Hawaii State Foundation On Culture and The Arts APRIL 2025 Newsletter

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Hawaii State Foundation On Culture and The Arts APRIL 2025 Newsletter
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State Foundation on Culture and the Arts MARCH 2025 Newsletter

April 2025

Artwork: detail of painting by Solomon Enos, used with permission of the artist.

Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance opposes HB1378-HD2-SD1, dismantling SFCA Works of Art Special Fund
The Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance is a nonprofit arts advocacy organization. Subscribe to Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance email news for Action Alerts on bills and hearings, fact sheets, templates for testimony, and more.
HB1378-HD2-SD1 has been scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, April 3, 10:00 a.m. This is a decision-making hearing and no oral testimony will be accepted. Written testimony will still be accepted, although testimony received after 10:00 a.m. April 2 may not be available to the public before the hearing.

Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance has provided sample testimony:

•   Testimony Template (Google Docs)

•   Testimony Template in Word

•   Testimony Template PDF
From a Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance action alert: “This bill poses a serious threat to the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) and the many vital programs it supports—from Artists-in-the-Schools to Art in Public Places, and more. It would significantly weaken the infrastructure that sustains artists, cultural practitioners, and public access to the arts across Hawai‘i.

While the bill includes a few promising provisions, it ultimately jeopardizes the long-term stability of arts and culture funding by dismantling the Works of Art Special Fund (WOASF)—Hawai'i’s only dedicated and reliable funding source for the arts. In its place, the bill proposes using general and federal funds, which are not guaranteed and would compete with other critical state needs like housing, education, and healthcare.”

Read the full action alert (March 10, 2025) from the HAA: Submit Testimony Today to Protect Arts & Culture in Hawaii - HB13.

Social media posts opposing this bill:

•   Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance (Instagram)

•   Hawaiʻi Contemporary (Instagram)

•   Artist Solomon Enos (Instagram)

•   Artist Solomon Enos speaking about the importance of the arts (Instagram)

•   State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (Facebook)

Art in Public Places Spotlight

Photo: “Gaea (Mother Earth)” copper sculpture by Bumpei Akaji, 1984, SFCA Art in Public Places Collection, being cleaned by SFCA Art in Public Places Conservation Coordinator.

Maintenance work on “Gaea (Mother Earth)” by Bumpei Akaji
SFCA Art in Public Places Conservation Coordinator Derek Erwin recently did cleaning and maintenance work on the “Gaea (Mother Earth)” copper sculpture in the Sculpture Garden at Capitol Modern.

Photo: Herman Piʻikea Clark, “Makawalu”, relief and digital print, 2023. SFCA Art in Public Places Collection.

Artworks by Native Hawaiian artists at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (Dole Cannery)
Several Art in Public Places Collection artworks were recently installed in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs offices (Dole Cannery location).

Photo: Puni Jackson, “O Papa lā ka nanana”, acrylic, oil, and epoxy painting on wood panel, 2023. SFCA Art in Public Places Collection.

Photo: Roen Hufford, “Alaea”, kapa, 2019. SFCA Art in Public Places Collection.

Photo: Abigail Romanchak, “Kāhea, a call” framed collagraph prints, 2019. SFCA Art in Public Places Collection.

City & County Parks and Recreation Senior Club visits Capitol Modern

The Kamilo Iki Community Park senior club recently visited Capitol Modern and enjoyed the exhibits and browsing the gift shop for locally made items.

If you are planning a group visit, contact Shirley Lam, Museum Education Coordinator, to make the most of your time. Email: Shirley.Lam@hawaii.gov

Photo: visitors chatting with artist Solomon Enos during a visit to Capitol Modern.

Shirley.Lam@hawaii.gov

SFCA Arts Education Programs

Poetry Out Loud State Champion Koaliʻi Keawe-Asuega to compete at National Finals

The 2025 Poetry Out Loud Hawaiʻi State Champion Koaliʻi Keawe-Asuega, a 10th grade student at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, will compete in the national finals in Washington, D.C.

All 55 state and jurisdictional champions will compete in the national semifinals on Tuesday, May 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, with the top nine students advancing to the finals on Wednesday, May 7, from 7:00 to 9:15 p.m. ET and can be streamed online on arts.gov.

Photo: Koaliʻi Keawe-Asuega with family.

Poetry Out Loud

E Ulu: At Our Own Pace
Saturday, April 12, 2025
10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Outdoor play at Capitol Modern, created for preschool children and their families, with puppetry, physical theatre, song, and dance. Come early for a pre-show hands-on art activity.

