The Art of Furniture Making
On View in the Main Gallery, December 5-20, 2025

First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, December 5 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Organized by Hawaiian Fine Furniture’s Doug Gordon, this exhibition will feature a selection of hand-crafted fine furniture pieces. Showcasing both traditional and contemporary approaches to woodworking, the collection includes chairs, tables, and functional accessories created by several of Hawaiʻi’s most accomplished furniture makers and wood artists.

Throughout the exhibition, artists will offer informal talks and live demonstrations, providing insight into their creative processes, techniques, and materials.

Kintsugi Joy: New Paintings by Lauren Okano
On View in the Courtyard Gallery November 18 - December 20, 2025

First Friday Artist's Reception‍: Friday, December 5 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

DAC Art & Gifts Shop is proud to feature new paintings by renowned local artist Lauren Okano in “Kintsugi Joy”

“In this series, the act of painting becomes its own repair - a conversation between fracture and grace” says Okano. “Inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken vessels are restored with gold, these works honor the beauty of what endures. Each brushstroke carries both the mark of what was lost and the shimmer of what has been found. Joy, in the end, is the seam that holds it all together - quiet, resilient, and luminous. Through paint, gesture and rhythm, I return to wholeness again and again.”

  WAG/AHA Holiday Art Fair
On View in the Studio 1C Gallery December 2-20, 2025

First Friday Reception on Friday, December 5, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The Windward Artists Guild and the Association of Hawaii Artists (AHA) invite you to discover their annual Holiday Art Fair! Find unique, locally made original art, ornaments, prints, gicleé, and more, and solve your gifting dilemmas all in one place!

The 2025 DAC Instructor Show
On View in the Classroom November 7 - December 20, 2025

Downtown Art Center is proud to present a showcase of our amazing arts instructors! This exhibition is open to current DAC Art/Workshop instructors who teach our casual or fine arts classes and workshops.

River to Richards: Documentary Photography in Hawaii 2025
Presented by Avalon Group, LLC
With Juror PF Bentley
On View in the Main Gallery November 7 - 29, 2025

This juried exhibition highlights powerful documentary images by Hawai‘i photographers, paired with a selection of vintage photographs that capture the geographic area from River Street to Richards Street in Chinatown/Downtown Honolulu. Find out more at downtownarthi.org/documentaryphotography.

EXHIBITION EVENTS:

Opening Reception:
First Friday, November 7 from 5:30 - 8 PM

Juror Walkthrough:
Saturday, November 8 from 2 - 3 PM

Photo Throwdown & Talk with Matt Mallams of Hana Hou! Magazine
Tuesday, November 18 from 5:30 - 8 PM
Following his Hana Hou! talk, Matt Mallams will host a Photo Throwdown—an interactive session inviting photographers to share and discuss their work, explore editing and sequencing approaches, and gain insight into presentation and storytelling.

Closing Reception:
Saturday, November 29 from 5 - 7 PM

Hawaii Watercolor Society's Little Picture Show 2025: “Artini”
On View in the Studio 1C Gallery, November 4-29, 2025

First Friday Reception on November 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Hawai‘i Watercolor Society’s annual Little Picture Show returns to Downtown Art Center this year! Featuring works by 25 member artists, the exhibition presents a curated selection of small-format paintings, prints, cards, and ornaments, each measuring under 9 by 12 inches—ideal for collectors and holiday gift-giving.

Please note that the gallery will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 27

Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibition 2025
On View in the Main Gallery, October 3 – November 1, 2025

The Hawaii Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibition, showcases the finest traditional and contemporary craft from across the Islands, in ceramics, fiber, wood, metal, glass, and more. Juried by Sarah Darro, Curator and Exhibitions Director of the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, the exhibition will feature exceptional works selected during her visits to each island, highlighting the creativity and skill of Hawaiʻi’s diverse craft community. Find out more at hawaiicraftsmen.org.

First Friday Reception: Friday, October 3 from 5 - 8 p.m.

Artist Reception and Award Ceremony: Saturday, October 4 from 6-8 p.m.

DAC QUICKDRAW
Juried by Mark Brown
On View in the Courtyard Gallery October 1 - November 1, 2025

As part of our From the HEART celebration on Saturday, September 27, Downtown Art Center hosted the DAC QuickDraw Plein Air Art Competition, inviting local artists to capture the vibrant atmosphere of Honolulu’s Downtown/Chinatown district in a single day.

