Windward Community College Professor of Art and Gallery ʻIolani Director Kapulani Landgraf has been named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow. Landgraf is one of just 223 distinguished individuals selected from a highly competitive pool of nearly 5,000 applicants for this honor.

The fellowship will support Landgraf’s project, What Was Taken, What Remains, a body of work confronting colonial histories and reasserting Hawaiian visual sovereignty. Through archival research, photographic interventions, collage and the integration of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) and moʻolelo (stories), the project reframes dominant narratives to restore voices to histories long obscured.

‘On our own terms’

“My work has always been about accountability—of images, of histories, and of the ways they are constructed and carried forward,” Landgraf said. “This fellowship supports the continuation of that work, but it also underscores its urgency. What has been taken cannot remain unexamined, and what remains must be made visible on our own terms.”

Widely recognized for her multimedia installations and photography exploring ʻāina (land) and the impacts of colonialism, Landgraf positions the camera as both a witness and an intervention. At Windward CC, she has transformed Gallery ʻIolani into a space centered on Hawaiʻi-based artists and cultural continuity. She is also the author of multiple monographs, including Nā Wahi Pana O Koʻolau Poko and Nā Wahi Kapu O Maui, which extend her explorations of ʻāina, moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy), and resistance.

Established in 1925, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation provides monetary stipends allowing scholars and artists to pursue independent work under “the freest possible conditions.” The Foundation has granted nearly $450 million to more than 19,000 Fellows, an elite group that includes Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and cultural icons.

A new exhibition honoring the life and legacy of legendary kumu hula and musician Robert Uluwehionāpuaikawēkiuokalani Cazimero opens at Windward Community College’s on January 23, 2026. The exhibition Ke Kilo Lani, reflects on Cazimero’s lifelong commitment to the continuity of Hawaiian cultural practice and knowledge.

A public reception is scheduled for 4–7 p.m. on opening day. The exhibition will be on view through May 15, 2026.

Focusing on mentorship

Ke Kilo Lani highlights the traditional foundations and evolving expressions of ʻike Hawaiʻi (traditional Hawaiian knowledge), and is presented in partnership with the Wāhea Foundation.

“Ke Kilo Lani inaugurates a series of exhibitions focused on mentorship as the foundation of cultural continuity,” said Kapulani Landgraf, Gallery ʻIolani director. “I see this exhibition engaging the ongoing practice of Robert Uluwehionāpuaikawēkiuokalani Cazimero—whose innovation as a kumu hula and musician continues to shape generations—and honoring perseverance as a lifelong commitment to holding, evolving and passing forward tradition.”

Tours, talk story, performances

In conjunction with the exhibition, Gallery ʻIolani will host several events, including:

• Guided gallery tours led by Hālau Nā Kamalei o Līlīlehua.
• Community talk story sessions.
• Scheduled performances in both Gallery ʻIolani and Palikū Theatre.

Gallery Information

Gallery ʻIolani is located on the Windward CC campus at 45-720 Keaʻahala Road, ����Ա�ʻ�dz��.

• Hours: Monday–Saturday, 1–5 p.m. (closed Sundays and holidays).
• More information: and the

at Windward Community College will present KULEANA, an ambitious group exhibition running August 29–December 12, 2025, exploring one of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s most layered and resonant concepts.

Co-curated by April A.H. Drexel and Gallery ʻIolani Director Kapulani Landgraf, the exhibition pairs University of Hawaiʻi alumni, faculty and former faculty in collaborative conversations on the meaning of kuleana—delving into history, politics, culture, identity and socio-economic realities that shape Hawaiʻi and its people.

“Recently, 'kuleana' has become a buzzword or stock phrase for many who use it. However, it is far more than a reference to responsibility or privilege,” Landgraf said. “It is about accountability, and the moral courage to right a wrong, no matter the consequence.”

Some artist duos created their works in close partnership, while others contributed individually, each adding to a collective narrative centered on responsibility, accountability and agency.

