The Aloha Quilters present a custom crafted quilt to a family who has a home being built by Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii in Kawaihae.

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Joden Fernandez was smiling ear to ear when he was presented with a quilt with his favorite characters from the movie, Cars, at the Aloha Quilters meeting last month. He and his brother, Jax were the latest recipients of custom-designed quilts made by this group.

“The Aloha Quilters approached us about making quilts for our Habitat children and we thought that it was a wonderful gift,” stated Margo Takata, Community Relations Director. “They have completed beautifully, designed quilts for 3 of our families within the last 4 months. For most of children, it will be the first time that they get their own bedroom let alone bed to sleep on, and having a quilt of their own makes it special.”

Aloha Quilters is nearing its 25th year as a quilt group on the Big Island.  They have grown to about 50 members in recent years. The group works in traditional, contemporary, and Hawaiian styles, sharing ideas and techniques to promote quilting in Kona.

“Quilts have been an integral part of early American/pioneer life and have provided warmth and comfort down through the years,“ said Sara Alvstad, an Aloha Quilters member.  “The stories that travel with quilts of how they were made, who made them, why they were made, and where they have been are history – past and present. Donated quilts are made by members for Habitat for Humanity families and for Family Services throughout the year.  Giving quilts to others is our way to give back to the community.”  
 
You can enjoy a lot of Aloha Quilters work at the SKEA Quilt SHOW February 18-19 in Honaunau.

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Colorful tropical fabrics, aloha for one of the world’s most popular pastimes and vast, contrasting landscapes make the Big Island Quilt Shop Hop unlike any elsewhere.

During the entire month of February, eight shops participate in the circle-island quilt trek, where shop-hoppers will pick-up their custom quilt block kits and have their “passport” stamped, to be eligible for the grand prize drawing.

Maps and passports will be available at each location. Participants can start their tour at any of the venues along the route, and/or join one of two excursions by bus. (One passport per family.)

The Kona to Hilo Bus Tour takes place Saturday, Feb. 11 (price, time and location TBA). To sign up, contact Karen Barry at Quilt Passions, 329-7475.

The Hilo to Kona Bus Tour takes place Saturday, Feb. 18, departing from the Hilo Bus Depot (time TBA). The cost is $50 including lunch (subject to change).

To sign up for the Hilo Bus Tour, contact any of the three quilt shops in Hilo; Kilauea Kreations, 961-1100, Fabric Workshop, 933-1010, or Fabric Impressions, 961-4468.

Completed passports make shop-hoppers eligible for the prize drawings. First Place wins eight $25 gift certificates plus eight one-yard cuts of fabric; Second Place wins six $15 gift certificates plus six one-yard cuts of fabric; Third Place wins two $15 gift certificates plus two one-yard cuts of fabric. Numerous other prizes are available.

Each Big Island shop offers something special, with its own personality and unique location, from the lush greens of the Hilo, Volcano and Pahala areas to the paniolo hill country of Waimea/Kamuela and Kailua-Kona’s sunny shores. Various venues will offer refreshments, special sale items and unique handmade treasures as individual highlights of every stop.

This year’s theme is tropical flowers—so each store will have a different flower on its 10”x10” quilt block, to collect and complete the one-of-a-kind 2012 Big Island Shop Hop quilt. The quilt block patterns are free, or available with fabric as a kit for $6. (The background fabric for each block is Hoffman 1895, Seagrass.) If a customer purchases $35 or more in other merchandise, the fabric kit is free. “Finishing kits” will be available for purchase as well.

For more information, contact organizer Mary Moody-Cox at 961-1100 or email marymoodycox@earthlink….

Shop Hop circuit:

East Hawaii

* Pahala Quilting and Creative Sewing Center, “Orchid”
96-3208 Maile St., Pahala, HI 96777. (808) 928-0011
www.PahalaQuilting.com

* Kilauea Kreations I, “Naupaka”
19-3972 Volcano Rd., Volcano, HI 96785. (808) 967-8090
www.KilaueaKreations.c…

* Kilauea Kreations II, “Puakenikeni”
680 Manono St., Hilo, Hi 96720. (808) 961-1100
www.KilaueaKreations.c…

* The Fabric Workshop, “Anthurium”
1348 Kilauea Ave., Hilo, HI 96720. (808) 933-1010

* Fabric Impressions, “Hibiscus”
206 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720-2835. (808) 961-4468

West Hawaii

* Topstitch, “Heliconia”
64-1067 Mamalahoa Highway # 2, Kamuela, HI. (808) 885-4482

* The Fabric Gift Shop, “Tiare”
74-5599 Luhia St., Kailua Kona HI 96740. (808) 329-8177

* Quilt Passions and Needlework Shop, “Plumeria”
75-5626 Kuakini Hwy., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740. (808) 329-7475
www.QuiltPassions.net

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Please join us for our annual membership meeting and general celebration of the arts on Sunday (Jan 29) from 2–5 p.m.!

