Hawaii State Art Museum
Encyclopedia
The No. 1 Capitol District Building, on the site of the former Armed Services YMCA Building, now houses the Hawaii State Art Museum and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts
.
, American politicians John Mott-Smith
and Charles Coffin Harris
convinced the legislature to fund a hotel. It first opened in 1872.
The hotel was converted to a YMCA
in 1917 and used by the military in World War I
. In 1926 the termite-infested building was finally torn down, and a new one designed in Spanish mission style by Lincoln Rogers of the firm Emory & Webb.
The new building was dedicated on March 16, 1928. The two-story U-shaped building includes a swimming pool in its courtyard.
It is located at , 250 South Hotel Street, Honolulu, Hawaii
. Across Richards Street is the Hawaii State Capitol
building. The area was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu
as the Hawaii Capital Historic District
on December 1, 1978.
, and is located on the second floor of the No. 1 Capitol District Building. Admission is free at all times.
The museum consists of three galleries. In addition to changing temporary exhibitions, there is a permanent display of Hawaiian art
. It reflects a mix of Hawaii's ethnic and cultural traditions through 132 works of art by 105 artists. In a wide variety of artistic styles, movements, and media, the exhibition illustrates the varied cultural influences that fuel the creativity of Hawaii's artists.
Predominately comprising works dating from the 1960s to the present, the exhibition depicts the expression of artists throughout the state and their profound contributions toward understanding the people of Hawaii and their aspirations. Sculptor Satoru Abe
(born 1926), sculptor Bumpei Akaji
(1921-2002), sculptor Sean K. L. Browne
(born 1953), sculptor Edward M. Brownlee
(born 1929), Mark Chai
(born 1954), Jean Charlot
(1898-1979), Isami Doi
(1883-1931), Juliette May Fraser
(1887-1983), Hon Chew Hee
(1906-1993), ceramicist Jun Kaneko
(born 1942), John Melville Kelly
(1877-1962), Sueko Matsueda Kimura
(1912-2001), ceramicist Sally Fletcher-Murchison
(born 1933), printmaker Huc-Mazelet Luquiens
(1881-1961), ceramicist David Kuraoka
(born 1946), Ben Norris
(1910-2006), Louis Pohl
(1915-1999), sculptor Esther Shimazu
(born 1957), Shirley Ximena Hopper Russell
(1886-1985), Tadashi Sato
(1954-2005), Reuben Tam
(1916-1991), ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu
(1922-2011), Masami Teraoka
(born 1936), Madge Tennent
(1889-1972), and sculptor Michael Tom
(1946-1999) are among the artists whose works are on display.
Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts
The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts was established by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1965 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 Hawaii”...
.
History
While they were both in the cabinet, under King Kamehameha VKamehameha V
aloghaKamehameha V , born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great traditional chief...
, American politicians John Mott-Smith
John Mott-Smith
John Mott-Smith was the first dentist to set up a permanent practice in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was also a politician, newspaper editor, and diplomat.-Life:John Mott-Smith was born in New York City November 13, 1824,...
and Charles Coffin Harris
Charles Coffin Harris
Charles Coffin Harris was a New England lawyer who became a politician and judge in the Kingdom of Hawaii who firmly supported the monarchy as an independent nation. After serving in a number of cabinet posts, he became chief justice of the supreme court.-Early life:Charles Coffin Harris was born...
convinced the legislature to fund a hotel. It first opened in 1872.
The hotel was converted to a YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in 1917 and used by the military in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1926 the termite-infested building was finally torn down, and a new one designed in Spanish mission style by Lincoln Rogers of the firm Emory & Webb.
The new building was dedicated on March 16, 1928. The two-story U-shaped building includes a swimming pool in its courtyard.
It is located at , 250 South Hotel Street, Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. Across Richards Street is the Hawaii State Capitol
Hawaii State Capitol
The Hawaii State Capitol is the official statehouse or capitol building of Hawaii in the United States. From its chambers, the executive and legislative branches perform the duties involved in governing the state...
building. The area was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu
National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu
This is a list of properties and districts on the Hawaiian island of Oahu that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Oahu is the only major island in Honolulu County. The location of the city of Honolulu, Oahu is the most populous island in the state. There are 149 properties and...
as the Hawaii Capital Historic District
Hawaii Capital Historic District
The Hawaii Capital Historic District in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been the center of government ever since the earliest days of the unified Hawaiian Kingdom.-Location:...
on December 1, 1978.
