Haitian artist Guy Stanley Philoche’s ‘Higher Learning’ paints education as our greatest inheritance

Guy Stanley Philoche’s new collection honors HBCUs and education, reminding us that our dreams and history are worth defending.

At a moment when our stories, our books, and even our imaginations are being policed, Haitian-American artist Guy Stanley Philoche is painting a different kind of resistance—one rooted in education, legacy, and unapologetic dreaming.

Debuting at the Atlanta Art Fair, Philoche’s new collection, “Higher Learning,” is a vibrant meditation on the power of knowledge and the institutions that nurture it. With canvases honoring HBCUs like Spelman College, Howard University, and Morehouse College, alongside Ivy League mainstays like Yale University and Brown University, and more, Philoche’s work reminds us that education is not only a pathway, it’s a form of power.

“I believe that the most powerful resource that we have as a Black community is education. It really prepares us for these rooms that we’re fighting to get into,” Philoche tells theGrio. “We have an administration right now that’s trying to erase our history. And in order for us to fight back, we need to prepare ourselves. And the best way to prepare ourselves is to be educated. And to let these kids and their parents know that never, never stop your kids from dreaming big. Become a big dreamer.”

The series feels like a full-circle moment for Philoche, who immigrated from Haiti as a child and worked his way through higher education.

“As someone who comes from Haiti, education is a privilege. And here in America, education is your right,” he explains. “When you have parents who are immigrants and from Haiti, education is really important. So I was supposed to be a doctor, a lawyer, engineer, or some type of government official with a pension, because to them, it’s all about, like, that American dream.”

But his journey didn’t follow the path his parents laid out. Though they initially didn’t support his decision to attend Paier College of Art, Philoche says pursuing art quite literally saved him.

“Art saved my life,” he shared. “It helped me when I came to the States. I was five years old. I didn’t speak the language. I was this weird, awkward kid, and I found my voice and my place in the world through art.”

That voice now speaks loudly against the erasure and censorship the current administration is trying to impose. 

“It’s breaking my heart because art is one of those things where… art is always the foreground of the battle. It always starts with political cartoons, then street art. You know, we’ve always been the voice of the people. We’ve always been the voice for the voiceless,” he said, urging people to support artists now more than ever. “It’s supporting your local artists. It’s supporting these schools. It’s exploring these [art] shows. We need the backing, so making sure that our voices are heard, because we’re doing this stuff for you [the people].” 

With eight pieces already completed, each rendered in both large-scale canvases for universities and smaller ones for collectors, the collection insists on representation. It’s a way of showing Black children that they belong in these institutions and planting seeds of endless possibility in their minds, even when they don’t see themselves reflected in those hallowed halls. 

“When parents and kids and collectors see this, but mostly kids, I want them to see themselves at these schools,” the artist explained. “Because here’s a kid who came from another country, didn’t speak the language… and through all that, you know, he did it. I want them to know… never give up on their dreams. Never stop dreaming big … the world is your oyster, but it starts with education.”

Philoche’s “Higher Learning” is a love letter to education, a defense of our history, and a reminder that even in a season of erasure, dreaming is a radical, powerful act. See the full collection at the Atlanta Art Fair from September 25 to 28, 2025.