Hawaii Community Development Authority Considers Artspace Project for Hawaii - Vicky Holt Takamine, executive director of PA'I Foundation and kumu hula of Pua Ali'i 'Ilima has worked with Artspace and the Contemporary arts community for several years to develop the concept and identify the location for this innovative project.

On November 9, 2011 the Hawaii Community Development Authority will consider an agenda item regarding the Artspace Projects, Inc. for Lease and Development of Lot 40, 1025 Waimanu Street (TMK:  2-3-03:40) for a Mixed Use Affordable Housing Project

The latest Hawaii Housing Planning Study, 2011 provides data which supports the fact that there is a significant need for affordable housing in Hawaii.

Artspace represents an opportunity to develop affordable housing and build creative spaces for artists in Honolulu.

PA'I Foundation with Artspace is exploring opportunities to develop affordable housing and creative spaces for artists in Hawai'I - live, work, and play environments.  It will be important that the local arts community have a legal connection to the development and direct the activities of the project so that it continues to serve the needs of the arts community and is not simply another residential condominium development.

An Artspace pilot project anchored in Kaka'ako will help to address some of the housing needs of artists as well as boost economic revitalization efforts by enabling artists to be located in the urban core.  The development must be more than just a housing solution it needs to become a catalyst for the development of Hawaii's arts industry.  If the model works it could be exported to the other islands.

                                              MAMO’s art development strategy pays off!

KO OLINA, Hawaii – The legacy of Hawaiian artistry is celebrated at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, with one of the world’s largest private collections of contemporary Hawaiian art displayed throughout the resort.

Most of the contemporary Hawaiian artists featured have been particiapting members of the annual Maoli Arts Month (MAMO) Shows over the past six years.  MAMO's purpose is to support emerging and established artists via a month long series of exhibitions statewide and produces an annual directory of artists to support the marketing of Contemporary Hawaiian Fine Art works.  MAMO organizers work with many local partners and businesses to make the event happen every year. The long term goal is to develop a thriving local arts industry in Hawaii.

“Every piece of art at the Disney resort is part of a larger Hawaiian story, as told by Hawaiian artists,” said Joe Rohde, senior vice president and creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering. More than 50 pieces decorate the hotel, including oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings; batik on silk; sculptures; wood carvings, kapa and bas relief. Among the highlights:

• Three carved ki’i, or images, depicting the three brothers of the demi-god and folk hero Maui grace the resort’s entryway. (The word ki’i appears as “tiki” elsewhere in Polynesia.) , The ki’i are the combined works of three generations of local artists: master carvers Rocky Jensen, Pat Pine and Jordan Souza.  By uniting their talents, these three artists have created a powerful work that is essentially timeless.
• The  “Rainbow Wall,” was created by students in kindergarten through Grade 12 from across Hawaii. The mural was done in conjunction with the Hawaii Arts Alliance and the State of Hawaii, Creative Industries Division.
• The lobby mural by Martin Charlot hangs beneath kapa-style bands that run along the walls of the lobby, each representative of the sea, land and sky, further divided into masculine and feminine sides.The kapa bands that run along the walls of the lobby are the work of Dalani Tanahy.
  
• “Pele and Hi’iaka” acrylic mural in the lobby is by Doug Tolentino shows a trio of powerful gods. Pele, goddess of fire, sits in the canoe next to her favorite sister, Hi’iakaikapoliopele. Their brother, the god Kamao’oali’i, uses his shark form to serve as their guide and protector. Together, the trio makes a voyage across the seas.
  
• At the other end of the lobby corridor, Doug Tolentino’s painting of “Kanaloa and Kāne” portrays two of the major gods of Hawaiian beliefs. Mo’olelo, or stories, tell of the two venturing across Oahu and creating many natural water sources along the way. K
• A map of Oahu was created and given to Aulani by the children of nearby Nānāikapono Elementary School with the guidance of local artist and educator Meleanna Meyer.
  