Music will be provided by the Sakura Ensemble and the Kahikina’s Nahenahe Ohana and friends. Complimentary light pupus and beverages. On display will be new works using found objects by Jozuf Hadley, Kathleen Dunphy, Jean Love, Peter Underwood and other members of the South Kona Art group. There will also be a White Elephant silent auction of new and gently used items. If you have anything you would like to donate, you may bring it to the meeting or drop it by the office, or call us at 328-9392.

Come renew your connection to SKEA and catch up with old friends at this free event.

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Start off your New Year at Historic Kailua Village’s monthly Kokua Kailua. 2012′s inaugural Kokua Kailua takes place Sunday, January 15 along scenic oceanfront Alii Drive, which becomes a pedestrian-only thoroughfare 1-6 p.m.

Kokua Kailua is an opportunity to spend a family-friendly afternoon perusing the shops and restaurants in Historic Kailua Village in addition to the many vendors that participate in the monthly event.

Then enjoy an Afternoon at Hulihee Palace on the lawn beginning at 4 p.m. (Bring your own lawn chairs for full enjoyment of the event).

Next month’s Kokua Kailua is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012.

Palace honors Hawaiian king, past curator

The Daughters of Hawaii and Calabash Cousins present their first free monthly Afternoon at Hulihee for 2012 on Sunday, Jan. 15. The 4 p.m. event on the grounds of Hulihee Palace remembers the late King Lunalilo and past palace curator, Iolani Luahine.

The event presents the Hulihee Palace Band, the Merrie Monarchs and Hawaiian performing arts by Kumu Hula Etua Lopes and his Halau Na Pua Ui O Hawaii. Kindly bring a beach mat or chair as seating won’t be provided.

King Charles Lunalilo (1835-1874) was known as the “people’s king” as he was popular with all his subjects. During his abbreviated, 390-day reign, Lunalilo advocated the legislature to remove property qualifications for the right to vote and asked for the separation of the legislature into two houses.

He also thought the kingdom should give Pearl Harbor to the U.S. in exchange for duty-free Hawaiian sugar into California.

“During Lunalilo’s short reign, he tried to make the kingdom’s government more democratic,” said Casey Ballao, palace docent coordinator. “His efforts were cut short by tuberculosis.”

Iolani Luahine (1915-1978) served as curator of Hulihee Palace from 1973 to 1978. She was born Harriet Lanihau Makekau in Napoopoo, but was renamed Iolani, after the Hawaiian hawk.

Luahine was a master of hula and named a “Living Treasure” in 1972; she was invited three times to perform at the National Folk Festival in Washington D.C.

Hulihee Palace is open for self-guided tours. Museum and gift shop hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Hulihee Palace admission, which at this time includes a self-guided tour brochure, remains $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and $1 for keiki under 18. Volunteer docents are sometimes available to give guided tours.

For details, contact the palace at 329-1877, the palace office at 329-9555 or visit www.daughtersofhawaii….

The gift shop can be reached by phoning 329-6558.

Caretakers of Hulihee Palace are the Daughters of Hawaii. The organization was founded in 1903 and opens membership to any woman who is directly descended from a person who lived in Hawai‘i prior to 1880.

Helping the Daughters in its efforts since 1986 are the Calabash Cousins; membership is available to all.

2012 Afternoon at Hulihee schedule

All Afternoons at Hulihe’e present hula by Na Pua Ui O Hawaii Hula Halau and vocals by the Merrie Monarchs. Some events also include the Hulihee Palace Band and are noted below. On band dates, only kahiko hula is showcased. Other events offer a full hula show.

Jan. 15: Band appearance remembering King Charles “Lunalilo” and Aunty Iolani Luahine

Feb. 19: Event remembering Princess Ruth Keelikolani

March 18: Band appearance remembering Queen Kaahumanu and Prince Kuhio

April 15: Event remembering Prince Edward Albert

May 20: Event remembering King Kamehameha IV “Alexander Liholiho”

June 10: Band appearance remembering King Kamehameha I “Paiea”

July 15: Event remembering John Adams Kuakini

Aug. 26: Event remembering King Kamehameha III “Kauikeaouli”

Sept. 16: Band appearance remembering Queen Liliuokalani

Oct. 21: Event remembering Princess Kaiulani

Nov. 18: Band appearance remembering King Kalakaua, Palace Curator Aunty Lei Collins and Bandmaster Charles “Bud” Dant

Dec. 16: Event remembering Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop

Hawaii 24/7 Staff

A website dedicated to listing art and craft classes offered in the Kona area has been launched. It also includes information on special seminars and workshops.

