FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 30, 2018

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HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I—This spring brings a schedule chockablock with diverse exhibitions and events to the museum. 

EXHIBITIONS

Shadow Play: Mezzotints by Dodie Warren
Through June 24
Now on view in the museum’s Works on Paper Gallery is this exhibition that highlights work by the influential Hawai‘i artist Dodie Warren. It is a look at the practice of an artist who is known in the national printmaking community as a contributor to the resurgence of highly nuanced techniques, and who also taught courses in photogravure, mezzotint, and other printmaking methods for many years at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. Shadow Play: Mezzotints by Dodie Warren features several recently acquired prints on display in the gallery for the first time. 

Born in 1929, Dodie Warren is a key figure in Hawaiʻi’s printmaking community. Though she earned a BA degree in Zoology from Chatham College, she embarked on an artistic career as a freelance artist producing scientific illustrations. Warren shifted her focus to the time-consuming, labor-intensive mezzotint process for which she is best known after 1979, when she completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. 

Moloka‘i Window
April 26–September 16
Part of the museum’s Arts of Hawai‘i Gallery is dedicated to contemporary art by artists based in Hawai‘i, or creating work about Hawai‘i. Up next is an installation by social practice artist James Jack, who earned his MA at the University of Hawai‘i and is now based in Singapore where he is an assistant professor of visual art at the Yale-NUS College. 

Since 2014, Jack has been working closely with Sustʻāinable Molokai, the Molokai Arts Center, and community leaders including Walter Ritte and Malia Akutagawa to document stories pertaining to Moloka‘i’s land. Instead of using audio or video technology to record conversations, Jack created soil drawings, with the permission of community members. As people shared stories about the land upon which they stood, Jack touched the dirt then rubbed his hand on a sheet of paper. Each soil drawing becomes a window through which one can see the luminous complexities of a land where tensions have escalated over unsustainable land-use patterns over the past decade, resulting in the emergence of new initiatives based on sustainable, Hawaiian land-use practices that aim to realign the health and bounty of the Moloka‘i, its surrounding ocean, and its people. 

This installation focuses on land—not as a commodity to be bought and sold, but as part of a visceral relationship with Moloka‘i’s people. This three-year process has revealed that while the people of Moloka‘i may have different priorities, they all see the island’s potential tied to the soil. All soil removed for inclusion in Moloka‘i Window will be returned to the island.

Realism and the Natural Sciences in Japanese Woodblock Prints
April 26–May 27
Every two months the museum reinstalls its Robert F. Lange Foundation Gallery of Japanese woodblock prints. Going on view in April is this rotation of carefully rendered ornithological and botanical studies by Kitao Masayoshi (1764–1824) and Sūgakudō (active 1850s–1860s), in which the birds’ taxonomic names have been inscribed in Japanese by the artists. The alcove of the adjacent Japan Gallery features related works by the acclaimed designer Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858).

Encyclopedic entries about the appearance of birds and flowers appear in Asian texts as early as the 3rd century BC, and realistic depictions of these subjects can be traced back to Chinese paintings from the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). By the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the study and classification of birds and flowers developed widespread popularity within Japan, inspiring a thriving genre of woodblock prints.

The Ripple Effect: Water in Japanese Textiles
May 3–September 30
This exhibition is part of the museum's observance of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Japanese—gannenmono (first-year folks)—in Hawai‘i. As an island nation surrounded by the sea, Japan reveres water. Japanese textiles featuring water motifs—such as ponds, rivers, whirlpools, waterfalls and waves—are prevalent. In Japanese culture, this primary force of nature represents the passage of time as an endless, sacred flow that reminds us everything is in a state of flux. In textile design, interpretations of water vary from naturalistic renderings to stylized abstractions. 

On view will be luxurious kimono, garments and textile fragments that reveal water is more than a graphic element—many motifs are named, linking them to cultural values charged with hidden meanings. Woven, dyed and embroidered renderings include large powerful crested waves, kata-onami, which denote vitality; koi swimming upstream, which are associated with strength and perseverance; and swirls of water, or Kanze mizu, named after the Kanze family of Noh actors, which are a conventional treatment of flowing water.