Participating artists

Participating artists include: Maile Andrade, John T. Koga, Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick, Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum, Kimo Alexander Cashman, Edward Makahiapo Cashman Jr., Kaili Chun, Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu, Richard Hamasaki, Noʻu Revilla, Stacy Hoshino, Keahiahi Sharon Long, Healoha Johnston, Nina Tonga, Rochelle Piʻilani Hussey Kaaloa, Lia O’Neill M.A. Keawe, Linda Kāne, Malia Ann Crowningburg Kāne, Karen K. Kosasa, Eiko Kosasa, Kekeha Solis, and Kekailoa Perry.

Opening reception

Friday, August 29, 4–7 p.m. at Gallery ʻIolani, Windward CC, 45-720 Keaʻahala Road

Admission is free and open to the public.

Public programs: KOʻAKĀ series

In conjunction with the exhibition, Gallery ʻIolani will host KOʻAKĀ, a series of community discussions and presentations on select Saturdays 3–4:30 p.m.:

• August 30: “Inspirations, Aspirations, Innovations”—Panelists: Maile Andrade, Drew Broderick, Kaili Chun. Moderator: April A.H. Drexel
• September 27: “IN CASE of EMERGENCY”—Panelists: Linda Kāne, Kekailoa Perry, Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum. Moderator: April A.H. Drexel
• October 11: “Perpetual Motion – churning, thrashing, roaring”—Panelists: Richard Hamasaki, Lisa Linn Kanae, Keahiahi Sharon Long, Nāwaʻa Napoleon. Moderator: April A.H. Drexel
• October 25: “festering wounds, battle fatigue, paralysis of toxic shaming”—Panelists: Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu, Lia O’Neill M.A. Keawe, Karen K. Kosasa. Moderator: April A.H. Drexel
• November 15: “Routes & Rootedness”—Panelists: Kimo Alexander Cashman, Rochelle Piʻilani Hussey Kaaloa, Kekeha Solis. Moderator: April A.H. Drexel

For more information, visit or follow on Instagram.

invites the public to experience a vibrant showcase of student creativity at its Annual Student Art Exhibition at through May 13, Monday through Saturday, 1—5 p.m. The free exhibit features the work of 55 student artists across a diverse range of media, including ceramics, digital art, drawing, film photography, painting, sculpture and woodworking.

The annual exhibition is a celebration of the dedication, talent and growth of Windward CC art students throughout the academic year. Each piece reflects not only technical skill but also a unique voice shaped by the college’s strong foundation in Hawaiian values, cultural learning and the natural environment of Koʻolaupoko.

“Celebrate the remarkable work created in the energetic and productive environment of the Windward CC studios… It’s our students, coming together from all walks of life, sharing space, sharing ideas, sharing support for one another in their challenges, that makes Windward CC the great place that it is,” said Bryce Myers, assistant professor of art.

Windward CC’s art programs challenge students to expand their creative boundaries while engaging deeply with cultural knowledge of Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) and the natural history of the ʻāina (land). The result is a body of work that is rich in meaning, connection and identity—art that is both technically refined and rooted in a strong sense of place.

For more information, visit Gallery ʻIolani or call (808) 236-9155.

A free exhibit of 14-foot hoe uli (steering paddles), Hoʻokāhi Ka ʻIlau Like Ana Wield the Paddles Together, will be on view at Windward Community College’s , January 18–March 7, 2025.

It features paddles crafted by during the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC), which included delegations from Hawaiʻi, Aotearoa, American Samoa, Western Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Guam, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rapa Nui, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

In June during FestPAC, Hui Kālai Kiʻi O Kūpāʻaikeʻe, a Hawaiian carving revitalization group, hosted 70 Moananuiākea (Pacific) carvers, uniting to create hoe uli as symbols of collective self-determination.