The website is designed to be a one-stop place to find the many artists who conduct classes in mosaics, watercolor, porcelain painting, gourds, ceramics, oils and acrylics.

All artists have limited space so students are encouraged to make reservations. Contact information for individual artists is listed on the website.

Some artists are able to take students who are on the Big Island for only a short time. Many artists will take beginners to advanced students. However, most classes are not geared toward children.

To find out more, call 328-0595, email bettyg@hawaii.rr.com or visit www.artclassesinkona.c…

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Hawaii student artists ages 15 years and under are encouraged to compete in Toyota’s 6th Annual Dream Car Art Contest by submitting hand-drawn entries based on the theme “Your Dream Car” by Jan. 31, 2012.

Entry forms are available at Toyota Hawaii dealers or at www.toyotahawaii.com. Entries can be dropped off at any Toyota dealer in the state or mailed to P.O. Box 2788, Honolulu, Hawaii 96803-2788.

The judging panel includes Department of Education Art in Public Places Artist in Residence Resource Teacher Evan Tottori, Honolulu Academy of Arts Academy Art Center at Linekona Director Vince Hazen, TV Personality KHON2’s Olena Heu and Toyota Hawaii’s Glenn Inouye.

In February, the judging panel will choose 15 finalists to submit to the international competition. These 15 finalists will each receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond.

If any of the Hawaii entries are chosen as finalists in the world competition, those students will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan for the final awards judging in August 2012 and a chance to meet Toyota Motor Corporation President Toyoda and Executive Vice President Funo of Toyota in Toyoda City, Aichi prefecture.

“This is a chance for Hawaii students to be as imaginative as they can be in coming up with a Dream Car idea,” said Inouye, Senior Vice President for Toyota Hawaii. “Last year’s international winners were incredibly creative, and I know Hawaii students can definitely compete on this level.”

Last year’s Annual Dream Car Art Contest winners included:

* A car that would turn into a hand bag via remote control, submitted by 7-year-old Kata Szonja Szollosi from Hungary

* An automatic noodle truck car, submitted by 11-year-old Porndanai Wattanapraditchai from Thailand

* The world saver car that transforms pollution into clean air, by 13-year-old Pipat Tunkrathok from Thailand

The first contest was held in 2004 with dual goals of creating an opportunity for children to have fun and to understand the importance of having a dream and at the same time to encourage them to become interested in cars through drawing “Dream Cars” using their creative imaginations.

“The main criteria that I determined in my mind for selecting the 5th Annual Dream Car Contest Akira Toriyama Award was ‘the dream cars that only children can imagine and draw’,” said Akira Toriyama, Toyota Dream Car Art Contest judge for the final competition.

“Needless to say, good-quality art and eco-consciousness are wonderful aspects. However, more importantly, I do want them to have their own fantasy world in their childhood,” Toriyama said. “I believe that it doesn’t matter even if the fantasy world seems to be small or useless, or that no one else can understand the dream. Putting their own fantasies into the cars, and completely enjoying drawing the picture, that’s the most wonderful thing ever.”

Student artists will compete in three age categories: Under 10-years old; 10- to 12-years old; and 13- to 15-years old

— Find out more:
www.toyotahawaii.com

Iron man (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Collaboration Artists Exhibition)

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Artwork completed during the first Hawaii artists’ collaborative hosted Oct. 20-22 will be shown as the Hawaii Collaboration Artists’ Exhibition through Nov. 17 at two locations in the heart of Holualoa Village –The Cliff Johns Gallery and The Holualoa Gallery.

The art will be offered at a “no reserve” auction during a special event Nov. 19 at Holualoa Inn; all proceeds will benefit future artists’ collaboratives in Hawaii.

Tai Laki, designer and fine furniture maker, and Holualoa artist Cliff Johns organized the event.

“The three-day invitation-only artist collaborative was an unbelievable success with amazing energy and creative stimulus pulling artists together to share ideas, inspiration and skills. We worked together, creating numerous pieces of art – with two or more artists working in collaboration on each piece,” Lake said.

The inaugural theme, “Hoo hui a hoopaa, Olelo no eau”, sums up the spirit of the event, translating as “Bringing together all skillful artists and the talented/wise to gather as a people and stand together.”