Contact: Contact Zone
April 6–21, at the Honolulu Museum of Art School
Organized by the Maoli Arts Alliance (MA’A), an initiative of Pu‘uhonua Society, Na Mea Hawaii and ii gallery.

Contact is an annual partially juried exhibition of contemporary art made in Hawai‘i. This year the exhibition is called Contact Zone and expands its reach to include additional exhibition venues in Waikīkī, Kaka‘ako, and Kalihi. 

The exhibition features work that explores the notion of “contact zones,” or spaces of cultural exchange and mitigation in Hawai‘i. Site-specific art installations will be in Waikīkī, which is a significant contact zone. Works include a sand sculpture by Jill Harris and Thomas Koet in the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel lobby, artwork by Paradise Cove and Jan Becket in the Saks Fifth Avenue window and store, and a photography series by Taiji Terasaki at T Galleria by DFS, Hawai‘i.

Contact's public programs include talks, screenings, and school tours. See the schedule. 

The curators and jurors are Keola Naka‘ahiki Rapozo (designer at Fitted Hawai‘i) and Michael Rooks (Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta).

Lacquer and Clay: Okinawan Art
May 10–September 23
Thanks to the strong ties between Hawai‘i and Okinawa, the Honolulu Museum of Art is fortunate to have a significant collection of Okinawan art. This spring, the museum presents an exhibition of ceramic, lacquer and textile works in celebration of the important contributions the Okinawan community, the largest outside Japan, has made to the arts and culture of the islands. 

The centerpiece of the exhibition is an opulent red lacquer offering stand, made in the 17th to 18th century for the Ryukyu court and decorated with the crest of the royal family. This is one of only three such stands to survive, with the other two designated as Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government.  

Impressions: The Honolulu Printmakers at Shangri La
Through Sept. 9
Part of the Arts of the Islamic World Gallery, which showcases works from Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, is devoted to contemporary art. Now on view is this selection of prints that have a special connection to Shangri La.

In 2004, the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design invited the Honolulu Printmakers to visit and explore. The museum had opened to the public just two years earlier following its transformation from private home of philanthropist and collector Doris Duke to a center for Islamic arts and cultures. Inspired by the experience, the Honolulu Printmakers’ 22 artists created the series of 21 prints on display in this exhibition.

That collaboration 14 years ago was a key moment in the history of Shangri La—these prints are the first-known artistic responses to the museum as a public institution, made even richer by their production by, and connections to, artists from Honolulu’s local art community. Seven years later, Shangri La established its well-known Artists-in-Residence program. 

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Honolulu Printmakers and this exhibition honors this early collaboration between the organization and Shangri La, and suggests how artists may enrich the self-understanding of a public institution.

The artists’ explorations of light, pattern, and color provide a wealth of narrative and interpretative voices and a visual language that highlights, explores, and continues to activate and enliven our landscapes, structures, and collections.

Honolulu Museum of Art at First Hawaiian Center
Through June 15
Three news exhibitions are on view in the museum's gallery spaces in First Hawaiian Center, which are devoted to showing work by Hawai‘i artists and work about Hawai‘i.

The Leaping Place: Matt Shallenberger
This photography series, inspired by recollections of the artist’s family who immigrated to Hawai‘i island from Portugal in the 1880s, references the ancient Hawaiian creation chant, the Kumulipo. Named after the island places from which departed spirits begin their journey to the underworld, the project is Shallenberger’s way to connect with his ancestors, as well as discover similarities between Hawai‘i communities, built around the landscapes they both inhabit. 

Self Assembly: Christopher Edwards
Christopher Edwards’ ceramic works are inspired by the underlying algorithmic logic of biology and mathematics. The exhibition title refers to the process of self-assembly in nature, by which small, individual components spontaneously assemble themselves into a larger organized system. Visual references in his works include Islamic art and architecture, telescopes on Mauna Kea, Polynesian tattoo motifs, star charts, and wave maps.

