After two years of preparation, Fer Découpé, a Haitian steel drum sculpture exhibit, is officially open at the Tarble Arts Center.

The exhibit, Fer Découpé-which is the same name as the sculpture form-features vintage metal works from four generations of Haitian artists from the village of Croix-des-Bouquets.

Kit Morice and Laurie Beasley, curators for the exhibit, have been collaborating for the past two years on Fer Découpé. Beasley, owner of Ridge Art in the Chicago suburb Oak Park, acquired many of the sculptures from a couple in Haiti.

Morice said Beasley’s purchase of the sculptures allowed an opportunity to bring vintage metal works to the United States.

The exhibit’s main focus is on Georges Liatuad, who pioneered steel drum sculpture work in Haiti in the 1950s. Liatuad was a local blacksmith in Croix-des-Bouquets who made intricate metal crosses for cemeteries.

At the time, fer découpé was an unknown art form. Fer découpé is a very intricate process in which discarded petrochemical steel drums are flattened and used to create round art pieces. Designs are drawn in chalk on the flattened surface and then cut out using a chisel and hammer.

American artist Dewitt Peters discovered Liataud’s work in the early 1950s. The sudden success of Liatuad inspired other locals to try their craft at steel drum sculptures.

Morice said there are now four generations of these Haitian sculptors.

“(Liataud) trained many of these artists in fer découpé, who then went on to train contemporary artists,” Morice said. “This is very typical of folk art.”

One of these contemporary artists is Jose Delpe, an innovative fourth-generation artist who combines found objects, such as eating utensils and driftwood, with the tradition of fer découpé. Delpe’s work will also be featured at the exhibit.

While the exhibit was in the works long before the recent devastation of the January earthquake to hit Haiti, both Morice and Beasley agreed they wanted to do something beyond the exhibit to help raise awareness.

“We decided to tie in a benefit because of the earthquake,” Morice said. “(Beasley) will also be at Eastern to give an informative gallery talk.”

Fer Découpé is open from March 27 through May 30 in the Brainard Gallery of the Tarble Arts Center. The benefit and gallery speech by Beasley are set to take place in mid-April.

Kate Kelleher can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected]