Taste of Haïti in Lowell, 2003
Paint and found materials

Coming from an island where everything is bright, sunny and colorful, moving to Lowell to go to school was a bit of a culture shock. With its brick buildings and deep history, Lowell has brought a lot to my life, and feels appropriate to combine the place I now call home with my true birthplace of Haiti.

The Taste of Haiti is basically an ode to my true home. The idea is to turn the alley into a tropical paradise through bold images and scenery. I’ve used different types of personal imagery such as “The crying eye” and the “African masks” to illicit things such as personal experiences and historical origin.

Castro-Yves Arboite and Bobby Mongillo

Silver Surfer, 2003
Mixed media

Overcoming obstacles is what the city of Lowell is all about. When I hear Lowell mentioned in conversation, I automatically think of the industrial revolution and about how Lowell was the textile capital of the world. America was brought into the light with the use of trains and water-powered machines.

We built a sculpture of a surfer riding a wave into the 21st century. The surfboard signifies Lowell’s voracity to still rise above and be able to conquer what society throws its way. The sculpture depicts Lowell’s ability to adapt to society’s changes and still be able to be on top, rising above the waves of friction and finding new routes to succeed!