The event brought together artists of all experience levels for a free, same-day plein air challenge juried by renowned local artist Mark Brown. Artists checked in, received a stamp on their canvas or paper, and set out into the surrounding streets to create original works on site using traditional media: watercolor, pastel, oil, pencil, or acrylic.

Select works from the competition are featured in this group exhibition, which celebrates the creative spirit of the community and the adventure of making plein air art in urban Honolulu.

2025 DAC Student Art Show
On View in the Classroom September 4 - November 1, 2025

Downtown Art Center is proud to present our Annual Student Show, celebrating our community of creative learners! The exhibition is open to former and current students at DAC who have participated in our casual or fine arts classes and workshops.

Hawaii’s Woodshow, Na Lā’au o Hawai’i
On View in the Studio 1C Gallery October 3 - 25, 2025

The 2025 Hawaii’s Woodshow™ celebrates its 33rd anniversary as Hawai‘i’s premier woodworking exhibition, presented by the Hawai‘i Forest Association (HFA). This annual event showcases exceptional craftsmanship and innovative design using Hawaiian-grown woods, with artists highlighting the unique beauty of local species. The show emphasizes the importance of planting and stewarding high-quality hardwoods for future generations, with entries judged on Inspiration of Design and Excellence of Implementation by a panel of experts in art, design, and forestry. Visit woodshow.hawaiiforest.org for more information.

Important Dates:

Fri, Oct 3 from 5-8 p.m.:  First Friday. Exhibition opens to the public at 5 p.m.

Sat, Oct 11 from 11:30 - 2 p.m.: Turning Demonstration with Aaron Hammer

Sun, Oct 12 from 2-3:30 p.m.:  Conversation with the Jurors

Mon, Oct 13 from 12 - 2 p.m.:  Open House at Honolulu Kupuna Shed (located at 330 Cooke St. Ste D)

Sat, Oct 18 from 2 - 4 p.m.: Urban Forestry conversation

DAC Collectors' Art Sale & Exhibition Fundraiser
On View in the Main Gallery September 5-26, 2025

The DAC Collectors’ Art Sale & Exhibition Fundraiser, curated by Allison Wong, is a special exhibition inviting collectors to consign artwork from their personal collections to benefit DAC’s exhibitions program and support the growth of Hawaiʻi’s vibrant art community. In addition, there is a selection of works for sale by Hawaiʻi-based contemporary artists. Find out more at downtownarthi.org/collectorssale.

First Friday Public Opening Reception: Friday, September 5 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

GYAGYAGYA Gallery Tokyo Presents
 "Shima to Shima: A Dialogue of Islands Through Art"
On View in the Courtyard Gallery September 23-27, 2025

This landmark exhibition, Shima to Shima (Island to Island), marks the first time a Japanese gallery has presented a curated show at DAC, bringing contemporary Japanese art from Japan to Hawai‘i. Featuring 10 emerging artists from the second cohort of GYA School, the exhibition explores the cultural, emotional, and spiritual connections between two island nations rich in tradition and artistic sensitivity.

Each artwork reflects a distinct voice that bridges the artists’ Japanese roots with the vibrant, nature-infused spirit of Hawai‘i. Through painting, mixed media, sculpture, and conceptual installation, the exhibition invites viewers on an imaginative journey across seas—where boundaries dissolve and new expressions emerge. The exhibition aims to deepen cultural ties between Japan and Hawai‘i, fostering appreciation, collaboration, and artistic dialogue between the two island cultures. Find out more at gyagyagyagallery-world.com.

“There Was a Time When: Paintings by Peter Drewliner”
On View in the Courtyard Gallery September 3 - 20, 2025

Artist and well-known local philanthropist Peter Drewliner’s work in this exhibition, presented to the public for the first time, celebrates the natural beauty of Hawai‘i’s landscapes during what many consider to be the islands’ golden age. The work invites viewers to reflect on memory, transformation, and the passage of time.

About the Artist

Peter Drewliner was born in 1939 in Honolulu and raised in Mānoa Valley. After graduating from Punahou and Claremont Men’s College, he served in the infantry in Germany as a Major. Drewliner enjoyed a long career at Bank of Hawaiʻi, retiring in 2000 as Senior Vice President.

Throughout his life, Peter has maintained a strong interest in art and classical music.
With his partner, artist Charlie Higa, he traveled the world enjoying art and culture. Settling in Kahala, they spent their days pampering pets, painting, and potting. Today, Peter continues to create beautiful ceramics, including delicately patterned tableware and whimsical creatures, while rejoicing in a life well lived and generously shared.