Museum
The Hawaii State Art Museum is operated by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the ArtsHawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts
The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts was established by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1965 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 Hawaii”...
, and is located on the second floor of the No. 1 Capitol District Building. Admission is free at all times.
The museum consists of three galleries. In addition to changing temporary exhibitions, there is a permanent display of Hawaiian art
Hawaiian art
The Hawaiian archipelago consists of 137 islands in the Pacific Ocean that are far from any other land. Polynesians arrived there one to two thousand years ago, and in 1778 Captain James Cook and his crew became the first Europeans to visit Hawaii...
. It reflects a mix of Hawaii's ethnic and cultural traditions through 132 works of art by 105 artists. In a wide variety of artistic styles, movements, and media, the exhibition illustrates the varied cultural influences that fuel the creativity of Hawaii's artists.
Predominately comprising works dating from the 1960s to the present, the exhibition depicts the expression of artists throughout the state and their profound contributions toward understanding the people of Hawaii and their aspirations. Sculptor Satoru Abe
Satoru Abe
Satoru Abe is an American sculptor and painter. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1926. He attended President William McKinley High School, where he took art lessons from Shirley Ximena Hopper Russell...
(born 1926), sculptor Bumpei Akaji
Bumpei Akaji
Bumpei Akaji was an American sculptor. He was born in Lawai, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1921. In 1943 he joined the United States Army and was sent to Italy with the 100th Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He was inspired by the artwork in Florence and received a discharge...
(1921-2002), sculptor Sean K. L. Browne
Sean K. L. Browne
Sean Kekamakupaa Lee Loy Browne is a contemporary sculptor who was born in Hilo, Hawaii. He attended the Kamehameha Schools and then earned a BA in studio art from the University of Redlands in 1975. In 1981, he studied marble carving under Paoli Silverio in Pietrasanta, Italy and was later...
(born 1953), sculptor Edward M. Brownlee
Edward M. Brownlee
Edward Malcolm Brownlee is an American sculptor who is known for his modernist architectural creations. "Mick" Brownlee was born in Portland, Oregon on April 23, 1929 and grew up there on the west side in a dilapidated neighborhood where he found many remnants of building materials lying about and...
(born 1929), Mark Chai
Mark Chai
Mark Chai is a Hawaiian-Chinese sculptor who shapes fine woods and recycled materials into lamps, sculpture, large installations and furniture....
(born 1954), Jean Charlot
Jean Charlot
Louis Henri Jean Charlot was a French painter and illustrator, active in Mexico and the United States. Charlot was born in Paris. His father, Henri, owned an import-export business and was a Russian-born émigré, albeit one who supported the Bolshevik cause. His mother Anna was herself an artist...
(1898-1979), Isami Doi
Isami Doi
Isami Doi was an American printmaker and painter. He was born on the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands in 1903. He moved with his family to the island of Kauai, and he thereafter considered Kalaheo, Kauai his home....
(1883-1931), Juliette May Fraser
Juliette May Fraser
Juliette May Fraser was an American painter, muralist and printmaker. She was born in Honolulu in 1887. After graduating from Wellesley College with a degree in art, she returned to Hawaii for several years. She continued her studies with Eugene Speicher and Frank Du Mond at the Art Students...
(1887-1983), Hon Chew Hee
Hon Chew Hee
Hon Chew Hee was an American muralist, watercolorist and printmaker who was born in Kahului, on the Hawaiian island of Maui in 1906. He grew up in China, where he received his early training in Chinese brush painting...
(1906-1993), ceramicist Jun Kaneko
Jun Kaneko
is a Japanese ceramic artist living in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. In 1942 he was born in Nagoya, Japan, where he studied painting during his high school years. He came to the United States in 1963 to continue those studies at Chouinard Institute of Art when his focus was drawn to...
