoption.net
PAM FORRESTER
In this age of Internet scams, when an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually means a hoax. So when I heard the Fine Art Adoption Network’s website was offering original art and quality prints — for free — I admit to being skeptical. “Trust, but verify” is an old Cold War expression and one that served me well during my years as a journalist. To “verify” FAAN was not a scam, I decided to contact its artists like anyone else and ask to adopt a painting. I asked my daughter, Elizabeth Landers, who has always loved art, to help by selecting four pieces she wanted and telling me why so I could contact the artists. Since she recently moved into her first college apartment, it seemed like an appropriate housewarming present. Elizabeth scoured the website and found a painting, a photograph and one installation she wanted. I set to work crafting our message of why we deserved each original work of art. The website is simple. You can view all the works, biographies and, in many instances, get into the artists’ personal websites to view other works they have created. With artists from all over the world represented and all mediums, there is truly something for everyone. The website suggests sending several requests at once, but we limited our first email requests to two artists. After only a brief delay, an artist wrote back saying we could adopt a print of his original work. But Elizabeth had her heart set on an “original,” whether it was a painting in oils or watercolors, or a photograph. “For someone who is young but passionate about artwork,” explains Elizabeth, “the Fine Art Adoption Network is the ideal way to start an art collection without draining a bank account. I think this program is especially important for new art buyers who might be discouraged about the direction of art under such a gloomy economic umbrella, proving that art is attainable and even more importantly, enjoyable.” Waiting paid off, and I embarked on exactly what FAAN’s founder, Adam Simons, envisions for his project, a chance to get to know an artist and his works. Muller Jean Francois contacted us through a friend to say we could adopt his oil painting. Muller was in the middle of pulling together a gallery show in hopes of helping his beloved Haiti, devastated by the earthquake of 2010, by sending money to help