“As Pacific peoples, we’re all voyagers, we’re all canoe people, and so hoe uli became the carving theme for FestPAC as a common cultural piece. The hoe uli represents our collective self-determination as Pacific peoples navigating our collective futures,” said Andre Perez, program lead for kālai (carving) for FestPAC and project director of Hui Kālai Kiʻi O Kūpāʻaikeʻe.

Perez, a Windward CC and ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� alumnus, co-curated the exhibit with Kaili Chun, sculptor and installation artist.

An artist reception will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2025, 3–6 p.m. Gallery ʻIolani is open Monday–Saturday, 1–5 p.m.; Closed Sundays and holidays. Phone: (808) 236-9155.

For more information, contact Professor of Art and Gallery ʻIolani Coordinator Kapulani Landgraf at kapulani@hawaii.edu.

at Windward Community College announces Ke Alaula, a series of six discussion programs accompanying the current exhibition The OGs: Photographers of the Silver Gelatin Process which runs from September 6 to December 6, 2024. Ke Alaula is scheduled on Saturdays, 2–3:30 p.m., and will feature photographers from the exhibition alongside experts who will explore themes of photography, archiving and the historic struggles over water diversion in Waiāhole.

Event Schedule (Saturdays, 2–3:30 p.m.)

• October 19: ʻĀina That Which Feeds—Kimo Cashman and Karen Kosasa
• October 26: Wayne Levin: A Life in Photography
• November 2: Mai Na Kūpuna Mai—Renee Iiima and Shuzo Uemoto
• November 9: Capturing Our Past for Our Futures: Preserving the Photographer’s Opus
• November 23: Franco Salmoiraghi: Photography + Experience
• November 30: Waiāhole: Photography As a Weapon

These talks, free and open to the public, explore how photography preserves culture and history, and addresses critical social issues.

“An exhibition is never enough,” said Kapulani Landgraf, director of Gallery ʻIolani. “Ke Alaula provides a place and space to hear directly and engage with The OGs and others about the impact their lifeʻs works have played on Hawaiʻi.”

Gallery ʻIolani hours are Monday through Saturday, 1–5 p.m., and is located adjacent to Palikū Theatre at Windward CC.

For more information, please contact Kapulani Landgraf at kapulani@hawaii.edu or visit .

The exhibition opened at Windward Community College’s on March 31. The exhibition features the collaborative work of Hawaiian artists, curators and educators. Gallery ʻIolani is the latest stop of the multi-site exhibition, which will continue to unfold at venues across the ����Ӱҵ Ssystem throughout this year.

• Related ����Ӱҵ News story: ����Բ��첹 ʻŌiwi art spanning generations showcased in new exhibition, February 27, 2023

“ʻAi ��ō�󲹰��, Stone Eaters affirms our long-standing acts of creative resistance and persistence. Emerging collaboratively, this multi-site exhibition is guided by ongoing conversations with family, friends, mentors, and colleagues—all of whom have contributed to a larger movement toward self-determination within the arts of Hawaiʻi,” said co-curators Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick (Koa Gallery, ), Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu (assistant specialist, ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� American Studies) and Josh Tengan.

The exhibition at Gallery ʻIolani will feature pieces by the following artists:

• Meala Bishop
• Solomon Robert Nui Enos
• Roen Hufford
• ʻĪmaikalani �������������
• Lehuauakea
• Nanea Lum
• Tiare Ribeaux
• Maikaʻi Tubbs

The exhibition is supported by the Puʻuhonua Society, Admiral Residency in Contemporary Pacific Art, Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services and Independent Curators International.

The ʻAi ��ō�󲹰��, Stone Eaters exhibition at Gallery ʻIolani is on view through May 5. The gallery is open Monday–Friday and Sunday, 1–5 p.m.

To learn more, visit the .

An exhibit showcasing a body of work spanning 13 years by a art and art history lecturer, Listening for a Heartbeat: Works by Emily McIlroy, runs at ’s February 3–March 3, 2023.