Museum galleries will be open and admission is always free.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth tickets (free with registration)

Capitol Modern

April events at Capitol Modern

•   First Friday, April 4, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

•   “E Ulu: At Our Own Pace” interactive theatrical experience for preschoolers, Saturday, April 12, 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. (tickets: Honolulu Theatre for Youth).

•   Museum is open during the Good Friday state holiday, Friday April 18

•   Friday Night Tempo, April 18, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

•   Museum calendar: CapitolModern.org/events
Capitol Modern is one of the exhibit sites for Hawaiʻi Triennial 2025. Learn more on the Hawaiʻi Contemporary website: HawaiiContemporary.org.

Are you subscribed to the Capitol Modern email newsletter? Subscribe or update your information: Capitol Modern email newsletter signup.

CapitolModern.org

Arts & Culture Opportunities

A list of federal, state, and other arts and culture calls for artists. Questions regarding a particular opportunity should be directed to the organization listed with the opportunity. Inclusion here should not be interpreted as an endorsement.

•   ʻUluʻulu Archive (the Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawaiʻi) accepting applications for the Roselani Summer internship until April 15, 2025. Student must be enrolled in or a recent graduate of a moving image or archival academic program. For more information please go to the ʻUluʻulu archive website: uluulu.westoahu.hawaii.edu/2025-roselani-internship.

•   Pacific Historic Parks now hiring for retail positions and Executive Assistant. Learn more and apply on Indeed.com: indeed.com/cmp/Pacific-Historic-Parks.

•   Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF) Fall Festival submissions open through April 25, 2025. Submit at FilmFreeway.com/HIFF.

•   2025 Hawaiʻi Wildlife Conservation & Game Bird Stamp Art Contest submissions open until April 5, 2025. For entry requirements, please visit the hunting announcements page on the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources website: DLNR.Hawaii.gov/recreation/hunting/hunting-announcements.

•   Pasefika Presence Magazine call for submissions extended to April 7, 2025. Poetry, essays, short stories, art, or photography for “The Dream Issue”. For more information, please go to the Pasefika Presence call for submissions: Pasefika Presence The Dream Issue submissions.

•   Emerging Crises Oral History Research Fund from the Oral History Assocation offers up to $4,000 for projects documenting urgent crises in the U.S. and worldwide. Applications due by April 15, 2025. For more information, please go to oha.memberclicks.net/emerging2025.

•   Indigenous Initiative Research Fund from the Oral History Association supports an Indigenous oral historian conducting Indigenous community-based oral history research. Submissions due by June 1, 2025. For more information, please go to oralhistory.org/award.

•   East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center “36 Views of Mauna Loa” open call for artists January 1 - 31, 2026. Learn more on the EHCC website: ehcc.org/opencall/36views.
Student Art Competitions

• First Circuit (Oʻahu) 2025 Law Day Art Contest, open to all Oʻahu students grades 3-8. Theme: “The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One”. Submissions due by April 11, 2025. For more information: Law Day Art Contest.

• 2025 Congressional Art Competition, open to all high school students in Hawaiʻi’s Second Congressional District. Submissions due by April 9, 2025. For more information, please visit U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda’s website: tokuda.house.gov/services/art-competition.

Arts & Culture Events

2025 Art at the Capitol
Friday April 11, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s annual Art at the Capitol event welcomes the public into participating offices after hours to view artworks from the SFCA Art in Public Places Collection and to enjoy live performances at the State Capitol.

Art at the Capitol

Graphic: “E Mai Ke Kai Mai” 2025 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Art and Art History, April 22 - May 11, 2025.

This arts and culture calendar features SFCA grantees, partners, and Hawaiʻi state and local government programs and events. Questions regarding a particular program or event should be directed to the organization listed with the opportunity. Inclusion here should not be interpreted as an endorsement.

•   Student Exhibition 2025 at Gallery ʻIolani, Windward Community College (Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu). April 4 - May 13, 2025. For more information, please visit the Gallery ʻIolani website: gallery.windward.hawaii.edu.

•   “John Mullarkey: Warping the Fabric of Time” public lecture at the Downtown Art Center (Honolulu), Saturday April 5, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. free with registration. Register on the Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ website: HawaiiHandweavers.org/event-6126046. Supported in part by public funding from the SFCA.

•   “I am Mulan” multi-lingual play at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. April 9 - 13, 2025. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go to the UHM website: manoa.hawaii.edu/liveonstage/mulan.

•   HEART of Honolulu street festival, Saturday April 12, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., live music, performances, art, food, and more in the Chinatown Arts District.