Not surprisingly most – but not all – of the finished work (more than 50 pieces in total) is mixed media, ranging from highly functional to outrageously whimsical decorative art.

“Our goal with the collaborative is to encourage artists to venture outside their usual medium, working in alternative art forms to expand their vision and skills,” Lake said.

Polishing the drum. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Collaboration Artists Exhibition)

Johns said another goal of the event is to connect the broader island community through art and perhaps bringing a future component to the mix that would include local school teachers.

The idea is to start small and grow slowly over subsequent years.

“This year, participating artists represented every district on Hawaii Island, as well as a diverse range of media from wood turning, jewelry making, glass blowing, hand-painted fabric, ceramics, painting and more,” Lake said.

The collaborative is fashioned after established events in Canada and New Zealand, and in its initial year was limited to just 20 artists. In addition to the Hawaii Island participants, the debut event included guest artists from California and Canada. Eventually, the Hawaii Artist Collaborative will welcome artists from throughout the Hawaii Islands and countries worldwide.

For more information on the art exhibit and auction special event, call Johns at 322-6611.

For art auction reservations, email hawaiicollab@gmail.com.

Working on the sail. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Collaboration Artists Exhibition)

Participating artists:

Amber Aguirre, Kailua-Kona
Amy Flanders, Laupahoehoe
Ben Hiroka, Kailua-Kona
Cliff Johns, Kailua-Kona
David Reisland, Captain Cook
Ellen Crocker, Keai
Ethan Froney, Kamuela
Gary Eoff, Kailua-Kona
John Mydock, Pahoa
Jonah Lake, Holualoa
Kala Willis, Kealakekua
Kalima Brookes, Holualoa
Kate Jacobson, Holualoa
Kathleen Akaka, Holuala
Mark Kimball, Holualoa
Mats Fogelvik, Ocean View
Matthew Lovein, Holualoa
Michael Cullen, Petaluma, CA
Miranda Jones, Saskatoon, Canada
Peter Underwood, Kealakekua
Quinn Miller, Kalaoa
Richard “Spike” Blaine, Ocean View
Sunny Pau’ole, Kailua-Kona
Tai Lake, Holualoa
Tiffany Shafto, Paauilo
Will Jacobson, Holualoa

(Video courtesy of Matt Lovein)

Mobile version of slideshow here
Photography by John Wicart | Special to Hawaii 24/7

The third annual Arts of Kona Young Artist Showcase featured 298 West Hawaii students’ work Saturday (Oct 22) at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.

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Volcano Art Center is partnering with local organizations to create experiences that highlight global cultural identities. The goal is to unify community in appreciation of the ethnic variety and cultural diversity of Hawaii’s people.

Mortality is a fundamental feature of the human experience and rituals that focus on the cycle of life and death exist throughout the world.

(Photo special to Hawaii 24/7)

Dia de los Muertos, or “The Day of the Dead,” is a traditional Mexican celebration that focuses on the remembrance of loved ones who have passed away.

* 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19

Memorial Shrines Create your own shrine for a deceased loved one to display in our “community shrine” during Dia de los Muertos. Bring a shoe box or a box of similar size and sentimental photos, fabric or embellishments to create something deeply personal. Free community creative time. Items included in the display will be available for pickup on Nov. 7. Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus: 19-4074 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano Village.

* 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Oct. 29

Keiki Theater and Mask-Making Create beautiful paper mache skeleton masks for Dia de los Muertos with Lee Walczuk! Keiki Theater is an opportunity for youth ages 6 and up to explore new ways of creative engagement. $10 drop-in. EHCC back annex: 141 Kalakaua St., Hilo, 96721. Contact Lee for details: (808) 968-1505

* Noon-3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29

Mexican Folk Art Day at East Hawaii Cultural Center with Lee Walczuk. Colorful, traditional craft projects. Free activities for all ages. Donations accepted for materials. Located in the back annex classroom at the EHCC: 141 Kalakaua St., Hilo, 96721. Call Anne: (808) 967-8222 for details.

* 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2

Grievin’ and Groovin’ Art Exhibit: In a two-day celebration honoring our beloved departed, this exhibit will represent art work, writing, movement and rituals based on the subject of Dia de los Muertos, death, loss, mortality and the passage of time. Based on the actual dates of the traditional cultural celebration, it will close in a fiesta celebration on the evening of the second day. Hale Ho’omana Educational Facility Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus.

* 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1

Dia de los Muertos: Procession and Shrine Illumination
In the cultural tradition, a procession will be lead through downtown Hilo, beginning and ending at the East Hawaii Cultural Center. Participants are encouraged to wear their finest, most creative skeleton masks or face paint and attire. Meet in the rear of the building at EHCC: 141 Kalakaua St., Hilo beginning at 4:30p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring flowers (marigolds in particular but any will do). The community is invited to share their personal words in short, individual readings of 3 minutes or less.
Free event.