HOPE: A Solo Acrylic Painting Exhibition by Marina Borovok
On View in the Courtyard Gallery August 1 - 30, 2025

Marina Borovok is a visual artist who relocated to Hawaii in 2020, where she quickly became captivated by the island’s Aloha Spirit. After settling in Oahu, she became an active member of the Mark Brown Group of Plein Air Painters, engaging in outdoor painting sessions every Saturday.

Born in the former Soviet Union, Marina’s academic background is rooted in the sciences. She holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biology, as well as an M.S. in Education from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Although she began her career in the scientific field, her passion for art led her to explore and develop her creative practice.

Marina now teaches art workshops both in-person at her studio in Waialua, HI, and online via Zoom. She is deeply committed to her students' artistic growth and is continually inspired by their progress and enthusiasm. In addition to teaching, Marina takes on commissioned works, offering bespoke paintings tailored to her clients’ visions.

Her artwork can be viewed at her online gallery here.

Hawaii Watercolor Society 2025 Open Exhibition
On View in the Main Gallery, July 29 - August 23, 2025

This exhibition by Hawaii Watercolor Society features 62 gorgeous paintings in water media by 51 local artists, selected by juror Gary Tucker.

Free Juror’s Demonstration: Sunday, July 27, from 2-4 p.m.

Opening Reception: First Friday, August 1, from 5-8 p.m

KCDA Presents: Korean Artist Solo International Exhibitions
On View in the Classroom, August 12 - 14, 2025

KCDA Presents: Invited International Exhibition
On View in the Classroom, August 15-17, 2025

DAC is honored to welcome six traveling solo exhibitions from Korean artists, invited by the Korea Craft Designer Association!

Invited Solo Exhibitions: 

Yoon, Jae Won
Shin, Ji A
Bae, Jungwon
Lee, Jeehee "Beyond What is Seen"
Sun Rui "TengRy - Nomadic Yurt"
Jeon, Seo Young

The second half of this exhibition, a group international exhibition, features the work of artists from 28 participating countries. This exhibition presents documentation of the finest examples of contemporary crafts in a variety of media from an international group of artisans.

Art Is… A Community’s Voice at The Capitol
On View in the DAC Classroom, June 2-29, 2025

This series of posters was created in spring 2025 as part of a community-driven project led by the Hawai‘i Arts Alliance in response to a pivotal moment for the arts in Hawai‘i.

As lawmakers prepared to celebrate Art at the Capitol Day, conversations behind the scenes revealed efforts to weaken the Works of Art Special Fund—Hawai‘i’s landmark public funding program that has supported artists, educators, and cultural organizations for decades. In the face of this contradiction, the arts community sought a way to show up with both aloha and conviction. With the help of two remarkable cultural leaders, Maile Meyer and Meleanna Meyer, the Alliance invited the community to gather at Native Books in Chinatown for a sign-making activity. The prompt was simple yet powerful: “Art is…” From there, community members filled thought bubbles with their own expressions—“Art is resistance,” “Art is freedom,” “Art is essential. Keep it funded!”

The resulting posters were carried to the Hawai‘i State Capitol for Art at the Capitol Day on Friday, April 11, 2025—a peaceful but powerful demonstration of unity, purpose, and love for the arts. This moment allowed artists, educators, and advocates to come together in creative resistance, reminding decision-makers why the arts matter so deeply to our communities.

These posters reflect the diverse and heartfelt perspectives of Hawai‘i’s people. They are a visual affirmation of what we stand to lose—and why we must continue to stand together.

Wondrous Light: Aurora Borealis
Presented by Hawaii Handweavers Hui & The Glass Fusion Collective
On View in the Main Gallery July 9-26, 2025

This July, DAC welcomes a wondrous collaborative exhibition by Hawaii Handweavers Hui and The Glass Fusion Collective: "Wondrous Light: Aurora Borealis" will be on view in DAC's Main Gallery July 9-26 and at Wailoa Center in Hilo September 5-26.

This year’s exhibition of glass and textile work invites artists to explore the myriad facets of the Aurora Borealis with pieces which are functional, sculptural, traditional or contemporary. Let your creativity soar, drawing inspiration from the science, the spectacle, the personal, the cultural, and the mythical.

