On view in the Main Gallery January 2–17, 2026

First Friday Reception: Friday, January 2 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Downtown Art Center hosts the finale event of the Honouliuli 10th Anniversary Celebrations, marking a decade of collaborative efforts to preserve and share the powerful history of the Honouliuli National Historic Site.

Designated first as a National Monument in 2015 and later redesignated as a National Historic Site in 2019, Honouliuli stands as a vital reminder of Hawaiʻi’s World War II experiences of martial law, incarceration, and prisoners of war. This exhibition highlights local artists’ interpretations of the site and follows a yearlong speaker series and community programs that explored Honouliuli’s hidden histories.

Artwork by Laura Smith.

On view in the Courtyard Gallery January 2-11, 2026

This exhibition showcases outstanding works across a wide range of media by an international group of highly accomplished artists. Emphasizing excellence in design, skill, and creativity, the exhibition presents global artistic perspectives while inspiring and supporting Hawaiʻi’s diverse arts community.

January 16 -February 6, 2026 in the Studio 1C Gallery

First Friday Reception: February 6 from 5:30 -8 p.m.

Space Age Life, Future Design 1957–1974 is an invitational exhibition showcasing a portion of Tim Apicella’s collection from a period in American and European social culture when industrial designers created with optimism, enthusiasm, and bold innovation, producing consumer goods enabled by new technologies such as brightly colored molded plastics, foam, fiberglass, metallics, and synthetic fabrics.

January 22 - February 7, 2026 in the Main Gallery

First Friday Reception: Friday, February 6 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Now in its fourth installment, Architects as Artists invites architects, architecture students, and professionals in architecture-related fields across Hawai‘i to showcase their creative work and share the inspirations behind it. The exhibition aims to deepen public appreciation for the artistry within the architectural community and its impact on Downtown Honolulu.

February 12-28, 2026 in the Main Gallery

Opening Reception: Friday, February 13 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

This annual photography exhibition features a juried selection of individual images and thematic portfolios from artists across the state. Portfolios, consisting of 8–10 images with an artist’s statement, will be showcased online, with select PNM Portfolio Award recipients also included in the physical exhibition at DAC. Juried by Los Angeles-based visual artist and Lenscratch Editor-in-Chief Aline Smithson, the exhibition highlights diverse photographic practices—including analog, digital, color, black-and-white, alternative processes, and mixed media—offering a comprehensive snapshot of contemporary photography in Hawai‘i.

Our curated first floor retail shop is a showcase gallery where local artists can sell their artwork, and visitors can buy unique gifts created by Hawaiʻi artists.

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Our Vacant to Vibrant project aims to prove that Downtown/Chinatown Honolulu’s vacant spaces can come alive again, as valuable hubs of art, creativity, and community involvement.

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Our initiative to beautify Downtown/Chinatown Honolulu through the power of the arts employs artists to create colorful, fun, photogenic, and uplifting public art pieces that the community can enjoy.

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HEART is an acronymn that stands for Heritage, Entertainment, Arts & culture, Restaurants, and Theatre & Performing Arts. Together, these elements make up the core of our vibrant creative community, and are the focus of our annual HEART of Honolulu arts festival on
Nuuanu Avenue each April.

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