“This exhibition is sensitive and powerful at the same time,” said Toni Martin, Windward CC art professor and Gallery ʻIolani director.

According to , Listening for a Heartbeat brings together a collection of McIlroy’s mixed-media drawings and paintings, spanning the years 2008 to 2021. McIlroy’s art practice is rooted in her relationship with the natural world and fueled by internal exploration. With the deaths of her twin brother (2007), mother (2015) and father (2019), McIlroy came to see her inner realm of thoughts, memories and emotions as a wilderness—a space that harbors great danger as well as extraordinary wonder.

The works in this exhibition are McIlroy’s attempt to navigate and understand this territory. They orient her toward truths that lie outside the light of full awareness. Each piece or series of pieces arose out of inquiry into existential questions. In the years following the death of her twin, who had suffered from mental illness for many years, McIlroy was left suspended between a world she could not yet enter and a world to which she no longer felt she belonged.

The title artwork, Listening for a Heartbeat (oil and pastel on paper), says much about McIlroy’s pursuit of reconciling past with present, looking outward and inward.

The artist’s description reads: “And when all went quiet and we could no longer make out the sound of these murmurings, I leaned back just a little into the spine that curved against my spine, and I said to the heart outside myself, ‘Where are you?’ And the heart outside myself said, ‘I’m right here. Where are you?’ And I said, ‘I’m right here, too.’ And that’s how I knew I was alive and of the world. That I was nothing less and nothing more than everything that had already been, and everything that would ever be. Who I was was happening, and this happening could never be undone.”

McIlroy earned her BA in studio art from the University of Arizona in 2005 and her MFA in drawing and painting from ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� in 2011. She currently teaches in the drawing and painting program at ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�.

The exhibit is part of Windward CC’s 50th anniversary celebration. An artist reception is scheduled for February 3, 4–7 p.m.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday and Sunday 1–5 p.m.

For more information, visit or call (808) 236-9155.

Windward Community College’s is celebrating the campus’ 50th anniversary with Wow! and Then, an exhibit showcasing art over the decades by past and present art faculty. The exhibit opens on October 2 and will run through December 2, with an artist reception on October 7, 4–7 p.m.

“This exhibition celebrates current and former faculty of the fine arts program at Windward Community College,” said Toni Martin, art professor and Gallery ʻIolani director. “These extraordinary artists/teachers created a legacy of teaching beginning art students toward viable art careers throughout the state, country and even in other countries.”

Artists featured in the exhibit include Snowden Hodges, Mark Hamasaki, Paul Nash, John Morita, Jordan Souza, Rebecca Horne, Kapulani Landgraf, Shigeru Miyamoto, Miki Cook, William Zwick, Toni Martin, Bryce Myers and more.

Gallery hours are Monday–Friday and Sunday, 1–5 p.m.

Prior to the exhibit’s opening, a special fundraising event, “,” will take place on October 1, 5–7 p.m. The scholarship fundraiser will feature an exclusive preview of the Wow! and Then exhibit along with music by Kamakakehau Fernandez, gourmet food, wine and craft mocktails. Tickets are $95 and can be purchased at .

“Many career artists who began art studies at WCC include local and national studio art teachers and working artists in all Hawaiian Islands,” said Martin. “Some are designers, painters, ceramic and glass artists, photographers, gallery directors, as well as an illustrator in Portland, a painter in Paris, a contemporary artist in NYC. In 2017, Windward alum Sean Yoro was recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of 30 under 30 successful national artists.”

For more information about the exhibit, visit the or call (808) 236-9155.

More than 100 works demonstrating the spirit of art on the Windward side of Oʻahu will be displayed at Windward Community College’s Gallery ʻIolani February 4–March 4.

showcases the work of Windward Artists Guild members, an outstanding group of local artists.

Works of recognized professional artists as well as newcomers to the art community highlight the joys and wonders of art.

The exhibition will be open to the public according to COVID-19 protocols. or call (808) 236-9155 for updated information.