HANA NOʻEAU: New Takes on Traditional Hawaiian Media
On View in the Main Gallery June 6-28, 2025

• First Friday Opening Reception on Friday, June 6 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Downtown Art Center is proud to present HANA NOʻEAU: New Takes on Traditional Hawaiian Media, a powerful new exhibition celebrating the enduring strength and evolving expression of Hawaiian cultural media. This show highlights the work of contemporary Hawaiian visual artists and craftspeople who are reinterpreting traditional art forms through a modern lens.

The exhibition features a wide range of media, including woodcarving, fiber art, weaving, kapa making, and feather lei making. Each piece reflects a deep connection to Hawaiian traditions, while embracing innovation and individual artistic voice. Participating featured artists are: Makana Kāne Kuahiwinui, Nanea Lum, Marques Hanalei Marzan, Michael Kalanikini Nahoʻopiʻi, Andre Perez, Enoka O Laʻi Phillips, William "Miki" Cook, and kiʻi carving collective Hui Kalai Kiʻi O Kupaʻaikeʻe.

DAC Art & Gifts Shop Presents: SERGIO GARZON
On View in Studio 1C May 2 - 30, 2025
on View in the Courtyard Gallery June 1-30, 2025

Sergio Garzon is a Honolulu-based artist whose work bridges studio practice, public engagement, and cultural storytelling. He is the project coordinator of PRINT BIGGER, a community-driven event that brings large-scale woodblock printing directly into the streets. Using a pavement roller to print monumental blocks up to 750 square feet, the project invites families and passersby to take part in hands-on artmaking, such as T-shirt printing and collaborative workshops with local artists.

Through PRINT BIGGER, Sergio aims to dissolve barriers between the studio, gallery, and public space—using printmaking as a tool to spark dialogue around contemporary public art, community expression, and the living legacy of Hawaiian myth and culture.

In addition to his public art projects, Sergio is an active plein air painter, capturing the landscapes of Hawai‘i with sensitivity and presence. He currently lives and works in Chinatown, Honolulu.

This solo exhibition is a collection of three more recent larger works on gator board that have been inspired by Sergio’s sketchbooks.

The Essence of Things:
Artwork by George Woollard and Jinja Kim
On View in the Main Gallery, May 1-31, 2025

• First Friday Opening Reception on Friday, May 2 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

• Free, public Artists’ Walkthrough: Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m.

Downtown Art Center is proud to present "The Essence of Things," an exhibition of prints, paintings, and sculptures by distinguished Hawaiʻi-based veteran artist couple George Woollard and Jinja Kim. On view from May 1 to 31, 2025 in the second floor Main Gallery, this show offers a unique exploration of visual form and perception by both artists, with some fresh new pieces from Woollard.

“There is a truth to the shapes, colors, and composition of art,” says Woollard. “If you acknowledge them, you can work with them. This exhibition gives attention to the intrinsic qualitative properties of things.”

Color and Composition Workshop with George Woollard
Sunday, May 18 and Sunday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Participants will learn to balance composition and manipulate color and shape using colored papers and watercolor. This is a rare opportunity to study with one of Hawaiʻi’s most respected veteran artists and arts instructors. The cost for this workshop is $200, which includes a materials fee. Register at downtownarthi.org/classes. 

Pastel Artists of Hawaiʻi: Beauty of Pastels 2025
On View in the Courtyard Gallery May 13-30, 2025

The Pastel Artists of Hawaii present their annual Open Exhibition, showcasing original pastel artworks created by artists from across the Hawaiian Islands. All featured pieces are composed of at least 80% soft pastel, offering a vibrant and diverse look at the medium’s expressive potential. Works are recent, independently created within the last two years, and selected with care by this year’s juror, Lyn Diefenbach, to reflect the unique and beautiful perspectives of Hawaii's pastel artists.

REHAB Hospital of the Pacific Presents: The Journey Forward: Stroke Survivors Healing Through Art
On View in the Classroom April 12 - May 4, 2025

REHAB Hospital of the Pacific (REHAB) is proud to announce its upcoming art exhibition, The Journey Forward: Stroke Survivors Healing Through Art. The exhibition will showcase the transformative power of creativity in stroke recovery, providing a platform for stroke survivors to share their personal journeys through art.

Stroke survivors often face significant physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges that affect not just their lives but those of their caregivers. Through REHAB’s Creative Arts Program, stroke survivors discover the healing power of creativity – showing that recovery is not defined by what happens to us, but by how we choose to respond. The exhibition highlights this journey of resilience and hope.