• Mark Chai created a series of sculptures that capture the sense of play that is so important to Hawaiian cultures. One sculpture is of papa holua, or Hawaiian sled, for racing down mountainsides. Another sculpture is inspired by the Hawaiian board game similar to checkers, called kōnan. A third is a lupe, or Hawaiian kite.
  
• Artists Butch Helemano and James Rumford collaborated to convey the story of the Makahiki season of peace, play and renewal.
  
• Brooke Parker's painting gives a clear view of the traditional ahupua’a, the land divisions that run from the mountains to the sea.
  
• Carl Pao, takes a Hawaiian oli – an aloha or welcome chant – composed by fellow artist and musician Doug Tolentino and interprets the words into a visual design. The chant speaks about the rising and setting of the sun and moon – and one bas relief faces towards the West, the other towards the East. Traditional Hawaiian concepts of balance between masculine and feminine, night and day, and sun and moon are echoed.
• Harinani Orme developed images of a outrigger canoe on the open ocean, a vital mode of transportation in day-to-day life in Hawaiian history. Another Orme bas relief is a tribute to the goddess Hina – a kind and nurturing figure known and beloved throughout Polynesia – towering over the Waikolohe Valley.  A third bas relief by Orme stands at the end of the Waikolohe Valley opposite the Hina bas relief depicting Hina’s son, the demi-god Māui.
  

About the Volcano Art Center Gallery http://volcanoartcenter.org/

Volcano Art Center develops and promotes local established and emerging artists living on Hawaii Island.

They provide ongoing opportunities for visual artists in all media to sell their work on consignment in the Volcano Art Center Gallery. It is operated under a Cooperative Agreement with the National Park Service, as an enhancement to the interpretive programs of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP). All artists showing work in our gallery are required to be current members.

Volcano Art Center Gallery allows artists to demonstrate their craft and talents on the porch of the historic 1877 Volcano House Hotel. If you are a gallery artist or a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner or storyteller, and you'd like to share your self and your craft with residents and visitors alike, contact Emily at (808) 967-7565 or gallery@volcanoartcenter.org.

Volcano Art Center coordinates and markets original works of photography, painting, jewelry, and sculpture available for sale directly from local artists and craftsmen. Held biannually at the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. If you are an artist who would like to get involved in the Art Market, we offer inexpensive booth spaces available at  for the entire weekend.

Volcano Art Center opened the doors to Hale Ho`omana, the education facility with multipurpose room and two classrooms. If you are an artists wanting to utilize one of our classrooms as studio space, please contact Anne at (808) 967-8222 about this exciting win-win opportunity to work amidst our beautiful Niaulani Rain Forest.

See their Faces of Hawaii exhibit open til Oct 22 in Volcano Village, Dia de los Muertos exhibit Nov 1-2 only.  Both amazing!

Maoli Art In Real Time - MAiRT will open August 23, 2011 at the Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.   MAIRT is in its third year and features short duration art shows which target convention attendees by making art available in a gallery setting. MAiRT is part of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement CNHA's annual convention which will be held from August 23-25, 2011.  The exhibit will feature a "sneak peak" into the Disney Aulani Resort art collection.  The new Disney Hotel is located on the west side of the island of Oahu and has purchased a large collection of contemporary Hawaiian Art and continues to support the local arts community. 

HONOLULU – Bishop Museum is pleased to present its 13 th Annual Bernice Pauahi Bishop Awards Dinner, happening July 30, 2011 from 5-9 p.m. on Bishop Museum’s Great Lawn. The annual dinner, a benefit for the museum, h onors those individuals who have made significant contributions to the Honolulu community through philanthropy and leadership. This year’s awardees are Governor Neil Abercrombie and S. Haunani Apoliona, MSW.

