Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

07/31/2026

What do we carry with us? In "Paʻuʻaha" (2017), artist Marques Marzan draws inspiration from the traditional Hawaiian kōkō, woven carrying nets once used to suspend and transport food and personal belongings. Through this work, he reflects on the body as a vessel that carries not only physical necessities, but also our stories, families, and life experiences.

By enveloping the body in woven natural fibers, "Paʻuʻaha" reimagines the kōkō as a wearable work of art. Marzan honors the role each of us plays in carrying and protecting the knowledge, memories, and traditions passed down through generations.

Originally created to be worn, the work is displayed open, allowing viewers to appreciate the intricate knotwork and craftsmanship from every angle. Whether worn or exhibited, the piece continues to speak to connection, protection, and the evolving journeys we each carry.

Paʻuʻaha is one of the featured works in Trifecta, an exhibition where 21 members of Hawaiʻi’s arts community each selected three works from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Collection, offering new perspectives on Hawaiʻi’s public art.

07/31/2026

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Mark your calendars for Drawn to Music, Saturday, August 8 from 1-4 p.m., at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park in Chinatown/Downtown, across the street from DAC! Guitar Foundation of Hawaii, together with Creative ARTS Experience , Pastel Artists of Hawaii, and Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance, invite you to a creative, collaborative music and art event.

Local musicians D. Shoji Nakamoto and ESD: Every Single Day will perform live in the park while artists can sketch and paint on-site, capturing the music and mood of the afternoon (artists, please bring your own supplies!). Or, make something cool to take home with you at the Make & Take craft tents.

At the end, there will be a Best Drawn to Music Artwork contest, with $600 in total cash prizes. Entry is free, and artwork must be created on-site to qualify.
🎶

07/31/2026

07/29/2026

Do you work in theatre, dance, or live music? Researcher Annie Dorsen wants to hear from you. Share your experience with generative AI and help inform future policy, advocacy, and support for artists. Take the survey here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8855295/3102026.

Link and info have also been posted on our website: sfca.hawaii.gov/news.

07/28/2026

Introducing Vince Hazen, one of the twenty-one guest curators featured in the "Trifecta" exhibit at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum.

An accomplished artist and educator, Vince Hazen is a ceramics and printmaking instructor at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus and the former director of the Honolulu Museum of Art School. His work has been exhibited throughout Hawaiʻi in galleries including The Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center, Koa Gallery, Andrew Rose Gallery, and Gallery 103 on Kauaʻi.

For "Trifecta", Vince selected three works from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ (SFCA) Art in Public Places Collection that speak to place, identity, and cultural connections:

"Missionary Party" by Kapulani Landgraf
"Paʻuʻaha" by Marques Marzan
"Pohaku ahu ʻaikupele kapili o Keaweiki" by Wayne Levin

Watch as Vince shares what drew him to these works and how, together, they create a meaningful conversation within the exhibition.

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
Interviewer: MK Carroll (SFCA Public Information Program)

Video featuring artist and educator Vince Hazen discussing his curatorial selections for the Trifecta exhibition at Capitol Modern. The video shows Hazen speaking in the gallery alongside views of the three artworks he selected from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Collection: Missionary Part by Kapulani Landgraf, Paʻuʻaha by Marques Marzan, and Pōhaku ahu ʻaikupele kapili o Keaweiki by Wayne Levin.

07/28/2026

Opening Soon - Hawaii's Woodshow 2026! Join us for an Early Preview - starting at 11 am Friday, August 7 through 5pm

We have an extensive MADE IN HAWAII wood objects and artwork ranging from $30 to $400.
The main exhibition space will feature outstanding examples of turning, sculpture/ carving, furniture, and accessories. Come see incredible work by Hawaii students who have entered the I+I Challenge.

Open Tuesday - Sunday 11-5PM

07/25/2026

Calls for artists and exhibit proposals are shared in our email newsletter and on our website. Visit sfca.hawaii.gov/news to find the most recent list of calls from SFCA grantees, partners, and Hawaiʻi state and local government programs. The news post on the SFCA website includes information on which exhibits have been approved for an SFCA Art Acquisition Selection Committee visit.

Video description: promotional graphics for calls by Hawaii Craftsmen, Division of Aquatic Resources, Wailoa Center , Hawaii Watercolor Society, Hawai‘i Nei Art Exhibition , Kauai Society of Artists, Hawaii Audubon Society, Honolulu Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts, Lei Pua 'Ala Q***r Histories of Hawai'i, and Kahilu Exhibits. Electronic music plays in the background.

07/24/2026

"How do I get my art into the Hawaiʻi SFCA public art collection?" Currently, most artworks for the SFCA Art in Public Places Collection are purchased from local art exhibits. Having your artwork for sale in a juried or curated exhibit that has requested an AASC visit is the most likely way that your work can become a part of the SFCA Art in Public Places Collection’s Relocatable Works of Art (completed, portable works to be displayed at state government sites including public libraries, schools, and state offices). Learn more about qualifications for exhibits and how exhibit organizers can submit a request for an SFCA Art Acquisition Selection Committee visit on our website: sfca.hawaii.gov.

Commissioned Works of Art for specific state government locations (such as site-specific large murals or sculptures) have a separate artist selection process that typically begins with a Request for Qualifications posted to (CaFÉ) at CallForEntry.org. Artists need to be registered on CaFÉ to be able to log in and respond to a call for artists. It’s free to register and set up an account with a work portfolio and resumé. SFCA staff recommend that interested artists have an account and work portfolio on CaFÉ.

Image description: text reading SFCA Art in Public Places Program “how do I get my art into the Hawaiʻi SFCA public art collection?” sfca.hawaii.gov/news over a detail of a charcoal drawing of water drops and ripples. A dark gradient over the photograph helps the text stand out.

Artwork in image: detail of "Ola I Ka Wai" by Linda Kāne (.kane.188), charcoal on paper drawing, 2025. Art in Public Places Collection of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA).

07/24/2026

"Rrrroaarrr!" by May Izumi, mixed media sculpture, 2009. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

"Rrrroaarrr!" is meant to represent a female manticore, a legendary creature of Persian folklore similar to the Egyptian sphinx. Usually male, the manticore has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth, bat wings and a trumpet-like voice.

In traditional fairy tales, the artist notes, men are transformed into dangerous animals far more often than women. "I know many fierce women who could never be adequately represented by deer, kittens or swans," the artist explains, "this sculpture is for them."

Artist May Izumi received a BBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is known for her mixed media, small-scale figurative sculptures that are often inspired by folk art and fairy tales.

Explore the SFCA Art in Public Places Collection online: sfca.hawaii.gov/app-art (link will redirect to an Axiell site).

Image description: photo of stylized sculpture of a mythical creature with a red ruff and mouth open in a roar. Info text beneath included in caption.

07/24/2026

The Teaching Artist Institute (TAI) provides annual professional development for teaching artists, supported by the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA). This professional development helps the teaching artists on the SFCA Artistic Teaching Partners Roster maintain an active status. The purpose of the TAI is to help these artists gain the knowledge and skills necessary to teach high-quality, in-depth, standards-based arts residencies in Hawaiʻi public and public charter schools, such as the SFCA Artists in the Schools program.