Haitian Artist, Activist Phelicia Dell Comes to Westport

The Connecticut Council of Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Westport Arts Center are honored to introduce Phelicia Dell of Haiti to Fairfield County on Sunday afternoon, March 13, 2011 at 4pm at the Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport.

A resilient and passionate Haitian entrepreneur, Phelicia designs beautiful, one-of-a-kind handbags. Out of necessity, she started her business four years ago overcoming tremendous hardships and adversity.  She has since built a flourishing enterprise, empowering women in her community, and creating a source for economic growth. With the aid of Vital Voices chapter Femmes en Démocratie, which fosters the political and economic empowerment of Haitian women, Phelicia learned to identify markets and received guidance on product development.  

Her business employs 13 artisans who help create handbags and other accessories, all of which are made, she says, “from soul by hand.” Many of her designs are inspired by Haitian Vodou symbols or vévés, representing the unique Creole tradition of Haitian Vodou, as well as its West African, Christian, and indigenous influences. These images have traditionally been drawn on the floor in cornmeal, flour, red brick and other natural elements and many believe that each one holds a deep meaning. Phelicia incorporates these images into both her handbags and accessories as the centerpiece. With handbags large enough to carry to market, but sophisticated enough for an evening on the town, Phelicia’s “VèVè Collections” brand displays the ingenuity and creativity of these Haitian artisans.

This rising star was selected in 2009 as the Best Emerging Handbag Designer in the Diane von Furstenberg global design competition. Phelicia’s winning designs told a powerful story about women in Haitian society, through Ayizan, the guardian of the marketplace in Vodou culture. Both the story and the design resonated with von Furstenberg, who ordered 200 of Phelicia’s clutches as part of a limited edition collection for her DVF stores.  

Phelicia’s strength and passion are evident in her response to last year’s devastating earthquake.  Her workshop in Port-au-Prince was completely destroyed, but miraculously no workers were in the building at the time.  Within two weeks they were at work rebuilding. The handbags she brings to Westport were created after the earthquake, so each piece has a very personal story behind it, and is a testament to the resiliency of these women artisans. Phelicia’s visit is also timely in that March is celebrated every year as International Women’s Month.

Her unique handbags, as well as jewelry and other handmade accessories inspired by the personal stories of Phelicia and her artisans, will be available for purchase.  Refreshments will be served.

For more information or to RSVP contact Roberta Cooper at 203-227-8973 or robertacooper@optonline.net.  There is a suggested minimum $50 tax deductible donation, payable to Vital Voices Global Partnership.

This event is co-sponsored by the Westport Arts Center in conjunction with its exhibition, Hope in Haiti, on view from March 4 – May 8, 2011. In April 2010, three months after the devastating earthquake, Westport Arts Center’s Director of Visual Arts, Helen Klisser During visited the Carma Foundation Orphaned and gave disposable cameras to 50 children. These orphans were asked to document their lives for 48 hours. The resulting images will be in display in the Westport Arts Center gallery and depict the resilience and hope of the Haitian people in the face of ruin. The Hope in Haiti exhibition will also include images from humanitarian aid organization, AmeriCares, of its work in Haiti, and works by photographers Elizabeth Jordan and Helen Klisser During.

Vital Voices Global Partnership is an international non-profit organization that invests in women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them to create a better world for us all. Vital Voices provides these women with the capacity, connections, and credibility they need to unlock their leadership potential.  To learn more, visit www.vitalvoices.org.

The Connecticut Council of Vital Voices was established in 2005 to support the work of Vital Voices and spread the word about their many programs. The steering committee includes Roberta Cooper and Sheila Weiss of Westport, Nancy Wergeles of Weston, and Jill Mays of Ridgefield.  “Many of us lead very fortunate lives, but we are moved by the plight and dreams of women around the world,” said Cooper. “Vital Voices offers an extraordinarily effective channel for making their lives better – a way for us to be part of something important.”