The gala features culinary dishes from 10 of Hawai‘i's top chefs including DK Kodama, Hiroshi Fukui and Nobu's Robin Lee, as well as a delectable selection of signature vodka-tinis from Kai Vodka. Guests will also have a chance to participate in a unique silent auction featuring 12 original works of art and two limited edition reproductions created by contemporary Native Hawaiian artists. Entertainment will be provided by Olom ana . Tickets to the event are $300 and can be purchased by calling (808) 847-8281. http://www.bishopmuseum.org/

 Artists of Hawai‘i June 30, 2011 - September 25, 2011 Gallery 28

Artists of Hawai‘i is the largest, longest-running all-media juried exhibition in the state. Since the exhibition’s inception in 1950, more than 1,900 artists have had the opportunity to share their work with the community.

This year marks the 59th anniversary of the biennial exhibition, and the juror is Michael Rooks, the Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia. He has selected an outstanding spectrum of 118 works by 79 artists.

JUROR:
Michael Rooks, Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia.  http://www.honoluluacademy.org/

 Friday, May 20, 2011

Last night I attended the MAMO 2011 fundraiser fashion show at the Hawaii Theatre and bought some original art work to support the continued development of the contemporary Hawaiian fine art movement in Hawaii.

While the fashion show was fun and enjoyed by everyone in attendance the people missing were the artists themselves.  It is unfortunate that the emerging and established artists that the event is supposed to be helping were not visible at the event.

The audience was invited to a trunk show in the Art at Marks' Garage gallery next door.   The audience had very little respect for the native Hawaiian Contemporary Fine Art that was installed in the gallery. People walked through art work that had been painstakingly installed in the gallery and they physically moved art works aside to set up tables to display their fashion show items.

The original art work in the gallery was treated as an adornment similar to the clothing and fashion accessories that the various businesses had brought to sell to the audience all in the name of art. 

The driving force of Hawaiian culture for more that two thousand years has been based on mana or very powerful spiritual beliefs which are kept alive and evolve through various cultural practices and strict protocols.  The Council of Contemporary Hawaiian Artists believe that the original art work being created today by contemporary Hawaiian artists are extensions of Hawaiian culture dating back to the beginning of time.  Each artist connects to their own mana base and expresses their ideas in their unique works of art - the original art work becomes very powerful.

The trampling of Hawaiian culture in the art gallery arises do to a lack or respect and education of Contemporary Hawaiian Fine Art.  The issue is important and no different than when people disturb the iwi kupuna - bones of our ancestors in a non-culturally sensitive manner.

Respect, cultural understanding and support for the contemporary Hawaiian fine art is vital if the industry is going to develop and truly benefit emerging and established artists.  The problem after six years of MAMO is that we have failed to develop a sufficient level of understanding and support for the fine arts.

When we start to feature copies of original art as art we undermine the value and mana that the artist invested in the work.  Hopefully we will do better in the future and leran to take care of our cultural treasures because Art defines the people.

Satruday, June 25th 11:00 am - 5:00 pm - Wardwarehouse Amphitheatre

Come and enjoy  day of fine art!  Meet the artists, art-makers, art appreciators, future artists and art buyers.  Community event featuring workshops and demonstrations at Na Mea Hawaii, The Gallery at Ward Centre and Nohea Gallery.  Hands on art making for the kids and kids at heart opportunity to particpate in mural project.  Lucky number drawings and art goodie bags.  Artists featured: Jodi Endicott, Jeff Chang, Bob Freitas, Larry Geyrozaga, Tamara Moan, Kazu Kauinana, Kahi ching, Meleanna Meyer, Keith Maile, Jerry Vasconcellos, Henry Hao, Lynn Cook, David Kalama, Chad Lewis, Kaui chun, Solomon Enos, Imaikalani Kalahele, Harinani Orme, McD Philpotts and UH Ceramic Club

Posted by Isabella E Hughes on April 28, 2011 at 6:48

May 2011, Transformer, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit gallery is pairing with that unlikely ally—specifically, the National Museum of the American Indian—for an atypical goal: to introduce D.C. to contemporary, emerging, indigenous artists from Hawaii.