* 5-9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2

Grievin’ and Groovin’ Fiesta and Art Reception: Community art, entertainment, a blessing and the enjoyment of Mexican fare. Themed event with masks/attire strongly encouraged. Dine and dance the night away as an energetic finale to the event. With complimentary pupus from 5-6 p.m., guests can later purchase full plates of delicious, fresh Mexican food for $8-$10. Cast your votes for the most impactful, inspirational and festive art in the exhibit with artist awards at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are available. $12 advance/$15 at the door (limited, first come first serve). Free entry for artists featured in the art exhibit, tickets must be confirmed in advance.

For further information, call 967-8222 or e-mail community@volcanoartce…

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The deadline for Kona coffee farmers to sign-up for the 13th annual Coffee & Art Stroll on November 5th in Holualoa Village is Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

Over two dozen West Hawaii farms will be serving free samples of their finest Kona brews from the front lanais of the historic buildings that line Mamalahoa Highway between the Elementary School and Imin Center. All of the art galleries and shops along the half mile of roadway are hosting at least one local coffee farm and featuring their own unique art and island crafts. Only local coffee farms are invited to participate, no craft or other vendors.

Visitors will be able to vote for their People’s Choice favorite coffee at the Holualoa Village Association information tent on the lawn of the old Hongwangi Mission during the six hour Coffee & Art Stroll. The coffee-inspired art work of Holualoa School keiki will again be displayed on the outside walls of the Holualoa Library. Award ribbons for both will be sponsored by the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.

There will be parking at the Imin Center, the Holualoa School and lot next to the Library, however, in order to promote safety for the hundreds of visitors expected again this year, no parking will be allowed in the village from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The 13th annual Coffee & Art Stroll is produced by the Holualoa Village Association and sponsored by the Holualoa Inn and Kona Blue Sky Coffee.

For more information and application form call co-chairperson Brian Downes, Downes Grounds Kona Coffee, at 322-5263. Maps and photos of last year’s Coffee & Art Stroll are on the HVA web site: www.holualoahawaii.com

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is perched on the rim of Kilauea Volcano’s summit caldera (next to the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park), providing a spectacular view of the active vent in Halemaumau Crater. (Photo courtesy of USGS)

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Hawaii Island fourth grade students are invited to participate in a poster contest celebrating 100 years of volcano watching on the island by U.S. Geological Survey scientists.

The contest is hosted by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which reaches its centennial milestone in January 2012. Since HVO was founded in 1912, scientists have continuously monitored eruptions and earthquakes on Hawaiian volcanoes.

“The HVO centennial poster contest offers a fun and creative way for students to learn more about Hawaiian volcanoes, how scientists monitor them, as well as HVO and its history,” said Janet Babb, HVO’s centennial poster contest coordinator. “We hope island keiki will help us celebrate HVO’s 100th anniversary by participating in the poster contest. We look forward to seeing HVO’s history through their eyes.”

“Part of this celebration is recognizing the tremendous advances we’ve seen during the past 100 years in the methods, tools, and technology used to study Hawaiian volcanoes and how that has helped lead to a remarkable increase in our understanding of how volcanoes work,” said Jim Kauahikaua, HVO Scientist-in-Charge. “One of the most important research and monitoring skills used today is the same one used by Thomas A. Jaggar, who founded HVO, and the Polynesians before him: observation.”

The poster contest is open only to fourth grade students enrolled in public, private, charter, or home schools on Hawaii Island.

Posters should convey a message about HVO and the study of Hawaiian volcanoes through one of the following three themes:

* 100 years of volcano watching on Hawaii Island
* The many tools and techniques HVO scientists use to monitor volcanoes
* “I ka nana no a ike” (by observing, one learns)

The entry deadline is Nov. 23, 2011. Fourth grade students, teachers and parents can view complete contest details and submission guidelines at hvo.wr.usgs.gov/educat…

For more information, contact Janet Babb at (808) 967-8844 or jbabb@usgs.gov.

“We chose this grade level because volcanic processes and scientific observation are topics included in Hawaii’s fourth grade science curriculum,” Babb said. “The three identified themes allow students to focus on the historical, scientific or cultural aspects of volcano watching — or all three — as they design their posters.”

A panel of judges will select first, second, and third place winners from each of the three state Department of Education Complex Areas and one Grand Prize winner from Hawaii Island.

