Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts The mission of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) is to promote, perpetuate, preserve and encourage culture and the arts of Hawai'i. to 4 p.m.

The SFCA is a state government agency, attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services. The Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is a government agency, established by the Hawai‘i State Legislature in 1965, 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 (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Chapter 9). The Hawai'i State Art Museum (HiSAM) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. and open every First Friday from 6 - 9 p.m.

09/11/2026

For guest curator Lauren Trangmar, selecting works for the "Trifecta" exhibit at Capitol Modern (the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum) began with something she has always felt connected to: water. “I’m an ocean person, so that always draws me.”

The SFCA office will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026 for the Labor Day state holiday. This includes the entire N...
09/04/2026

The SFCA office will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026 for the Labor Day state holiday. This includes the entire No. 1 Capitol District building, front lawn, and Sculpture Garden.

Image description: slide 1, bold white text "labor day holiday s f c a office closed monday september 7 2026" over a blurred image of an artwork detail. slide 2, photo of an artwork made up of multiple panels, four paintings, and pieces of wood. A partial work boot print the color of red dirt found in agricultural fields is visible at the top of the artwork. Artwork is "Water: Irrigation Flume Hanamaulu 27B. Earth: Furrow Cane Field Newly Planted Hanamalu 10. Fire: Burning Cane Field for Harvest Hanamaulu 22. Lihue Plantation" by Alfred Gray, 2003. Acrylic painting. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Purchased from the 2005 "Art Kauaʻi" exhibition. Currently on display in the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Accounting and General Services, Office of Enterprise Technology Services. Explore the collection online at sfca.hawaii.gov/app-art.

08/26/2026

"We're part of a movement across the Pae ʻāina to really center arts and along with it, center, healing center, wellness center, connection to this aina. We've been doing this teaching artist institute for many years, but it's always a new experience. There's always a deepening of the practice. always points of inspiration." - Laurel Salinas-Nakanishi. The Teaching Artist Institute is an annual professional development offering from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. The 2026 TAI was organized by the Honolulu Theatre for Youth . Learn more on the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/news.

The Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a public-private partnership between the Federal Emergency Managemen...
08/19/2026

The Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a public-private partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Smithsonian Institution, is supporting response and recovery efforts of Hawaiʻi’s arts & culture sector and the public.

HENTF encourages those impacted to fill out a Rapid Damage Assessment Form (links available on the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/news).

Image description: detail of a seascape/landscape painting with cloudy sky in shades of blue, purple, yellow, and white. Text overlay reads Tropical Storm Lala H E N T F supporting response and recovery efforts of Hawaiʻi's arts and culture sector

Artwork in image: Detail from “Stormy Day at Coconut Island” by Carolyn Parrish, acrylic on canvas painting, 2004. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Currently on display at the Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary School (State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education). Explore the collection online: sfca.hawaii.gov/app-art.

08/19/2026

How do you narrow down an entire art collection to just three works? 📸🍍 Meet Gaye Chan, one of the 21 guest curators featured in Trifecta at Capitol Modern.

Faced with curating from the expansive State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Collection, Gaye began with a medium she knew well after years of teaching: photography. From there, one subject caught her attention: pineapples 🍍

The images brought her back to themes she had explored in her own project, Downwind Productions, including Hawaiʻi’s shift from self-sustaining land use to commercial agriculture and the lasting impacts of colonialism, capitalism, and the pineapple industry.

For Trifecta, Gaye selected three photographs that together create a visual timeline, using a familiar symbol of Hawaiʻi to encourage deeper reflection on land, labor, and history:
✨ Overripte by Kelly Ciurej
✨ Airport Crop, The Last Pineapples by Elaine Mayes
✨ Palolo Kids by Eric Yanagi

Hear directly from Gaye as she shares how she arrived at her three selections and the story that connects them.

