WINTER PARK, FL.- The Rollins Museum of Art unveiled The House that Freedoms Built, a monumental outdoor installation by internationally acclaimed artist La Vaughn Belle. From July 24, 2026 to January 3, 2027, on the Rollins College campus, the immersive work invites visitors into a space for reflection on the meaning of home, freedom, and belonging.
Commissioned by Powerhouse Arts and first presented at the 2024 Smithsonian Design Triennial at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, The House that Freedoms Built is being exhibited for only the second time. Inspired by 18th-century homes built by formerly enslaved people on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, the installation features three white architectural structures adorned with intricate Caribbean fretwork patterns rooted in Caribbean architectural traditions. Together, they honor stories of resilience, creativity, and self-determination while exploring the enduring legacy of colonialism.
Beginning September 11, 2026, The House that Freedoms Built will be presented in conversation with To Imagine a Home, a collection-based exhibition curated by RMA Senior Curator Gisela Carbonell. Featuring works by Allen Fireall, Emilio Sánchez, Pepón Osorio, Yinka Shonibare, Becky Suss, and others, the exhibition examines the many ways we define and experience home. It will also include two newly acquired photographs from Belle's SWARM series, creating a dialogue between the artist's sculptural and photographic practices.
The museum will continue the conversation with a public artist lecture by La Vaughn Belle on October 29. Held at the Rollins Museum of Art, the lecture will explore themes of architecture, colonial history, freedom, and belonging, offering audiences an opportunity to hear directly from the artist about the ideas behind the installation. Additional gallery talks and public programs connected to To Imagine a Home will provide visitors with opportunities to engage more deeply with the exhibition's themes.
The installation inaugurates a two-year series of artist installations and exhibitions at the Rollins Museum of Art exploring architecture and the built environment. As the museum prepares to open its new home in 2028, the series invites audiences to consider how the spaces we inhabit shape our identities, preserve our histories, and foster a sense of belonging.
La Vaughn Belle (b. 1974, Tobago) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands whose work focuses on the often-forgotten colonial narratives embedded in the architecture and material culture of contemporary society. Her practice frequently centers on the Caribbean island of Saint Croix—long claimed as a territory by various European nations, including nearly 200 years as a colony of Denmark, before being sold to the US in 1916 and transferred in 1917. For the entryway to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Belle designed three structures inspired by the shapes of 18th-century houses built by formerly enslaved people who negotiated their freedom and were allowed to settle in Christiansted, Saint Croix. The architectural embellishment known as fretwork adorning each structure is a nod to homes in the town of Frederiksted. The community was the site of the 1878 Fireburn rebellion, an important labor revolt that resulted in much of the town being destroyed. Residents added these fretwork designs to their houses during Frederiksted’s reconstruction. Through thoughtful engagement with St. Croix’s architecture and history, Belle not only honors the legacy of resilience and creativity on the island but also invites viewers to reflect on the complex narratives of colonization and cultural heritage that continue to shape contemporary society.
