FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 24, 2025
Media contacts
Lesa Griffith
808-532-8712
lgriffith@honolulumuseum.org
Matt Serrao
808-532-8785
mserrao@honolulumuseum.org
HoMA European and American galleries reopen with new looks and stories
Galleries present compelling new narratives through art; great activity during lull between Christmas and New Year
HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I—Visitors to the Honolulu Museum of Art will find a whole new world to explore when they visit. The Museum recently completed the reinstallation of its European and American galleries, part of the curatorial plan being implemented in the lead up to its centennial in 2027. The project started in 2023 with the reimagining of the gallery of Impressionist works.
Museum goers will see favorite works by artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, James McNeill Whistler and Piero di Cosimo in a dramatic new light. Curators collaborated to present updated stories and perspectives on some of HoMA’s collection highlights in galleries repainted in stunning new colors.
Gallery 2, titled The Heavens Come Down to Earth, traces the evolution from Gothic to Renaissance art through religion-themed paintings such as the Museum’s famous 16th-century painting Saint John the Evangelist by Piero di Cosimo and Benozzo Gozzoli’s mid-15th century work Madonna and Child with Angels. It is a great stop for people interested in the origins of Christmas.
Gallery 4, titled Power and Perception: European and American Art for the Age of Revolutions, showcases European and American art from 1600 to 1900. The paintings were selected to illustrate how art was entwined with shifting political and religious currents, serving as an instrument of power in a world shaped by conquest, revolution, and industry. Included in the gallery are portraits of society women by James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent. Sargent was included in the latest season of HBO’s The Gilded Age, as the must-have portraitist of New York City’s elite.
Gallery 5, titled Nature and Nations: The 19th Century in Hawai‘i and Beyond is a dramatic salon-style display of 19th-century landscapes by Volcano School paintings that depict glowing eruptions in Hawai‘i alongside New England and Western romantic landscapes. This grouping offers nuanced views of the period’s industrial, expansionist trends, as well as the era’s aesthetic preferences for the picturesque.
Continuing the Museum’s integration of the arts of Hawai‘i throughout its galleries, Gallery 5 also includes works portraying the Hawaiian monarchy. These include the companion portraits Kamehameha III (1825) and Nahi‘ena‘ena (1825), and the double portrait Boki, Governor of O‘ahu of the Sandwich Islands, and his wife Liliha (1824), on loan from Kamehameha Schools.
As additional symbols of Hawaiian nationhood, Gallery 5 also now features Hawaiian flag quilts, which will be rotated regularly. And some of the paintings include depictions of the Hae Hawai‘i (Hawaiian flag).
For residents looking for something to do during the lull between Christmas and the New Year, exploring these reimagined galleries are an inspiring activity. They can combine it with lunch at the HoMA Café or a visit to the City Lights’ Show Aloha Land in Thomas Square Park across the street.
Images available on request.
About the Honolulu Museum of Art
The Honolulu Museum of Art is Hawai‘i’s premier art institution, inspiring and uplifting the community through transformative art experiences. Founded in 1927 to reflect Hawai‘i’s multicultural makeup, today HoMA’s extraordinary collection of more than 55,000 works of art from across the globe spans 5,000 years.
Through its collection, innovative exhibitions, and programs, the museum is able to tell stories relevant to Hawai‘i and the world at large. It serves as a gathering place of learning and discovery, where visitors can encounter new ideas, explore diverse perspectives, develop empathy, and contribute to their well-being through art. Home to an art school, Honolulu’s last art house theater, two cafes, and a shop—just 10 minutes from Waikīkī—HoMA is a vital part of Hawai‘i’s cultural landscape committed to access for all.
Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 10am–6pm; Friday 10am–9pm
Admission: Adults $25; residents $15; free for youth 18 and under; free for SNAP beneficiaries and college students enrolled at any Hawai‘i state university or college.
Honolulu Museum of Art
900 S Beretania St
Honolulu, HI 96814
Honolulu Museum of Art School
1111 Victoria St
Honolulu, HI 96814
Communications: 808-532-8712
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