Intimate Orbits: C.B. Forsythe and Juvana Soliven
Using materials such as fabric, buttons, beeswax, leather, and fur, artists C.B. Forsythe and Juvana Soliven make carefully constructed mixed-media works that evoke family and the home. The work of both artists speak to the complexities of human connectivity, emotional intimacy, yearning, and nostalgia. 

EVENTS

European Cinema 2018
March 31–May 1 • Doris Duke Theatre
The museum’s Doris Duke Theatre screens 12 of the best new films from Europe—representing 13 countries and featuring 13 languages. The series reveals that European cinema is far from homogenous. See the full schedule.

From Diane Kruger’s latest film, In the Fade, for which she won the best actress award at Cannes, to the British political spoof The Death of Stalin (Steve Buscemi is Kruschev!), this is a lineup no one will want to miss.

Palette
April 6, 6-9 p.m.
Guests can taste the art at this brand new experience to benefit the museum's education programs, exhibitions and collection. Five chefs rose to the challenge to prepare dishes inspired by works of art in the collection. Kevin Lee of Pai Honolulu, Robert Paik of the Honolulu Museum of Art Cafe, Lee Anne Wong of Koko Head Cafe, and Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Wade Ueoka of MW Restaurant turn visual art into edible art. Curators will talk about the artworks that inspired the chefs and guests can explore the contemporary exhibition Abstruction: The Sculpture of Erick Swenson. The event can be experienced in different ways at different prices. See details.

Concert: We Are Friends
Saturday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. • Doris Duke Theatre
$25 general admission, $20 museum members + 18 and under | Children 3 and under free
The Mailani Hawaii Mentorship presents a concert showcase of its students singing songs about a core human need—friendship. They perform original music written within the mentorship as well as familiar covers that will soften the soul. 

Bank of Hawaii Family Sunday: Blueprint
Sunday, April 15; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., activities end at 2 p.m. • Free
It’s Architecture Month! Aspiring I.M. Peis can meet American Institute of Architects (AIA) members and watch plein-air artists create works of art inspired by the museum’s architecture. 

Family Film Sunday: The 19th Annual Animation Show of Shows
Sunday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m. + 1 p.m. • Doris Duke Theatre • Free
See 16 exceptional, inspiring animated shorts from around the world—including the Oscar-winning Dear Basketball featuring Kobe Bryant. 

Talk + book signing: 
Bill McKibben in the Green Room
Tuesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. • Doris Duke Theatre
$20 general admission, $15 museum members
The Merwin Conservancy, in partnership with the Honolulu Museum of Art, presents an intimate evening with acclaimed writer Bill McKibben. This discussioin and book signing is part of the Merwin Conservancy’s The Green Room environmental and literary salon series. The series aims to foster a reverence for language, nature and imagination. McKibben is a former New Yorker staff writer whose 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change. He is a founder of 350.org, the first and largest global grassroots climate change movement, and Foreign Policy included in on their inaugural list of the world’s 100 most important global thinkers.

Metric: Dreams So Real
Directed by T. Edward Martin and Jeff Rogers. 2018. Canada. 110 min.
Thursday, April 19 at 7:30pm 
Dreams So Real captures Canadian synth-pop band Metric’s last live performance of a year-long sold-out world tour in 2016.

Pop ’n’ Pasties: Pop Culture Burlesque Style 
April 20-21, 2018 at 8pm
Spring is in the air and Cherry Blossom Cabaret blooms with a super fun, ultrasexy tribute to our favorite pop icons. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite pop culture icon. $40 VIP Seating, $35 general admission, $30 museum members

ARTafterDARK: Windows to the World
April 27, 6-9 p.m.
The museum’s monthly art party focuses on the exhibition Moloka‘i Window. With Moloka‘i as a starting point, the event takes guests on a trip around the world through art. Presented by iichiko.

Double feature: The Devil and the Father Amorth + The Exorcist 
Sunday April 29 at 3pm • Doris Duke Theatre • $15, $12 museum members
The museum screens a double bill of William Friedkin's horror classic and his new documentary. Part of programming for the exhibition Abstruction: The Sculpture of Erick Swenson.