“Artists transform their impressions of the world around them into expressions of the impact those impressions make on their minds and hearts,” said Exhibits Chair Liz Corbin of Windward Artists Guild.

“The art in this exhibition reflects that process in the varied subject matter and the wide range of media.”

Impressions/Expressions is open Monday–Friday and Sunday, 1–5 p.m. An artist reception is scheduled for Friday, February 11, 4–7 p.m.

Gallery ʻIolani is celebrating 30 years of exhibitions at Windward CC, showcasing work from local, national and international artists.

This fall, HomeGrown, a new exhibition opening on October 22, will feature 30 of the most notable Hawaiʻi-based artists at at . Some of the exhibit’s artists are part of a global network of mural and installation artists and recently participated in the Pow!Wow! Hawaiʻi festival in Kakaʻako.

“The dynamics of the HomeGrown artists usher in a new exciting movement showing works of fantasy, color, bold and bright images not seen in such abundance during the past few decades,” said Gallery Director Toni Martin.

HomeGrown

• October 22–December 10, 2021
• Artist Reception: Friday, October 29, 4–7 p.m. (pending COVID-19 restrictions)
• Open Monday–Friday, 1–5 p.m. (except holidays on Nov. 11, 25, 26)

Martin titled the exhibition HomeGrown to celebrate the coming together of exciting local artists. Among the Windward CC alumni featured are Shar Tuiasoa (Punky Aloha) and Colin Ota.

Homecoming

The gallery also serves as a classroom for students studying gallery design and management at Windward CC.

Three years ago, when Martin invited Windward CC alumna Bethany Georges to collaborate on a new fall 2021 exhibition at the college, Georges felt like she had come full circle, a sort of homecoming.

As a student, Georges took every art class possible at Windward CC, from color theory to sculpture, printmaking and 2D design, and figure drawing and painting, to gallery design and management—some up to three times each.

“Taking Toni’s Gallery Management and Design course really familiarized me with the gallery and being in this role, and honestly taking Toni’s other classes has really changed my life! The knowledge learned from her classes were so fundamental, that nearly everything I look at, I see through the lens of those core design principles,” said Georges.
Georges’ experiences led her to a career of art commissions, gallery showings and large-scale murals at venues such as Pow!Wow! Hawaiʻi.

Martin invited Georges to curate HomeGrown by seeking out young contemporary local artists and bringing them to the Windward side of O‘ahu.

“I realized this is the perfect time to mentor her with exhibit planning and management by offering her the role of curating these artists, which can prepare her for a future role in gallery management,” said Martin.

Georges added, “We hope to inspire people to embrace their inner creative, to see that it is possible to follow your passion and pursue a career in art, and to see that there are many different types of journeys that unfold in the process.”

Gallery ʻIolani is located adjacent to Palikū Theatre in the Hale Pālanakila complex. For more information about the gallery and/or opportunity to study visual arts and gallery design, contact Martin at (808) 236-9155, or .

People from across the islands, country and world have had to change with the pandemic throughout the past year. Challenging as it has been, Windward Community College art students and instructors adapted to instruction via Zoom. The fresh works housed in an exhibition called in are a tribute to students’ creativity and what is achievable.

Confluence 6 features more than 130 student works from studio art classes at Windward CC in ceramics, color theory, drawing, 2D design, painting, gallery design and management, photography, screen printing, sculpture and Hawaiian carving.

“This was my first time working on a ceramic bust,” said student Jade Hurley, “and my first time working on something like this over Zoom.”

An acrylic painting by student Erin Wesly titled “Disney Pink” offers brick and mortar bathed in tones of delicate pink and purple into the form of towering castle walls.

“My art is an accomplishment of being able to get out of my perceived limits,” said Wesly.

This year marks the 30-year anniversary of Gallery ʻIolani, celebrating more than 160 exhibitions in the current 1,600-square-foot gallery located adjacent to Palikū Theatre, and from 1991 to 2003 in Hale ʻIolani. Gallery ʻIolani was voted runner-up in the category for best art gallery in Honolulu Star Advertiser’s Hawaii’s Best 2020.