The idea for “This IS Hawai’i” belongs to Isabella Hughes, an independent curator whose father is from Honolulu. Last September, Hughes  pitched Transformer a show of Hawaiian works.

“Why not approach the museum?” says Reis. “Transformer could do it solo, but [NMAI] would have a greater impact within the city and potentially internationally.”

Gearing up for a lot of activity in May! On May 19 the exhibition that I've curated at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and Transformer,  “This IS Hawai‘i,” opens. It is a multisite exhibition featuring new and experimental works of art that explore what it means to be Hawaiian in the 21st century. The work of Maika‘i Tubbs will be shown at Transformer and the work of Solomon Enos and Carl F.K. Pao will be shown at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian's Sealaska Gallery. Artist Puni Kukahiko’s sculptures will stand at both sites. The exhibition, which runs through July 4, challenges the aggressively marketed image of the islands as a magical paradise and its people as eternally friendly and carefree, offering a new model for collaboration among cultural organizations and asking visitors to rethink Hawaiian culture and its Native people.

Transformer’s young, local constiuency has been elusive for NMAI, as both Reis and Miller would admit: Locals know NMAI more for its awesome cafeteria than rotating exhibitions. Miller says the museum sees contemporary art as key to capturing a hipper audience, and to that end it’s devoting space to contemporary exhibits that will flip frequently.

Check out the press release with images at this link:http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/national-museum-american-indian-celebrates-hawaii

On Thursday, May 19, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the museum’s Sealaska Gallery, independent curator Isabella E. Hughes will talk about the unique collaboration that led to the exhibition.On Friday, May 20, from 1 to2 p.m., Pao will guide a tour of his “Post-Historic Museum of the Possible Aboriginal Hawaiian” in his role as the installation’s “director.” Later that day, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., the public can join adiscussion about the global indigenous art scene with artists Kukahiko, Alan Michelson, Pao and Gina Matchitt. The panel, moderated by Kathleen Ash-Milby, museum curator of contemporary art, will address evolving strategies and artistic practices among Native artists from different regions and varying cultural backgrounds. On Saturday, May 21, opening day of “This IS Hawai‘I”at Transformer, the organization will host an open house featuring talks with artists Tubbs and Kukahiko from 2 to 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, May 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Kukahiko will discuss her outdoor installation near the museum’s Hawaiian garden, followed by a Q&A from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the museum’s Potomac Atrium in which visitors are invited to ask questions about native Hawaiian plants and about her work with the Ho‘oulu ‘āina Nature Preserve.

We've been fortunate to received a lot of interest from the press and I will be pasting links to the coverage under the "press" tab of my website as they come out.

Hope all who pass through DC from May 19-July 4, 2011 will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition.

Exhibit accents transformation By Joleen Oshiro

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 15, 2011

The ARTS at Marks Garage continues to provide one of the venues for the annual MAMo, or Maoli Arts Month, now in its sixth year, with "Kuakino: The Changer & the Changed."

The exhibit's name refers to the god Ku and the word "akino," meaning body or form, for a theme that explores "transformative ability and process," says Noelle Kahanu of Bishop Museum, one of the MAMo sponsors.

"The title is about the transformative process as subject matter, but it also describes what happens for artists when they're taking materials and creating something tangible to present to audiences," she says. "The viewer is part of that transformative process as well when they encounter the art. It's cyclical."

'KUAKINO: THE CHANGER & THE CHANGED'
» On exhibit: Through June 4, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
» Where: The ARTS at Marks Garage, 1159 Nuuanu Ave.
» Info: 521-2903, www.artsatmarks.com
» Note: Artist demonstrations are held Saturdays (call for times); special events will take place on Slow Art Friday on May 20, and First Friday on June 4.

