Racine has been a Haitian Art Collector since the opening of the Art Center in Haiti in the mid 1940’s. He was the professor of ceramics for several prominent Haitian painters, including the iconic Jean-Claude Garoute (Tiga).

Fritz Racine and his wife, Gladys Coby-Racine are both recognized experts on Haitian Art. They have made significant contributions to the increased popularity, appreciation and collecting of Haitian art throughout the United States. They owned and operated an art gallery in downtown Washington D.C. and conceived and published the Haitian Art Newsletter for a number of years.

Together they have traveled thousands of miles organizing exhibits, giving lectures at Universities and promoting Haitian art in the Washington Metropolitan area, and various States, including Virginia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Florida. For more than 40 years, their efforts in the promotion of Haitian art, craft and history have helped place Haiti on the cultural map of the world and favorably impacted the Haitian art market.

Those activities have been attended by many distinguished Haitian and foreign personalities, including former heads of State, Ambassadors, Congressmen, Cabinet Ministers, Lawyers, Doctors, Authors, Playwrights and Actors.

Mr. Racine is currently the President of the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Haitian Art Society, a national Organization of collectors, researchers, and dealers, whose mission is to renew interest in and appreciation of Haitian art.

He is a graduate of Alfred University in upstate New York, where he obtained a B.A. in liberal arts and also holds a law degree from the State University of Haiti. In Haiti, Mr. Racine was employed by the United States Embassy for eleven years as Economic and Legal Advisor. He moved with his family to Washington D.C. in 1967, where he worked at the French Language Section of the U.S. Information Agency (Department of State). He retired in 1994, after 34 years of service with distinction and several honors and awards.

You can view some of his collections at the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, DC.

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