Gallery ʻIolani information

Confluence 6 runs March 5–May 5, 2021. Gallery hours are Monday–Friday, 1–5 p.m., closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

The gallery remains temporarily closed to the public during the pandemic. Only students, faculty and staff are permitted to enter until restrictions are lifted.

Please call (808) 236-9155 for updated information.

For more information about the exhibition and/or studies in gallery design and management at Windward CC, contact Gallery Director and Professor Toni Martin at (808) 236-9155 or visit the Gallery ʻIolani website.

A virtual moment of escape and reflection in these uncertain times is offered through Nights on B Street, a collaboration of art by Adam LeBlanc and poetry by University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� Emeritus Professor Joseph Stanton on exhibit at Windward Community College’s . The to the public. It includes spoken poetry and a virtual stroll up and down B Street, with commentary about the artists’ collaboration.

LeBlanc’s installation Nights on B Street, invites intrigue and mystique—while gathering viewers into the urban landscape world of residents encompassing dreams fulfilled or unfulfilled. Musicians and artists are playing to those scenarios, and passersby become part of the panorama in this culturally captivating inner cityscape. Insightful poetry by Stanton accompanies LeBlanc’s work giving the viewer a bountiful treat.

“This is an exhibit not to be missed showing a collaboration of longtime friends, poet Joseph Stanton and artist Adam LeBlanc, innovators in their collective arts merging images and words to create an insightful exhibit celebrating their artistic connections,” said Gallery ʻIolani Director Toni Martin.

B Street

“Mostly overlooked and under-represented, B Street had evolved between the lines into an interesting, dynamic and somewhat risky neighborhood. It provided shelter for lovers and shelter for those with no love to spare. To be sure, B Street had its ins and outs but it was as good a place as any to begin living large,” LeBlanc wrote about the exhibit.

“It was a time when everyone and everything always seemed to be coming and going. It was a space where the Cheshire Cat hung its grin for a while. And in this curious habitat, if you listen long enough, you might hear the breath of possibilities,” he said.

About the artists

LeBlanc, a painter and sculptor, has lived in Hawaiʻi since 1989 and continues his work in Honolulu. In the 1970s, he studied at the Art Institute of Boston, the Fine Arts Work Center of Provincetown and Boston University. His teachers included Robert Motherwell and Philip Guston. LeBlanc has had solo shows at Honolulu Museum of Art at Linekona and Koa Gallery at Kapiʻolani Community College. He has also shown his painting and sculpture in group exhibits at ����Ӱҵ’s main gallery, Honolulu Museum of Art at Linekona and Gallery ‘Iolani at Windward CC.

Stanton, a mixed-media poet, has lived in Hawaiʻi since 1972. His books of poetry include Moving Pictures, Things Seen, A Field Guide to the Wildlife of Suburban Oahu, Cardinal Points, Imaginary Museum: Poems on Art, and What the Kite Thinks: a Linked Poem. Stanton’s poems have appeared in Poetry, Harvard Review, New Letters, Antioch Review, and Bamboo Ridge. He is a professor emeritus of art history and American studies at ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� and teaches poetry workshops at Honolulu Museum of Art and Poets House in New York City.

For more information about the exhibition and/or studies in gallery design and management at Windward CC, contact Martin at (808) 236-9155 or visit the website.

—By Bonnie Beatson

The people of Hawaiʻi have acknowledged the outstanding work done by numerous University of Hawaiʻi campuses, helping ����Ӱҵ appear among the greatest in the state in Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s , released on Sunday, August 16.