The Journey Forward features a series of paintings and collaborative monoprints created by stroke survivors and their caregivers. These art pieces symbolize the complex journey of recovery, illustrating both the struggles and triumphs of those affected by stroke. Each piece layers symbolic colors, textures and imagery, telling stories of personal strength and healing. For more information, visit rehabhospital.org.

W.R. Farrington High School Presents: Beyond the Canvas
On View in the Courtyard Gallery April 30 - May 9

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

Farrington High School is honored to welcome you with open arms to Beyond the Canvas at Downtown Art Center. This exhibition is an exploration of our student artists’ imagination and creativity, and each unique artwork has a story to tell.

This exhibition features the work of 13 AP Art and other art students at Farrington High.

Heat and Pressure: A Shared Exhibition
Honolulu Printmakers’ 97th Annual Exhibition
+
Hawaii Craftsmen’s Raku Hoolaulea
On view in the DAC Main Gallery April 4-26, 2025

First Friday Opening Reception on Friday, April 4 from 5:30 - 8 p.m., Award Ceremony at 6:15 p.m.

Hawaii Craftsmen and Honolulu Printmakers present a collaborative exhibition exploring the dynamic intersection of ceramics and printmaking in "Heat and Pressure," which features artwork created by local artists belonging to these two organizations. Pieces in this exhibition were created through the application of heat (ceramics) and pressure (printmaking), and the results are eye-catching, intricate, and inspired.

2025 Capstone Exhibitions by Dynell Bonner and Nyla Wolf
On View in the Courtyard Gallery April 17-20, 2025

Artist’s Reception: Friday, April 18 from 4-7 p.m.

This special short exhibition features the artwork of two graduating Hawaii Pacific University students in the Arts and Markets program, and is part of their graduation project.

Artist Statement: Dynell Bonner

My name is Dynell Bonner, I'm currently a senior at Hawaii Pacific University majoring in Arts and Markets with a concentration in Visual and Studio Arts. I am proud to present my first photo exhibition, “小野 洋子: Invisible Woman.” Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Japanese multimedia artist and singer Yoko Ono, this collection of  photographs—a mixture of color and  monochrome—explores the emotional depth of fashion, vulnerability, music, and resilience.

Each photograph incorporates black and white as a foundation, symbolizing life’s highs and lows. The monochromatic images strip emotions down to their rawest form, while the color photographs introduce subtle vibrancy, reflecting moments of confidence amid sorrow. Every image captures the model’s personal interpretation of Yoko Ono’s avant-garde spirit and the aesthetic boldness of the 1980s, blending past and present perspectives into a contemporary visual narrative.

At its core, this exhibition is an exploration of fashion, courage, and interpretation. The models channel the expressive energy of Yoko Ono’s work—challenging norms, embracing vulnerability, and using fashion as a form of self-expression. “小野 洋子: Invisible Woman” reflects the unseen emotions, identities, and complexities often overlooked in society. Each image tells a unique story, showcasing how personal style and attitude shape the visual narrative of heartbreak, resilience, and reinvention. Through bold silhouettes, experimental compositions, and striking contrasts, this exhibition reinterprets the past while embracing the present.

This exhibition is more than a creative milestone—it is a testament to my passion for visual storytelling and the power of self-expression. I am incredibly grateful to share this journey and honored to bring this vision to life. “小野 洋子: Invisible Woman” is a reminder that even in moments of uncertainty, transformation, and heartbreak, individuality and artistic expression will always shine through.

Artist Statement: Nyla Wolf

“I Blank You.” Six characters. Six stories. Each person has their own tale with connections to love. Whether it is for themselves or with another being, these characters have to sort and face the reality of the changes in the normalities of love and the conception of seeking relationships, forever changing their perspectives of oneself.”

This will be my topic for my capstone. As a lover for literature and film, the complexity of characters’ own perspective of love and platonic relationships are interesting to me. It’s a thrill to watch and learn more about one’s own sight on love, as someone who does not have much experience. The concept of love- even during old times- has seemed to be a consistent theme of yearning, madness, and vulnerability. Even in some literature today, those themes are subdivided into their own unique genres by the authors as they create their characters.

However, due to the rapid decline of classic literature and education in literature after the 2020 Quarantine era, media created by authors and filmmakers alike are deteriorating their characters to be two-dimensional. Rather than creating a character that can be analyzed from many perspectives, they have narrowed down their options to only fit what is “trendy” or what gains more audiences and exposure to their projects. What this enables is the fall of media literacy and reading knowledge for future generations. Instead of characters having to struggle in life and find their own goals and answers with their own wits and morals, it is instead handed to them by poor plot twists and/or side characters. The strength of building characters to become three-dimensional is the key to creating a great piece of work.