These 10 winners and their teachers will be recognized in an award ceremony during HVO’s Centennial Open House on Jan. 21, 2012. All students who enter a poster will receive a Certificate of Recognition for their participation in the contest.

Award-winning and honorable-mention posters will be displayed Jan. 11-31 at KTA Super Stores. The award-winning posters will also be featured on HVO’s website.

— Find out more:
www.usgs.gov

Arts of Kona hosts a mee-n-greet afternoon 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 at the Old Kona Airport Park pavilion.

For further information, call 329-2699 or visit: artsofkona.org

MEDIA RELEASE

The Big Island is an exotic haven that nurtures creativity and The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii taps this wellspring of talent by partnering with the Pacific Island Printmakers to showcase Lisa Louise Adams’ newest exhibit “Spiraling Artifacts” in the Luana Lounge Art Gallery, with an artist’s reception 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22.

The third quarterly showing combines Adams’ many interests and incorporates handmade papers, numerous printmaking techniques, hand stitching, beading, encaustic and watercolor.

The spiral is an important symbol, starting with something small and expanding outward, returning to the same, but different place, a bit of a metaphor for life.

Adams lives in Volcano with her family, making paintings, prints, books, quilts, and pottery. Her work has been featured in numerous invitational and juried exhibitions locally, nationally and internationally since 1987.

Adams studied art at nine Universities and recently earned her Masters in Education for her thesis on “The Importance of the Arts in Education.”

The Lounge’s contemporary residential decor rambles through indoor/outdoor seating areas, interior bar and lanai overlooking the grounds and the blue Pacific. Paired with a refreshingly eclectic Hawaii Island-inspired menu of pupu (appetizers), dessert tapas and Hawaiian tunes designed to put guests at ease, the resort embodies the Hawaiian translation of Luana (to be at leisure, enjoy pleasant surroundings and associates, live in comfort and ease, enjoy oneself, relax and be content).

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Internationally known sculptor, Virginia King, kicks off the 2011-2012 season of programs offered by the Holualoa Foundation for Arts & Culture.

King creates large-scale sculptures that are inspired by the ocean and the geographic isolation of her homeland, New Zealand. She will give a presentation of her art 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept, 15 at the Donkey Mill Art Center.

The evening will start with an ohana style potluck. This free and open to the public event is made possible by funding from the Laila Twigg-Smith Art Fund.

King began focusing on sculpture in the mid-1980s, and has worked in stone, bronze, aluminum, stainless steel, earth and wood. Underlying her practice is a concern for the environment, a passion for words and an interest in history and micro-organisms, all of which inspire and inform her work.

Her art evolves through the equally stimulating and variously alternate experiences of exhibiting in galleries and creating site-specific work to be placed directly into the environment.

King’s sculptures have ranged from domestic scale to the monumental. She has created a series of floating works, bridgeworks, soundscapes and earth-based landform sculptures.

They have an organic feel and often contain shapes cut out from their surface, a distinctive device she uses to accentuate the positive and negative spaces of the medium. Many comprise different sections that have been joined by hinges, wooden pegs or woven twine.

King will teach two weekend workshops – 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 16-18 and Sept. 23-25.

The concept is to involve workshop participants in the creation of two interrelated artworks, ephemeral installations that will be displayed and recorded floating in the sea. Students will be encouraged to complete a series of individual and personal components using motifs, iconography and words.

The small artworks will be assembled to form much bigger collaborative artworks. The resulting sculpture will be installed temporarily in the local environment. Tuition is $225 per weekend and space is limited.

The mission of the Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, is to enrich the lives of persons of all ages and abilities through art education. The foundation operates the Donkey Mill Art Center, a gathering place for all to explore, expand and develop their artistic selves in a supportive community.

For more information, call 322-2262 or visit www.DonkeyMillArtCente…

MEDIA RELEASE

The time-honored skill of weaving with pandanus leaves is being showcased at the 16th Lauhala Conference, which runs through Sept. 11 at the Keauhou Beach Resort.

The event offers lauhala weaving workshops with top Hawaii instructors in a friendly, sharing format. The conference is offered by Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona, a non-profit benevolent organization with the mission to perpetuate, preserve and ensure the growth of the traditional art of lauhala weaving.

Known for her signature lauhala hats, Aunty Elizabeth Maluihi Lee, of Kona, is founder of the event and will again be offering instruction this year.

Lee recently was recognized by the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce with a prestigious 2011 Pualu Culture and Heritage Award. The award taps an individual or organization that has exhibited, through actions, practices that promote island traditions and preserves our multi-cultural heritage.

