Hawaii State Foundation On Culture and The Arts NOVEMBER 2025 Newsletter

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

NOVEMBER 2025

Photo: “Kanaloa” koa wood carving by Rocky Kaʻiouliokahihikoloʻehu Jensen (c. 1980) being photo-documented by contractor Chris Rohrer. APP Exhibit Specialist José González assists.
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FCA purchases sculpture by Native Hawaiian master carver Rocky KaʻiouliokahihikoloʻEhu Jensen for public art collection
On August 22, 2025 the SFCA Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of fourteen artworks from five exhibits. These include a koa wood sculpture, “Kanaloa”, by Native Hawaiian master carver Rocky Jensen (1944 – 2023), from the 2025 Hawaiʻi Triennial exhibit at the East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center in Hilo; a sculpture by Native Hawaiian artist Kahi Ching from the 2025 Hawaiʻi Triennial exhibit at the State Art Museum; and two paintings by Native Hawaiian artist Nanea Lum from the 2025 Hawaiʻi Triennial exhibit at the Hub in downtown Honolulu; and three paintings by Native Hawaiian artist Mealaaloha Bishop from the “Living Sovereign” exhibit at Aupuni Space in Honolulu. Read more on our website: sfca.hawaii.gov/sfca-board-of-commissioners-approves-purchase-of-fourteen-artworks-including-sculpture-by-native-hawaiian-master-carver-rocky-jensen.

•   Meeting agendas and minutes are posted to the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/about/board-of-commissioners.

•   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.

The next SFCA Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2025.

Read more on our website

2026-2029 Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate applications due November 15

Photo: Dr. Brandy Nālani McDougall, Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate 2022-2025, reading at the 2023 Art at the Capitol Event. Dr. McDougall is standing on the “Aquarius” mosaic by Tadashi Sato (SFCA Art in Public Places Collection) in the State Capitol Rotunda.

2026-2029 Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate
Nominations are open for the 2026-2029 Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate. This program recognizes and honors a Hawaiʻi poet of exceptional talent and accomplishment and awards an annual grant of $25,000 to support literary programming throughout our islands. Self-nominations are accepted. The Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System, and the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts invite the public to submit nominations.

Final application materials are due November 15, 2025. Nomination form and additional information are online: Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate program.

Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate Program

Kauaʻi poetry event

The Writer’s Garden is hosting an evening event featuring readings by State Poet Laureate Brandy Nālani McDougall on Friday, November 21, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Hale Līhuʻe. Additional details will be announced closer to the event date.

Learn more

SFCA Artists in the Schools grants awarded to over 100 schools statewide

Media description: artworks by Holualoa Elementary School students done during a 2024-2025 AITS residency with Donkey Mill Art Center (DMAC) Artistic Teaching Partners.

Connecting to core curriculum through the arts can significantly increase student engagement, comprehension, and retention of information. Teaching Artists and classroom educators frequently report that students look forward to the sessions.

At Holualoa Elementary School (Holualoa, Hawaiʻi Island), art in the classroom “has had a profound impact, especially for students with attendance challenges, who consistently showed up on AITS days.” – Julie, interim report. “Artmaking helps students feel a sense of belonging, both in themselves and their broader community. This program is more than worthwhile – it’s essential for shifting the experience of isolation toward connection and growth.” – Tomoko Nakazato, Artistic Teaching Partner, interim report. In letters to state legislators Senator Kanuha and Representative Kahaloa, school Principal Kristin Muramoto wrote “We are immensely grateful for your ongoing commitment, not only to Holualoa School but to all schools in the Kona area. Your dedication to arts education is a truly vital investment in the future of our children.”

2025-2026 SFCA Artists in the Schools grants have been awarded to over one hundred schools statewide. View the full list on the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/2025-2026-sfca-artists-in-the-schools-grants-awarded-to-over-one-hundred-schools-statewide.

SFCA Arts Education Spotlight

Call for student artists: 2026 Hawaiʻi Regional Scholastic Student Art Awards competition open through December 12

The annual Hawaiʻi Regional Scholastic Art Awards competition portal is open! Hawai’i students grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) are eligible to submit work.

Gold Key award-winning artworks from the competition will be exhibited at Capitol Modern (Hawaiʻi State Art Museum) February 14 – March 14, 2026. This year, corporate sponsor Lexus Hawaiʻi will be funding cash prizes and scholarships. Learn more on our website: sfca.hawaii.gov/call-for-student-artists-2026-hawai%ca%bbi-regional-scholastic-art-awards-submission-portal-open-through-december-12.

Submissions are submitted through the Art and Writing Awards online portal and are due by December 12, 2025. Learn more about how to enter on the Hawaiʻi Art Region page: ArtAndWriting.org/regions/HI001A.

Art and Writing Awards

Media description: Honolulu Theatre for Youth Ensemble cast members Jarren Amian and Junior Tesoro use a pool noodle (a long, flexible cylinder of foam used for water activities) to turn a line into different shapes during the performance. Here, they introduce curves to the line and imagine that it creates a water scene.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth collaborates with SFCA and Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum on new performance

Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s most recent collaboration with SFCA, “Line, Circle, Sphere” uses simple props and talented performers to create a playful and imaginative space for young audiences. Designed to introduce children to artistic concepts, the performance explores what a single line, circle, or sphere can become with play and imagination.  

