In celebration of Haitian Heritage Month, ArtStart is hosting Haitian celebrity Chef Thia May 11 and 12. She will prepare a dinner and lunch as part of ArtStart’s Flavors of Haiti fundraiser. Meals will be served in the galleries among the exhibition, Art of Haiti, selected work from the Waterloo Center for the Art’s Haitian Collection; the largest collection of Haitian art in the world.

Guided gallery tours will be hosted by Haitian-American Artist, Johanne Benoit. Live music will be provided by Nate Sheppard.

Dinner will take place 5:30-8:30 p.m., May 11; cost is $100 per which includes beer, wine, and cocktails. Lunch is planned for 12-3 p.m.  May 12 and cost is $50 per person which includes one specialty cocktail.

Cynthia “Chef Thia” Verna is a culinary expert specializing in gourmet Caribbean-fusion cuisine. She is an accomplished author, social media tastemaker and national cooking show host. She has worked at prestigious culinary establishments, represented Haitian embassies on three continents, and has become the first female winner of the Global Chef Challenge, beating master chefs from 36 countries around the world.

She is also the first Haitian to host a national cooking show, PBS and Create TV series, Taste the Islands. Chef Thia has authored two popular books including a memoir of her assault survival story called Ordeals, and her current release, a cookbook called 50 Favorite Haitian Recipes.

For tickets or more information, contact ArtStart by phone 715-362-4328, email [email protected]g, or visit ArtStart’s Facebook or website www.artstartrhinelander.org.