Lee was cited for her Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona and how she shares knowledge of weaving “in her own caring and nurturing way.” In Hawaiian, pualu means “to work together.”

The workshop offers six different sessions: Beginners, Intermediate I and II, Advanced I and II, and Specialties. Students will make certain things in each workshop. The workshop closes Saturday with a buffet dinner, craft fair and fashion show.

For event details, visit sites.google.com/site/…

Elizabeth Lee

(Photo special to Hawaii 24/7)

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The Wailoa Art & Cultural Center in Hilo hosts a colorful exhibit of creative children’s Peace Posters through Sept. 29 in its Fountain Gallery. Selected from hundreds of entries from previous years, the collection is provided by the Peace Committee of Honokaa Honpa Hongwanji as an outreach for its annual Parade & Festival for the United Nations International Day of Peace (Sept. 18).

The work is on display 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and noon-4:30 p.m. Wednesday through the month. Admission is free.

For additional information about the center, call 933-0416 or email wailoa@yahoo.com.

This year’s 2011 Peace Poster Contest welcomes entries from students in grades kindergarten through 12, expressing their thoughts on the theme “Peace means…” by Friday, Sept. 9.

The contest is free to enter, and cash prizes are awarded to the winners in several categories. Detailed information is available at: www.peacedayparade.org

On Sunday, Sept. 18, the Peace Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. from Honokaa High School and down Mamane Street. A “moving stage” of music, dance and entertainment with a message, the parade features taiko drums, marching bands, bon dance, jazz, rock & roll, hula and more.

Concurrently, a Peace Day Festival is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Honokaa Sports Complex, with great local and ethnic foods, artists and crafters, live entertainment and a large community Bon Dance for everyone to join.

The Peace Committee is also planning its first ever 5K “Peace Run,” support programs for the Carteret Atoll education projects, and other peace-related events continuing throughout the month of September.

On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Sakura Ensemble will perform a concert of peace music 6 p.m. at Honokaa Library, sponsored by the Friends of Hamakua Libraries and the Peace Committee.

The 5th Annual Parade & Festival for the United Nations International Day of Peace are presented by the Peace Committee of the Honokaa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in cooperation with the United Nations and numerous community organizations.

Major financial support has been provided by the county Department of Research and Development (Tourism Division) CPEP and the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

For more information visit email info@peacedayparade.or… or visit www.PeaceDayParade.org

Riding Into Battle (Photo courtesy of Amber Aguirre)

MEDIA RELEASE

Ceramics artist Amber Aguirre will give a presentation on her work 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 at the Donkey Mill Art Center.

This free and open to the public artist talk will be preceded by an ohana style potluck.

Aguirre is a nationally exhibited artist living on Hawaii Island. She is well known for her provocative imagery confronting issues of power and victimization.

“Throughout history, artists have functioned as social commentators. I see this as a sacred calling in my work. The human condition is vulnerable and I question the amount of control we have over our own destiny. I attempt to explore these issues with a sometimes humorous, edgy and confrontational attitude,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre will give a three-day hands-on workshop Sept. 9-11 at the Donkey Mill Art Center. Tuition is $225 and space is limited.

Aguirre has been involved in ceramics and teaching for more than 35 years. In her dynamic figurative workshop she will share her techniques for creating figures via the relationships between anatomy, mass and form.

Rather than students using symbolic preconceived ideas of the human body, Aguirre will help students correctly visualize the relationships in the planes and forms of the figure.

In this way, students will create dynamic figures where stylization is a choice rather than a result of faulty ideas about the body.

The mission of the Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, is to enrich the lives of persons of all ages and abilities through art education.

The foundation operates the Donkey Mill Art Center, a gathering place for all to explore, expand and develop their artistic selves in a supportive community.

For more information, call 322-3362 or visit www.DonkeyMillArtCente…

Pick a bowl. (Photo courtesy of Donkey Mill Art Center)

MEDIA RELEASE

When: Noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27
Where: Donkey Mill Art Center, 78-6670 Mamalahoa Hwy, Holualoa, HI 96725

Entry fee: $20, $10 for children under 12. The entry fee includes one handmade bowl of your choosing to take home, as well as a delicious lunch of hiyashi somen (chilled Japanese noodles). Extra bowls are available for purchase for $10.

It’s time once again to spend a Saturday afternoon relaxing in the breezes of the Donkey Mill Art Center’s lawn while slurping homemade somen noodles from a gorgeous handmade bowl.