With public funds from the SFCA and from the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health, this production has toured elementary schools on Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island and had a run at Tenney Theatre in downtown Honolulu. With the sponsorship of Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi, the production has toured Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi public libraries.  

Honolulu Theatre for Youth has created a study guide for educators and has used National Core Arts Standards in developing this experience for pre-K and Kindergarten students.

Free performances at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum designed for young people with developmental differences and disabilities are scheduled for December. These performances have limited seats and each child should be accompanied by an adult caregiver. For tickets and additional information, please go to the HTY website: HTYweb.org/line-circle-sphere-at-the-capital-modern.

Line Circle Sphere

Capitol Modern

November events at Capitol Modern

•   Museum hours change: now open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

•   Island Pulse: Roots & Reggae Music Night Friday November 21, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

•   Museum calendar: CapitolModern.org/events
Are you subscribed to the Capitol Modern email newsletter? Subscribe or update your information: Capitol Modern email newsletter signup.

CapitolModern.org

SFCA Exhibit Visits

Image description: In this photo at Gallery ʻIolani (Windward Community College), Kamakani Konia (Director, SFCA Art in Public Places Program) and Eli Baxter (Curator, SFCA Art in Public Places Program) discuss a painting by Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum in the "Kuleana" exhibit.

How does an artwork get into the public art collection? For the Art in Public Places Collection of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), most artworks are purchased from a local exhibit. In this photo at Gallery ʻIolani (Windward Community College), Kamakani Konia (Director, SFCA Art in Public Places Program) and Eli Baxter (Curator, SFCA Art in Public Places Program) discuss a painting by Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum in the "Kuleana" exhibit. The visiting Art Acquisition Selection Committee (AASC) nominated this and one other work in the exhibit for the collection. The nominated works will be presented to the SFCA Board of Commissioners for purchase approval at a board meeting.⁠
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These AASCs don't just show up - first, the exhibit organizer submitted information about the exhibit in a form (learn more on our website: sfca.hawaii.gov/art-in-public-places-program/invite-committee). Qualifying exhibits are then presented to the SFCA Board of Commissioners for approval. ⁠
⁠
"Kuleana" is on view at Gallery ʻIolani through December 12, 2025. A series of public programs with the artists has also been scheduled. For more information, please visit the Gallery ʻIolani website: gallery.windward.hawaii.edu/kuleana.
Below is a partial list of recently approved visits that are still open for viewing. A full list of recent and upcoming approved exhibits is posted to the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/art-in-public-places-program/invite-committee (scroll down past the AASC invitation information).

The next board meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2025. The public is welcome to attend in-person or online via Zoom.

•   “Rhythms of Resonance: Explorations in Collaborative Ceramics” exhibition at Donkey Mill Art Center (Hawaiʻi Island), August 23 – October 11, 2025. An SFCA Art Acquisition Selection Committee has visited and nominated four artworks. For more information about the exhibit, please go to the Donkey Mill Art Center website: DonkeyMillArtCenter.org/event/?event=6177.

•   “Kuleana” exhibit at Gallery ʻIolani, Windward Community College. Featuring works by University of Hawaiʻi alumni or former or current faculty or staff. August 29 – December 12, 2025. An SFCA Art Acquisition Selection Committee has visited and nominated two artworks. For more information about the exhibit, please visit the Gallery ʻIolani website: gallery.windward.hawaii.edu.

•   “Interisland (New Paintings from New York and Hawaiʻi)” exhibition of 42 painters based in New York City and in Hawaiʻi at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, The Art Gallery, August 31 – December 7, 2025. An SFCA Art Acquisition Selection Committee has visited and nominated four artworks. For more information about the exhibit, please visit the University of Hawaiʻi website: hawaii.edu/art/exhibitions-events-museum.

•   “Journeys” at Bishop Square, Pauhi Tower (downtown Honolulu). Through January 3, 2026.

•   “River to Richards” documentary photo exhibition at the Downtown Art Center, through November 29, 2025. An SFCA Art Acquisition Selection Committee has visited and nominated eleven artworks. For more information about the exhibit, please visit the Downtown Art Center website: DowntownArtHI.org/exhibitions/river-to-richards-documentary-photo.

•   “Hawaiʻi Nei 2025” at Wailoa Center, Hilo (Hawaiʻi Island), through December 11, 2025. For more information about the exhibit, please visit the Hawaiʻi Nei Art Exhibition website: HawaiiNeiArtExhibition.org.

Arts & Culture Opportunities

Image: promotional graphic for Creative Forces Community Engagement grants.

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

•   Call for Entry (CaFE). The Call for Entry (CAFE) website can be searched by state (choose the “sort by” menu on the left side of the screen). Search the Café website: Artist.CallForEntry.org.

•   Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Department of War and Veterans Affairs seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. Applications due January 15, 2026. Learn more and apply at maaa.org/CreativeForces.