(born 1942), John Melville Kelly
John Melville Kelly
John Melville Kelly was an American painter and printmaker. He was born in Oakland, California in 1879. He studied art at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art , the Partington Art School and with Eric Spencer Macky .Kelly worked for fourteen years as an illustrator for the San Francisco Examiner,...
(1877-1962), Sueko Matsueda Kimura
Sueko Matsueda Kimura
Sueko Matsueda Kimura was an American artist. She was born in Honolulu in 1912. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Hawaii, where she met her fellow art student and future husband Keichi Kimura...
(1912-2001), ceramicist Sally Fletcher-Murchison
Sally Fletcher-Murchison
Sally Fletcher-Murchison is an American ceramic artist who was born in Sacramento,California in 1933. She grew up there and received a BFA in advertising art from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1955. She worked as a designer before moving to Hawaii. She studied ceramics at the...
(born 1933), printmaker Huc-Mazelet Luquiens
Huc-Mazelet Luquiens
Huc-Mazelet Luquiens was an American printmaker, painter and art educator who was born June 30, 1881 in Massachusetts to French-speaking Swiss parents. He graduated from Yale University where he received training in art, earning both a bachelor of arts and master of fine arts degrees...
(1881-1961), ceramicist David Kuraoka
David Kuraoka
David Kuraoka is an American ceramic artist. He was born in Lihue, Hawaii and received a BA from San José State University in 1970 and an MA from the same institution in 1971. Kuraoka is a professor of art and head of the ceramics department of San Francisco State University and maintains...
(born 1946), Ben Norris
Ben Norris
see also, Ben Norris Ben Norris was an American modernist painter. He was born in Redlands, California in 1910. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College in 1930, he won a fellowship at the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University where he spent a year and then studied at the Sorbonne in...
(1910-2006), Louis Pohl
Louis Pohl
Louis Pohl was an American painter, illustrator, art teacher, printmaker and cartoonist. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1915. A childhood illness made it impossible to walk without pain and prevented Louis from entering school until he was 8 years old. To keep Louis occupied, his parents...
(1915-1999), sculptor Esther Shimazu
Esther Shimazu
Esther Shimazu is an American sculptor who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1957. Her grandparents were immigrant laborers from Japan. She attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa before transferring to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art in 1980...
(born 1957), Shirley Ximena Hopper Russell
Shirley Ximena Hopper Russell
Shirley Ximena Hopper Russell , also known as Shirley Marie Russell, was an American artist best known for her paintings of Hawaii and her still lifes of Hawaiian flowers. She was born Shirley Ximena Hopper in Del Rey, California, in 1886. She graduated in 1907 from Stanford University, where she...
(1886-1985), Tadashi Sato
Tadashi Sato
Tadashi Sato was an American artist. He was born in Kaupakalua on the Hawaiian island of Maui. His father had been a pineapple laborer, merchant, and calligrapher, and Tadashi’s grandfather was a sumi-e artist....
(1954-2005), Reuben Tam
Reuben Tam
Reuben Tam was an American landscape painter, educator and graphic artist. He was born in Kapa'a on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on Jan. 17, 1916. He earned a BA degree from the University of Hawaii in 1937, and also studied at the California School of Fine Art, at Columbia University with Meyer...
(1916-1991), ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu
Toshiko Takaezu
Toshiko Takaezu was an American ceramic artist.She was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Pepeekeo, Hawaii, in 1922. She studied at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and at the University of Hawaii under Claude Horan from 1948-1951...
(1922-2011), Masami Teraoka
Masami Teraoka
Masami Teraoka is a Japanese-American contemporary artist. His work includes ukiyo-e-influced woodcuts and paintings.-Life:Teraoka was born in the town of Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture. He studied from 1954-59 at the Kwansei Gakuin University in Kobe, Japan where he received his B.A. in...
(born 1936), Madge Tennent
Madge Tennent
Madge Tennent was an English artist.Born to Arthur Cook, an architect and landscape painter and his wife, Agnes, a writer...
(1889-1972), and sculptor Michael Tom
Michael Tom
Michael Tom was an American sculptor who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received a bachelor of fine art degree in painting and metalsmithing from Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California, and pursued graduate studies at San Diego State University. He started his artistic...
(1946-1999) are among the artists whose works are on display.