For me, it is fun to pick out the protagonist limb by limb. Studying their body language, what their inner thoughts are that aren’t in the original text, and question their morals or reasonings for major events. People outside the fictional media experience this too! Which is why we need to understand and analyze complex characters within literature. It’s important for us humans to understand our own feelings, rather than having to copy off of traditional concepts of love, which consist of dangerous themes like: toxic masculinity,  heterosexual normalities, traditional wives, narcissistic behaviors, and the expectations of growing birth rates. 

The exhibition will consist of six paintings and six poems attached. Each set tells a story, but they are connected to one another. While one is abstract, the other tells a detailed story of the character, and it is the viewer's job to decide and analyze what they've read and seen in each set. My mission for this project is to bring literature back into people's lives, and share a connection with someone who also feels the same as these characters, to help them reflect on their own path and start a new story for themselves.

DAC QuickDraw: Chinatown en Plein Air
On View in the Classroom March 6-April 5, 2025

The artwork in this exhibition was all created en plein air, or in the outdoors, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as part of the Guitars & Plein Air in the Park event, produced by DAC and Hawaii Theatre on Saturday, March 1.

Congratulations to the First, Second, and Third Place prizewinners!

1. Mark N. Brown: Best in Show

2. Spencer Chang: Second Prize - Honoring Chinatown

3. Alla Parsons: Honorable Mention

Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society 2025 Members' Show
+
“Put A Handle On It” Ceramics Work by Shige Miyamoto and Students
On View in the Main Gallery February 25-March 29, 2025

Opening Reception for “Put a Handle On it: Friday, February 28 from 6-8 p.m. with remarks by Shigeru Miyamoto at 6:30 p.m.
Opening Reception and Award Ceremony for Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society 2025 Members’ Show: First Friday, February 7 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society 2025 Members’ Show:

Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society presents the 2025 Member’s Show. The annual exhibition features 77 stunning works by 58 member artists, all working with water media. Subject matter ranges from landscapes and botanicals to figures to abstract.  The juror for this year’s exhibition is Emily McIlroy, a veteran instructor and arts educator for the Honolulu Museum of Art School and Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance, who currently teaches in the Drawing and Painting Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). In addition to her teaching position at UHM, McIlroy is a committed working artist. She has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Hawaiʻi and across the continental United States since 2014. 

A Juror Workshop with Emily McIlory will be held Friday and Saturday, March 14-15 from 12 to 5 p.m. at DAC. Fee for HWS members is $175; non-member fee is $220. Visit hawaiiwatercolorsociety.org/workshops to sign up. 

“Put a Handle On It (so you can throw it away!)”:

 “Put a Handle On It” is an unjuried collection of ceramics artwork by retired ceramics instructor Shigeru Miyamoto, with 25 of his current and former students. It will be shown in the Main Gallery alongside work by members of Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society. The exhibition is named after one of Miyamoto’s signature remarks in the classroom. 

A prolific ceramic artist and instructor, Miyamoto has taught internationally and has artworks in several collections locally and internationally. His art expresses the social, political, and cultural climate of the Pacific Rim.

Twenty-five current and former students will be sharing works in this exhibition: Maren Bonnet, Patricia Y. Brubaker, M.K. Carroll, Tyler Chinen, Flora Cruells-Benzal, Andy Currivan, Ratna Djuhadi, Lili Evensen, Daven Hee, Lynda Hess, May Izumi, Jacob Jackson, Verena Jackson, Craig Kagawa, Light Ruth Kagawa, Yutaka Kawahito, Jung Mi Koo, Emily Shi Lee, Lynn Weiler Liverton, John Margenau, Claire Ranney, Joy Sanchez, Ryan Schulz, Boz Schurr, and Remle Wong.

Alan Aoki: Hawaii’s Natural Beauty
On View in the Courtyard Gallery March 7-15, 2025

First Friday Meet & Greet and Opening Reception: Friday, March 7 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Alan Aoki, a prolific painter known for his serene and pastel-hued depictions of Hawaii, evokes a sense of happiness and hope with his work. He studied at Okyu Ito Art School and Hasegawa Roka Art School in Tokyo before launching a career that has taken his work to exhibitions in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Honolulu, and beyond. In addition to his artistic practice, Aoki has also shared his expertise through teaching. His work reflects a deep connection to Hawaii, capturing its beauty with a soft, uplifting palette.