•   Maui Public Art Corps Fall 2025 Call to Artists. Submissions due by November 30, 2025. Hui Mo‘olelo (“gathering of stories”) is a community storytelling and public art program of Maui Public Art Corps, in partnership with the County of Maui and cultural consultant Sissy Lake-Farm. Recently completing its sixth cohort, Hui Mo‘olelo participants capture intergenerational stories rooted in special places throughout Maui County. Learn more and apply: MauiPublicArt.org/apply.html.

•   City & County of Honolulu Mural Photo Contest “Where You From?” share a photo of a mural that shows how your community embodies sustainability, creativity, and aloha ʻāina. Submit by November 24, 2025 on the Resilient Oʻahu website: ResilientOahu.org/capcommunity#muralcontest.

•   2025-26 Living Traditions: Folk Art and Beyond Grant for nonprofit organizations in the Creative West region (including Hawaiʻi, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Applications accepted on a rolling basis until June 30, 2026, or until all available funds have been awarded. Learn more and apply on the Creative West website: WeAreCreativeWest.org/living-traditions-grant-accepting-applications.

•   State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE) job listings include Castle High grade 9-12 art teacher, Waimea High art special education teacher, and Nanakuli High & Intermediate fine arts Polynesian dance teacher. Learn more on the School Jobs - Hawaii State Department of Education website: SchoolJobs.com/careers/hawaiipublicschools.

•   University of Hawaiʻi (UH) system job postings include UH Mānoa Lecturer, Art and Art History; UH Mānoa Lecturer, School of Cinematic Arts; and UH West Oʻahu Lecturer, Early College Art and Creative Media. Learn more on the School Jobs – University of Hawaiʻi website: SchoolJobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu.

•   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.

•   Call for artists: Honouliuli Plans for 10 Year Remembrance of Internment in Hawaiʻi. Calling all artists to be part of an Art Exhibit planned for January for this remembrance. Each month the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi plans events to learn more. Many people in the internment camp turned to art as a way to endure the unbearable with dignity and patience – “Gaman”. How will artists today respond? Entries due by December 21, 2025. nps.gov/hono/getinvolved/10th-anniversary-celebration.htm.

Arts & Culture Events

Image: “Invitation Extended” acrylic on canvas painting by Tomoko Ouchi, 2024. Purchased from the “Art Kauaʻi 2024” exhibition. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Currently on display in the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, office of Representative Chris Todd.

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.

•   ACLU Hawaiʻi People’s Fair at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, Sunday November 16, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Live performances, activities for kids, local art, crafts, and food. Free tickets at events.humanitix.com/aclu-of-hawai-i-60th-anniversary-community-civil-rights-fair.

•   HHHRC Transgender Day of Remembrance at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, Thursday November 20, 5:00 - 8:30 p.m.

•   “Cartographies of Skin and Soil: Tattoos, Resistance, and Colonial Maps of the Philippines” workshops and exhibit. Exhibit open through December 5 in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hamilton Library.

•   West Hawaiʻi County Band monthly concerts at Hale Halawai County Park (Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi Island). Saturday November 29, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. at Keauhou Small Business Saturday. Saturday December 6, 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. Waimea Christmas Concert and Parade. Learn more at WestHawaiiBand.com/schedule.

•   Hawaiʻi Public Radio “Hawaiʻi Radio Hour” broadcasting from Kahilu Theatre, Sundays at 4:00 p.m. on HPR-1. Conversations, moʻolelo, and mele. Learn more and listen on the Kahilu website: kahilu.org/hawaii-radio-hour-episodes.

•   Honolulu Museum of Art HoMA Nights, every Friday until 9:00 p.m. Live music and experiences, included with admission. For more information, please visit the Honolulu Museum of Art website: HonoluluMuseum.org/events/467//homa-nights.

•   ʻIolani Palace Kamaʻāina Sundays monthly event with free presentations and acitivities. For more information, please visit the ʻIolani Palace website: IolaniPalace.org/visit/kamaaina-Sundays.

•   Bishop Museum After Hours monthly event, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. on the second Friday of each month, exploring Hawaiʻi’s cultural and natural history. For more information, please visit the Bishop Museum website: BishopMuseum.org/exhibits-and-programs/afterhours.

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

Image: “Aloha Wear(y)” color photograph by Brandon Ng, 2018. Purchased from the “Lure of the Local(e)” exhibit at Aupuni SPace, 2022. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Currently on display in the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, office of Representative Tina Nakada Grandinetti.

SFCA Board reviews draft of SFCA Strategic Plan 2025-2029
The SFCA Board of Commissioners reviewed a draft of the 2025-2029 SFCA Strategic Plan in a meeting on November 3, 2025. The board is currently scheduled to vote on approving the plan at the November 21, 2025 meeting.

Meeting agendas and minutes are posted to the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/about/board-of-commissioners.

Upcoming SFCA Board of Commissioners Meetings

•   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 in-person at the No. 1 Capitol District Building and virtually on Zoom. 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 Rhiannon.MK.Keene@hawaii.gov.

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.

Courtesy of: Hawaii State Art Museum

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 NOVEMBER 2025 Newsletter

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