The 2020 honors include:

• Best College:
• Best Career and Technical Education:
• Best Career and Technical Education Finalists: ,
• Best Tutoring Center: , Windward CC
• Best Art Gallery Finalist: , Windward CC
• Best Live Theatre Finalist: Leeward CC

“It’s gratifying and humbling to see multiple ����Ӱҵ campuses recognized as the best by the readers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser,” said ����Ӱҵ President David Lassner. “This is a credit to our amazing and devoted faculty and staff who have adapted repeatedly to ensure ����Ӱҵ continues to provide an excellent education for students during this unprecedented time. Public higher education has never been more critical to Hawaiʻi, and every one of our campuses has remained steadfast in our commitment to to support students of all ages and backgrounds throughout the islands achieve their hopes and dreams.”

The Hawaiʻi’s Best Awards are chosen each year by the readers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. This year’s publication featured more than 150 categories. Additionally, the 2020 Hawaiʻi’s Best Awards marks another consecutive year for ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� as the state’s Best College and Leeward CC’s sixth consecutive year of recognition in two categories.

“It is an honor for ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� to be recognized as the Best College by the people of Hawaiʻi,” said ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno. “The campus is dedicated to being a Hawaiian place of learning to better support the community in every aspect possible. ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz� has a creative and generous spirit, and I am proud of all the efforts made by our students, faculty and staff.”

“This selection of Windward CC‘s as Hawaiʻi’s Best in two categories and finalist in another recognizes the hard work and love our faculty and staff invest in our students, changing lives and inspiring excellence,” added Windward CC Chancellor Ardis Eschenberg. “Mahalo nui to the readers of Star-Advertiser for this award and to our students who make higher education relevant and meaningful.”

Due to campus closures from COVID-19, Gallery ʻIolani at , is giving the community an opportunity to view the Hawaii Craftsmen’s Fiber Hawaiʻi 2020 exhibit from the comfort of their own homes. Viewers can take on Windward CC’s YouTube channel and .

The biennial juried exhibition consists of objects made “IN, OF or ABOUT” fiber. It provides a space for the conflation of ideas such as art and craft; traditional and contemporary; functional and non-functional; past, present and future.

Fifty-one artworks from 33 artists include mixed media fiber and ceramic sculpture, light installation, handmade paper, kapa, basketry, embroidery, felting, surface design and wearable textiles, fabric collage and more.

“A masterful exhibition showing the dynamics of fiber and the artists who created the work,” said Gallery ʻIolani Director Toni Martin. “Variations of form and method bring awareness to fiber art. The aura of color and forms melding together is a feast for the eyes.”

The pieces were selected by mother-daughter juror duo Junco Sato Pollack (textile artist professor emeritus from the E. G. Welch School of Art and Design of Georgia State University) and Maika Pollack (director and chief curator John Young Museum of Art and University Galleries and assistant professor of art history at ����Ӱҵ ����ԴDz�). Their jurying process was a conversation about the significance of fiber art, framed through their familial relationship.

“While mature craftsmanship and resolved design aesthetic is absolutely critical to be successful in a competitive exhibition,” said Junco Sato Pollack, “it is always refreshing to me to encounter an energetic piece that breaks every rule and ends up in an expressive narrative that communicates an artist’s vision. Handcraft emulating a fine art sensibility that is of the textile arena also caught my eyes as it suggests a new direction of our time.”

—By Bonnie J. Beatson

Windward Community College’s explores the risks and faith of 12 artists’ journeys in an exhibition titled, Where Are We? The artwork will be open for public viewing from January 31 to March 1.

The answer to the question, “Where Are We?” in regards to where we find ourselves individually or collectively, depends upon the moment we choose to look at, where we have been in the past and where we are at this moment.

“This is a significant exhibition showing 12 of Hawaiʻi’s most prominent artists together at the same time and in the same place,” said Gallery ʻIolani Director Toni Martin.