     The Devil and the Father Amorth 
     Directed by William Friedkin. USA. 2018. 67 min.  
     Forty-five years after filming The Exorcist, Friedkin travels to Italy to capture a real             exorcism.  

     The Exorcist: Extended Director’s Cut 

     Directed by William Friedkin. USA. 1973. 121 min. 
       
     One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based         loosely on actual events. The film features the handiwork of special effects pioneer             Dick Smith, whose handiwork artist Erick Swenson greatly admires.

Rooted in Paradise: A Garden Club of America Major Flower Show presented by The Garden Club of Honolulu 
May 11–13
Held every three years, The Garden Club of Honolulu’s wildly popular Major Flower Show returns to the museum in May as Rooted in Paradise. The competitive event, chaired by museum trustee Priscilla Growney, is one of only three Garden Club of America major flower shows held across the country in 2018—the other two will take place in Greenwich, Conn., and Memphis, Tenn. 

This year the show’s Floral Traditions exhibit focuses on the club’s long ties with the Honolulu Museum of Art by honoring May Moir, one of Hawai‘i’s most revered floral designers and gardeners. She was part of the museum’s famed floral program for almost 50 years, and headed it from 1963 to 1998, creating fresh, innovative tropical arrangements that welcomed visitors. See the full press release.

Panel discussion:
This too shall pass: The work of Erick Swenson
Saturday, May 19, 2 p.m., Henry R. Luce Gallery
$20 general • $10 museum members
Registration: myhoma.org/discuss_swenson
Guests can see the fantastic, engrossing exhibition Abstruction: The Sculpture of Erick Swenson then join in a discussion on it. Swenson’s hyperrealistic work poses questions about mortality and the transient nature of life. How do scientists respond to it? Find out from Dept. of Health environmental microbiologist Darin Hayakawa and senior archeologist Alex Morrison of International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc., who will discuss mortality as it relates to their professions and experience.

Bank of Hawaii Family Sunday: Where Are We?
Sunday, May 20; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., activities end at 2 p.m.
Kids and adults alike can explore the concept of travel by going on a gallery hunt—collecting stamps along the way—and doing a map-inspired art activity. Kids can learn about two-wheeled travel from the Honolulu Bicycling League. 

ARTafterDARK: Halo-haloha
May 25, 6-9 p.m.
The museum celebrates the culture of the Philippines. 

EDUCATION

Summer Semester at the Honolulu Museum of Art School
Registration starts: April 10
Class schedule and registration: honolulumuseum.org/learn
Information: 808-532-8741
People of all ages can explore their creative side with studio art classes at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. There is something for everyone, from Intro to Oil Painting with French artist Kosta Kulundzic to week-long art camps for children age 6 to 9 at the museum’s second location Spalding House in Makiki Heights.

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About the Honolulu Museum of Art

One of the world’s premier art museums, the Honolulu Museum of Art presents international caliber special exhibitions and features a collection that includes Hokusai, van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso and Warhol, as well as traditional Asian and Hawaiian art.

Located in two of Honolulu’s most beautiful buildings, visitors enjoy two cafés, gardens, and films and concerts at the theater. The museum is dedicated to bringing together great art and people to create a more harmonious, adaptable, and enjoyable society in Hawai’i.

Locations:

Honolulu Museum of Art: 900 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House: 2411 Makiki Heights Drive
Honolulu Museum of Art School: 1111 Victoria Street
Honolulu Museum of Art at First Hawaiian Center: 999 Bishop Street
Honolulu Museum of Art Doris Duke Theatre: 901 Kinau Street (at rear of museum)

Website: www.honolulumuseum.org

Phone: 808-532-8700

Hours:

Honolulu Museum of Art: Tues–Sun 10 am–4:30pm; closed Monday.

Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House: Tues–Sun 10am–4pm; closed Monday.

Admission (permits entry to both museums on the same day):

$20 general admission; $10 Hawai‘i residents and active duty military living in Hawai‘i; children 18 and under are free.