Works include David Kalama's numerous Ku drawings, generated when he spent 54 days at Bishop Museum sketching three Ku statues, and a clay sculpture of a creature that is half child, half shark that illustrates literal transformation. Acrylics, tapestries, wood carvings and mixed media round out the show.

In all, 13 artists were selected for the exhibit by Kahanu, Jerry Vasconcellos and Bob Freitas.

Kahanu declines to call the selection process jurying. "Jurying implies looking at art and making judgments," she says. "For us it's about the artists. We select artists and they bring in their work."

MAMo, which spotlights the native Hawaiian arts community, is also sponsored by the PA‘I Foundation.

Kahanu calls Marks Garage, a community project of Hawaii Arts Alliance, an invaluable supporter of MAMo.

"It's an important relationship to have," she says. "Once a year, Marks welcomes a show that's 100 percent Hawaiian, which allows us to put forth art of our indigenous host community. That's not an opportunity we have very often. The annual show at Marks is an anchor for MAMo."
For more on MAMo, visit www.maoliartsmonth.org.
Copyright © 2011 staradvertiser.com. All rights reserved.
500 Ala Moana Blvd. #7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813 808-529-4747

BISHOP MUSEUM HONORS LATE HAWAIIAN ARTIST HIKO‘ULA HANAPI Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 4:05PM

Bishop Museum, in partnership with PA‘I Foundation, honors artist Hiko‘ula Hanapi with an awards presentation and art exhibition April 22 – August 21 

Honolulu, HI – Bishop Museum celebrates Maoli Arts Month (MAMo) with its 6th annual MAMo Awards exhibition, Hali‘a ke ‘ala: Fond Remembrances, opening on Friday, April 22 and showing through August 21, 2011 in Bishop Museum’s Joseph M. Long Gallery.

A hallmark event of MAMo is the annual presentation of the MAMo Awards, which are conferred upon master artists who have dedicated their lives to the perpetuation and celebration of Native Hawaiian visual arts. This year, the MAMo Awards will recognize the late Hiko‘ula Hanapi, an accomplished artist who taught for over 20 years in Hawai‘i on diverse topics including horticulture, ethno botany, Hawaiian natural history, culture, sovereignty and the arts.

“In addition to the artistic body of work that Hiko left behind, he also created HOEA, the Native Hawaiian Arts School in Waimea, which ensures that the next generation of maoli artists will continue,” said Noelle Kahanu, Program Manager at Bishop Museum.

The MAMo Award presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Thursday, April 21, at 6:00 p.m. at Bishop Museum.  Co-sponsored by Bishop Museum and PA’I Foundation, it will be followed by the first preview of the MAMo Awards exhibition in the J. M. Long Gallery.

The exhibition Hali‘a ke ‘ala: Fond Remembrances features the work of Hanapi, as well as those of previous MAMo Awardees.  A special portion of the exhibition will also acknowledge the passing of three MAMo awardees, Herb Kane, Aunty Mary Lou Kekuewa and Jo-Anne Kahanamoku Sterling.

The MAMo exhibit is funded under the Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program. 

About Bishop Museum

The Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last direct descendant of King Kamehameha I. Today, the Museum is recognized as the principal museum of the Pacific, housing the world’s largest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific artifacts and natural history specimens. More than 340,000 people visit the Museum each year, including over 40,000 schoolchildren. For more information, please visit www.bishopmuseum.org. 

About Maoli Arts Month (MAMo)

MAMo is a celebration of the artistry, the mastery, and the beauty of the Hawaiian visual arts community.  Bishop Museum and PAI Foundation are co-sponsors of MAMo, a month-long celebration of Native Hawaiian arts. Funding for MAMo was also provided by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Kamehameha Schools, Ford Foundation, Leveraging Investments in Creativity, and the Mayor's Office of Culture and Arts.  For more information, please go to www.maoliartsmonth.org.