•   ʻIolani Palace Kamaʻāina Sunday, April 13, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Free audio tours, entertainment, activities, and Hawaiian cultural workshops.

•   Artist talk with Denise Karabinus at the Donkey Mill Art Center (Kona, Hawaiʻi Island), April 17, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Supported in part by public funding from the SFCA. For more information, please visit the DMAC website: DonkeyMillArtCenter.org/event/?event=5932.

•   “The Thorn Bears Flowers: an interactive poetry workshop” at the HT25 Hub (Honolulu). April 19, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Write, reflect, and connect in a supportive, inspiring setting. Limited seats available. Learn more and register on the Shangri La Hawaiʻi website: ShangriLaHawaii.org/visit/events/the-thorn-bears-flowers.

•   “2025 Windward Artists Guild Spring Show” at Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Gardens (Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu), April 2 - 29, 2025.

•   “Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Raku Hoʻolauleʻa Exhibition 2025” at the Downtown Art Center (Honolulu), April 4 - 26, 2025. An SFCA AASC visit to this exhibit has been approved by the SFCA Board of Commissioners.

•   “Honolulu Printmakers 97th Annual Juried Exhibition” at the Downtown Art Center (Honolulu), April 4 - 26, 2025. An SFCA AASC visit to this exhibit has been approved by the SFCA Board of Commissioners.

•   “Allegory II” at Bishop Square, Pauahi Tower Lobby (Honolulu), April 26 - June 28, 2025. An SFCA AASC visit to this exhibit has been approved by the SFCA Board of Commissioners.

•   “Still Standing” at Arts and Letters Nuʻuanu, through May 11, 2025. An SFCA AASC visit to this exhibit has been approved by the SFCA Board of Commissioners.

•   “E Mai Ke Kai Mai” 2025 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Art and Art History, April 22 - May 11, 2025. For more information, please visit the University website: hawaii.edu/art/exhibitions-events-museum.

•   “Untold”, Commons Gallery, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Department of Art and Art History, April 6 - 13, 2025. For more information, please visit the University website: hawaii.edu/art/exhibitions-events-museum.

•   2025 Art at the Capitol, Friday April 11, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol.

•   “Puāhilo: Unveiling Forgotten Memories of Hilo” culture-history exhibit by Lokelani Brandt at the East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center (Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island), through May 2, 2025. Exhibit supported in part by public funding from the SFCA. For more information, please visit the EHCC website: ehcc.org/content/puahilo.

•   Celebrate Micronesia Festival, May 3 at Bishop Museum, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

•   “Living Sovereign, a solo exhibition by Mealoha Bishop” at Aupuni Space (Honolulu), May 3 - 31, 2025. An SFCA AASC visit to this exhibit has been approved by the SFCA Board of Commissioners.

•   2025 Kauaʻi Steel Guitar Festival at Kukui Grove Center, May 4, 2025 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Supported in part by public funding from the SFCA.

•   “Lauhala: Weaving Knowledge and Practice” at Wailoa Center (Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island), May 9 - June 19, 2025. An SFCA AASC visit to this exhibit has been approved by the SFCA Board of Commissioners.

•   HIFILM Storytellers Lab retreat supporting filmmakers and writers, May 8-10, 2025 at the Nutridge Estate (Honolulu). Applications open until April 14, 2025. Learn more and apply on the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF) website: hiff.org/hifilm-labs.

•   “Kim’s Convenience” comedy-drama play at Mānoa Valley Theatre, May 15 - June 8, 2025. Supported in part by public funding from the SFCA.

•   2025 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Windward Mall (Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu) June 7, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Supported in part by public funding from the SFCA.

Find exhibits and events on the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Go Hawaiʻi calendar
The Go Hawaiʻi event calendars provide information about cultural performances, stage shows, musical events, and art exhibits. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority reviews each event submission and requires that the events is open to the public and “of interest to visitors”.

•   Hawaiʻi Island: gohawaii.com/islands/hawaii-big-island/events

•   Kauaʻi: gohawaii.com/islands/kauai/events

•   Lanaʻi: gohawaii.com/islands/lanai/events

•   Maui: gohawaii.com/islands/maui/events

•   Molokaʻi: gohawaii.com/islands/molokai/events

•   Oʻahu: gohawaii.com/islands/oahu/events
Listing an event is free! Interested event hosts and organizations can learn more on the GoHawaii website: gohawaii.com/events/submit.