The 12 artists

• David Behlke, retired professor of visual arts and director of Koa Art Gallery at Kapiʻolani Community College working in multiple media, drawing, painting and stained glass fine art.
• Kauka de Silva, a Native Hawaiian ceramic artist and sculptor born in Hilo; a faculty member in Art at Kapiʻolani Community College since 1988.
• Sanit Khewhok, a painter, sculptor, curator, conservator and art restorer who has been an active member of the Honolulu art community since 1986.
• Tom Klobe, professor emeritus and founding director of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Art Gallery, designing more than 200 exhibitions over 29 years.
• Adam LeBlanc, a painter and sculptor who has exhibited his work at Honolulu Museum of Art at Linekona, Koa Gallery and group exhibits at ����Ӱҵ.
• Katherine Love, who works in mixed media paintings, drawings and installations that explore the relationship between opposing forces of wildness and domesticity.
• Hal Lum, who sees himself as an abstract painter with work represented nationally in private collections and at the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and Arts.
• Noreen Naughton, currently a full-time artist painting abstract configurations within a motif in her studio overlooking ����̄�Ա�ʻ�dz�� Bay.
• Diane Nushida-Tokuno, a sculptor, calls attention to the effects of our relationship with nature and has been featured in the Textile Arts Center in Chicago.
• Joseph Stanton, an advocate for poetry, who has lived in Hawaiʻi since 1972 and creates mixed-media poetry.
• Russell Sunabe, a painter, returned from artist-in-residence in New York City teaching at Hunter College to teach at UH ����ԴDz�, who currently practices his craft and exhibits in Hawaiʻi.
• Lori Uyehara, whose work is represented in the collections of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and Honolulu Museum of Art.

Event details

Where Are We? will be on display from January 31 to March 1, 1–5 p.m. Monday–Friday and Sunday.

On January 31, there is an opening reception 4–7 p.m.

An artist talk will take place on February 9, 3–4 p.m. Joe Stanton will read his poetry and Adam LeBlanc will discuss a collaborative piece by himself and Stanton.

For more information about the exhibition, contact Gallery ʻIolani Director Toni Martin at (808) 236-9155 or .

at fires things up by sharing works from the Hawaiʻi Craftsmen’s 42nd annual . The Raku Hoʻolauleʻa exhibition opens on November 8, highlighting artwork from the three-day community ceramics workshop that was held at Camp Mokulēʻia on the North Shore in September. The exhibit includes 82 works created by 42 artists.

Founded in 1977, the annual Raku Hoʻolauleʻa ceramics workshop, firing and beachside campout is produced by the Hawaiʻi Craftsmen. The event encourages participation in raku and pit firing techniques and brings together ceramic artists from Burn-Outs, Hawaiʻi Potters Guild, Krackpots, Windward Community College, and more.

“Raku Hoʻolauleʻa is an exhibition showing ingenuity, creativity and imagination demonstrating that ceramic art is alive and well in Hawaiʻi,” said Gallery Director Toni Martin. “The exhibit presents the range of elegant, traditional and playful examples of masterful artists working in the medium of raku creating a feast for the eyes and joy for the soul.”

Jurying works

Objects glazed and fired at the beach were juried by experts in both contemporary and traditional raku categories for this exhibition. Hawaiʻi ceramic artist and educator Bob McWilliams juried artworks in the contemporary raku category. Hitoshi Murata, tea instructor of Urasenke Foundation Hawaiʻi, juried works for the traditional raku category.

“Most potters would agree that raku, pit firing and many of the other techniques employed push us toward the more spontaneous and adventurous style of making pottery,” said McWilliams. “This also makes it more difficult to evaluate and jury an exhibit… I thought of a few ways to approach choosing a wide-range of well-executed pieces: a concentration on high quality, a focus on intention in one’s work and innovative ideas concerning subject matter, design and techniques.”

Exhibit Information

The exhibit is free and will be open from November 8 to December 5 with an opening artist reception and awards ceremony on November 8, 4–7 p.m. The gallery is open Monday–Friday and Sunday, 1–5 p.m.

For more information about the exhibition, contact Gallery ʻIolani Director Toni Martin at (808) 236-9155.