For the fifth annual fundraising event, DMAC ceramics artists have produced an astounding 1,000 hand-made ceramic bowls. Each visitor chooses one of these beautiful bowls — which they will keep — to enjoy a light lunch of Japanese cold somen noodles. (Somen, known to Japanese as ” queen of all noodles”, is a signature summer dish served cold. Very thin, wheat flour noodles are artfully presented — served in a special broth with an array of carefully prepared toppings, in a personal-sized bowl called a sobachoko.)

This year we will offer live music by Greg Shirley and some all-new glaze selections for exciting new bowl colors. With these beautiful bowls offered at such an attractive price, you will be inspired to bring handmade art into your home and into your daily life.

Proceeds from Cool Fusion are dedicated to the DMAC’s outstanding Ceramics Program.

For further information, call 808 322-3362 or visit donkeymillartcenter.or…

(Photo courtesy of Donkey Mill Art Center)

Devyn Park (right) is this year's recipient of the Emerging Artists Scholarship. (Photo courtesy of Donkey Mill Art Center)

MEDIA RELEASE

The Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture announces the first annual Emerging Artists Scholarship fund raising event 6-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 at the Donkey Mill Art Center.

Based on a Coney Island carnival-esque theme, this event will include live music by Andrea Lindborg’s Pele’s Passion & Bump City, bar-b-que, refreshments, photo booth and games. Costumes addressing characters from the historical Coney Island amusement park like Lady Zombie, mermaids, contortionists and other side show characters are optional.

Tickets are $15 and available at the door.

This year, HFAC honors Devyn Park for her outstanding commitment to the arts and the daily successes of the Donkey Mill Art Center.

Park, who has studied art since age eight, volunteers 20 hours a week at the Mill by teaching youth programs, office management and special event planning.

Park has been accepted in to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design to continue her studies in art and rigorous academics.

Proceeds from this fundraiser will be dedicated to her college tuition.

The Snell Endowment, dedicated to supporting talented emerging artists, announces a $1,000 matching grant in support of Park’s academic work. Consider donating to the Snell Endowment in order to strengthen the capability of young artists from our community to fully realize their creative talents.

The Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture awards an additional $2,500 scholarship to Park.

The mission of the Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, is to enrich the lives of persons of all ages and abilities through art education.

The foundation operates the Donkey Mill Art Center, a gathering place for all to explore, expand and develop their artistic selves in a supportive community.

For more information, call 322-3362 or visit www.DonkeyMillArtCente…

(Image courtesy of USPS)

MEDIA RELEASE

Hilo artist John Dawson has designed a series of five ‘forever’ stamps that are due to be released next year.

The series features a sierra juniper, trident maple, black pine, azalea and banyan.

(image courtesy of USPS)

Dawson’s art work previously was included in the “Nature of America” stamp series featuring a Pacific kelp forest.

Art director and stamp designer Ethel Kessler worked with Dawson on the bonsai stamps. They will be issued as forever stamps, which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

With these five stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the beauty of bonsai. The word “bonsai” (Japanese for “plant in a pot”) refers to the art of cultivating plants — usually trees — in trays, pots, or other containers.

Favorite bonsai plants include evergreens, maples, and azaleas, but many other trees and shrubs are also suitable. This horticultural art form has become popular in many parts of the world. A large number of bonsai are on permanent display in Washington, D.C., at the United States National Arboretum.

One of the common styles of bonsai is shown on each of these five stamps.

The first stamp depicts a Sierra juniper in semi-cascade style, in which the tip projects over the pot rim but does not extend below the base.

Second is a trident maple in informal upright style, in which the trunk bends slightly to the left or right.

Third is a black pine in formal upright style, with the trunk straight and tapering evenly, with symmetrical branches, from base to apex.

Fourth is an azalea plant in multiple-trunk style, with several trunks emerging from one root system.

The fifth and final stamp shows a banyan in cascade style, in which the trunk evokes a stream flowing down a mountainside, with the tip extending below the pot’s base. The plants depicted are roughly 15 to 20 inches tall.

Although no one knows when the first bonsai was created, it is generally accepted that Buddhist monks brought the practice from China to Japan about a thousand years ago. The bonsai collection at the National Arboretum began in 1976 when the Nippon Bonsai Association in Tokyo, Japan, presented the people of the United States with 53 plants as part of the U.S. bicentennial commemoration.

A bonsai master begins with seeds, cuttings, a naturally stunted tree, or a very young tree. Over time, he or she prunes the roots and branches, uses wire to shape and “train” the branches, and sometimes scrapes or peels bark to achieve desired effects.

The plant is watered and repotted when necessary, and can live 100 years or more.

— Find out more:
U.S. Postal Service: www.usps.com
John Dawson: www.jdawsonillustratio…
Beyond the Perf: www.beyondtheperf.com