DOWNTOWN ART CENTER
1041 Nuʻuanu Ave
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Second Floor Gallery Hours: Tues-Sun 11 AM to 5 PM
DAC Art & Gifts Shop Hours: Tues-Sat 11 AM to 5 PM
Upcoming Main Gallery Exhibition
Honouliuli National Historic Site 10th Anniversary Exhibition
On View January 2-17, 2026
First Friday Reception: Friday, January 2 from 6 - 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 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, sponsored by Pacific Historic Parks, highlights local artists’ interpretations of the site and follows a yearlong speaker series and community programs that explored Honouliuli’s hidden histories.
Upcoming Courtyard Gallery Exhibition
18th Annual Exhibition of Korea Culture Design Council
On View 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.
Upcoming Classroom Exhibition
Go Figure 2026: Figures & Portraits from Hawaiʻi’s Artists
On View January 2 - February 28, 2026
First Friday Opening Reception: January 2 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
This exhibition features the amazing work of many artists who attend our weekly uninstructed Monday Night Life Drawing, facilitated by Jared Wickware, and Tuesday Portrait sessions, facilitated by Alla Parsons.
Flyer artwork: "Clementine" by Anna Baatz.
Upcoming Studio 1C Exhibition
Space Age Life, Future Design 1957-1974
On View January 16 -February 6, 2026
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.
Upcoming Events & Exhibitions
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Cultivating Inner Peace for the New Year & Beyond: SoulCollage® Workshop
In a world that often feels loud and overwhelming, it's easy to lose touch with the quiet strength within us. We warmly invite you to a SoulCollage® workshop dedicated to reconnecting with your inner peace. Facilitated by Dayl Workman.
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DAC Walking Tour: Art, History & Architecture in the HEART of Honolulu
Saturday, January 17 at 10 a.m. $20 per person. Meet at Downtown Art Center DAC Art & Gifts Shop (1041 Nuuanu Ave. level 1)
Join historian Gary R. Coover, author of "Pocket Walking Tour of Honolulu's Royal Mile," and veteran artist/educator Susan Hogan for a lively 1.5–2 hour walk through the HEART of Downtown Honolulu. Discover the layered history, culture, architecture, and public artwork of our district! -
Architects as Artists 2026
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.
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Pacific New Media: Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2026
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.
DAC Special Projects & Community Support
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DAC Art & Gifts Retail Shop
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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Vacant to Vibrant
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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Public Art WORKS!
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 of Honolulu Street Festivals
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.