SFCA Board of Commissioners

Photo: Harinani Orme, “Laka Pohaku” acrylic and pencil on cold press watercolor paper, 2018. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Purchased from the “Hānau Ka Moʻolelo” exhibition at

Donkey Mill Art Center (2024). “I am a visual interpreter, sharing moʻolelo of our island people rooted in mythic events, both ancient and modern. Through print, paint, clay, and found objects, I translate deeply researched stories. The practice of making these works is immersive, leading myself and others deep into Hawaiian culture. I am proud to be Hawaiian. In creating each piece, I move towards reconnecting to my culture.” - Harinani Orme

Photo credit: Donkey Mill Art Center
SFCA Board approves eleven artwork purchases and two exhibit visits
The SFCA Board of Commissioners approved eleven artwork purchases and two exhibit visits at the March 12, 2025 Art in Public Places committee meeting.

Approved exhibit visits

•   “Living Sovereign, a solo exhibition by Mealoha Bishop” at Aupuni Space (Honolulu), May 3 - 31, 2025.

•   “Lauhala: Weaving Knowledge and Practice” at Wailoa Center (Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island), May 9 - June 19, 2025.  

•   Recent purchases and gifts are listed on the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/art-in-public-places-program/#recent-adds.

•   Approved exhibit visits are also posted to the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/art-in-public-places-program/#aasc-visits.

Graphic: detail from Haʻa Keaulana’s “Megan Godinez, Core surfer affectionately known as “Aunty Megz,” at her home break in Waikīkī” digital photograph print, 2022. SFCA Art in Public Places Collection. Recently purchased from the “Heʻe Nalu: The Art and Legacy of Hawaiian Surfing” 2024 curated exhibition at Arts and Letters Nuʻuanu and Manini Gallery.

Upcoming SFCA Board of Commissioners Meetings

•   Wednesday, May 21, 2025: General Meeting

•   Friday, August 22, 2025: General Meeting (Kauaʻi)

•   Friday, November 21, 2025: General Meeting

•   Friday February 27, 2026: General Meeting

•   Friday, June 5, 2026: General Meeting
Decisions about grants, artwork purchases, and more are made by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) Board of Commissioners. Meetings are currently being held virtually on Zoom, and the public is invited to attend. Appointed by the state governor, the Board of Commissioners oversees the Executive Director, provides input, and approves spending. Commissioners are volunteers and do not receive compensation for their duties.

Individuals may submit written testimony on posted agenda items in advance of the meeting via email to Rhiannon.MK.Keene@hawaii.gov or by mail addressed to the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, 250 South Hotel Street, 2nd Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813. Individuals interested in signing up to provide oral testimony on posted agenda items at the meeting may submit their name, email, and phone number to HawaiiSFCA@hawaii.gov. Individuals may provide oral testimony at the meeting via the above-listed video conferencing link or by calling the above listed telephone number. Testimony presented during the meeting will be limited to three minutes each.
Agenda items for General Meetings may include approval of artwork acquisition recommendations and Acquisition Award Selection Committee (AASC) art exhibit visit recommendations.

Agendas and minutes are also posted on the SFCA Board of Commissioners page.

SFCA Office
The SFCA office is open by appointment. SFCA is operating in a hybrid model of teleworking where all staff are available by email or telephone. If you aren’t sure who to contact, email HawaiiSFCA@hawaii.gov or call (808) 586-0300 and leave a voice message, including your name and telephone number.

Copyright (C) 2025 Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. All rights reserved.
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The mission of the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is to promote, perpetuate, preserve and encourage culture and the arts, history and the humanities as central to the quality of life of the people of Hawai‘i. HSFCA funding is provided by the State of Hawai‘i and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Hawaii State Art Museum

The Hawai'i State Art Museum is dedicated to presenting the largest and finest collection of works by Hawai'i artists that celebrate the diverse artistic and cultural legacy of Hawai'i.

OUR MISSION
To promote, perpetuate, preserve and encourage culture and the arts, history and the humanities as central to the quality of life of the people of Hawai`i. HSFCA funding is provided by the State of Hawai`i and the National Endowment for the Arts. The HSFCA is administratively attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services.

HOURS:
The musuem is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed State and Federal Holdays. Always free admission. For pre-recorded information call 586-0900.

The Hawai'i State Art Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For pre-recorded summary information on the museum, call (808) 586-0900. For current museum program information, call the HSFCA Art in Public Places Program at (808) 586-0305. To arrange an educational tour of the museum, call (808) 586-9958.

For information on the HSFCA; the Hawai'i State Art Museum; HSFCA grants, programs, and services; Hawai'i arts and culture events; and USA and worldwide arts opportunities, visit the HSFCA website, www.hawaii.gov/sfca.

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Hawaii State Foundation On Culture and The Arts APRIL 2025 Newsletter

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