Florcy Morisset of Vivant Art Collection

Welcome to our first podcast for the year 2010!

Authentic Art Visions: The Podcast has made a few changes…one we are now hosting the podcast on another website and two, we are moving to a monthly format. So once a month, you will hear the podcast and it will be featured both on this blog and the new site!

For the month of February, we are talked to Florcy Morisett of Vivant Art Collection, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania about a special and interesting exhibition her gallery is hosting this month entitled Transcending History: Moving Beyond the Legacy of Slavery and the Holocaust . This exhibition is being presented by the Philadelphia-based Idea Coalition showcasing a “fusion of Black and Jewish art exploring the common histories and struggles of these two communities.”

A little about Florcy,…she is a Haitian-American, born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Queens by her mother alongside her four siblings. Florcy attended Hillcrest-Theatre Arts high school, where her love for all art forms blossomed. After graduating from Duquesne University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Biology, she became a case manager working with drug and alcohol abusers and the disadvantaged. In 2006, Florcy had a desire to become an entrepreneur and made the decision to move to Philadelphia, where her love of art called to her.

In 2006 and 2007, Florcy traveled to Panama and Haiti and where her passion for art lead her to begin collecting Haitian paintings. Florcy became inspired and motivated – immersing herself into the vibrancy and history of Haiti; it was this experience that she wanted to share and bring back to America. In August 2007, Florcy made the decision to open an art gallery, hence Vivant Art Collection opened on November 17, 2007 on Gallery Row in the Historic District of Old City, Philadelphia.

In the past year, Florcy has been featured in several media outlets including the City Paper, the Philadelphia Tribune, art blogs and several radio stations. Her personal mission is to build a bridge between the world of art and the community. To facilitate this, she is active in the community as the Chair of the Idea Coalition Arts Initiative, Fundraising Chair of Urban League of Young Professionals ,member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated the Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. and the Community Development Co-Chair of the Haitian Professionals of Philadelphia, where she has actively and passionately helped to raise funds for Haitian citizens adversely affected by the recent earthquake.

Down load and listen to the conversation here (or the podcast player on the right column of this blog) as we discuss Transcending History as well as her recent efforts for Haiti Earthquake Relief.

Websites mentioned in the podcast:

Vivant Art Collection: http://www.vivantartcollection.com

Idea Coalition: http://www.ideaarts.org

Haitian Professionals of Philadelphia: http://www.hpphilly.org