📍 Trifecta is on view in the Leʻahi Gallery, Second Floor at Capitol Modern
🕙 Museum Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
🎟️ Free admission, family friendly, open to the public

Video Edited by: Max High



Video featuring artist and curator Gaye Chan discussing how she selected three photographs for the Trifecta exhibition at Capitol Modern. The video shows Chan speaking in the gallery and sharing how photographs featuring pineapples led her to explore connections between Hawaiʻi’s agricultural history, land use, labor, and her previous artistic work. Video edited by Max High.

Island Roots & Reggae Night, Friday January 16, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Featuring The Vitals with Lethal Selecta and Zion Bound...
08/15/2026

Island Roots & Reggae Night, Friday January 16, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Featuring The Vitals with Lethal Selecta and Zion Bound, hosted by Miss Lulu. Open galleries, live music, local artists and vendors at the Art+Flea urban market. Free admission, all ages welcome!

Details on our website: CapitolModern.org.

Island roots and reggae night at the State Art Museum, this Friday! All ages welcome, free admission. Featuring The Vita...
08/15/2026

Island roots and reggae night at the State Art Museum, this Friday! All ages welcome, free admission. Featuring The Vitals 808 with and , hosted by Miss Lulu. Presented in partnership with .⁠
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Urban market with includes local artists and food/beverage vendors. ⁠Live painting with artist collective.⁠
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Museum gallery is open with new exhibits: "Schaefer Portrait Challenge" from Maui and "Contemporary Portraiture: Art in Public Places". ⁠
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Friday January 16⁠
5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is Hawaiʻi's state government arts agency, administratively attached to the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Accounting and General Services. SFCA programs include Capitol Modern, the official Hawaiʻi state art museum. Explore the public art collection in the SFCA's new online database at sfca.hawaii.gov/app-art.

Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum is closed Saturday, August 15, 2026. This closure is due to a storm warning...
08/15/2026

Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum is closed Saturday, August 15, 2026. This closure is due to a storm warning. Learn more about how to prepare at ready.hawaii.gov.

Celebrate the vibrant cultures of Micronesia this month at Capitol Modern. 🌺🌊Join us at Capitol Modern for Creative Micr...
08/06/2026

Celebrate the vibrant cultures of Micronesia this month at Capitol Modern. 🌺🌊

Join us at Capitol Modern for Creative Micronesia: Music, Movement, Poetry & Fashion, a special series of free community events celebrating the rich traditions, creativity, and stories of Micronesian cultures through performances, fashion, poetry, hands-on art activities, & more.

While you’re there, don’t miss Arts of Oceania, a new exhibition opening on August 7, featuring recently acquired Micronesian and Melanesian artworks from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Collection, alongside Māori wind instruments and traditional weapons by Kalama Fallau.

✨ Upcoming Events
📅 Saturday, August 8, 1:00-4:00 PM @ Capitol Modern
Celebrate the opening of Arts of Oceania with traditional and contemporary dance, a Micronesian fashion show, poetry, youth opening protocol, and a community reception.

📅 Saturday, August 15, 11:00 AM-4:00 PM during Super Saturday @ Capitol Modern
Enjoy free, family-friendly art activities, live music, local vendors, and hands-on workshops with Micronesian and Pacific Islands artists.

📅 Saturday, August 22, 1:00-4:00 PM @ Capitol Modern
Experience traditional and contemporary fashion, poetry, and cultural performances celebrating the diverse communities of Micronesia.

🎟️ Free admission, family-friendly, & open to the public
📍 Capitol Modern is the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum

Carousel of promotional graphics highlighting Capitol Modern’s August programming. Graphics feature the Arts of Oceania exhibition and three Creative Micronesia: Music, Movement, Poetry & Fashion events on August 8, 15, and 22, celebrating Micronesian cultures through performances, fashion, poetry, hands-on art activities, music, local vendors, and community gatherings.

Address

250 S Hotel Street Fl 2
Honolulu, HI
96813

Opening Hours

Monday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Thursday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Friday 7:45am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18085860300

Website

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