Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts The mission of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) is to promote, perpetuate, preserve and encourage culture and the arts of Hawai'i. to 4 p.m.

The SFCA is a state government agency, attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services. The Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is a government agency, established by the Hawai‘i 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 Hawai‘i. HSFCA fundi

ng is provided by the State of Hawai‘i and the National Endowment for the Arts. The HSFCA is administratively attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Chapter 9). The Hawai'i State Art Museum (HiSAM) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. and open every First Friday from 6 - 9 p.m.

The Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a public-private partnership between the Federal Emergency Managemen...
08/19/2026

The Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a public-private partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Smithsonian Institution, is supporting response and recovery efforts of Hawaiʻi’s arts & culture sector and the public.

HENTF encourages those impacted to fill out a Rapid Damage Assessment Form (links available on the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/news).

Image description: detail of a seascape/landscape painting with cloudy sky in shades of blue, purple, yellow, and white. Text overlay reads Tropical Storm Lala H E N T F supporting response and recovery efforts of Hawaiʻi's arts and culture sector

Artwork in image: Detail from “Stormy Day at Coconut Island” by Carolyn Parrish, acrylic on canvas painting, 2004. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Currently on display at the Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary School (State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education). Explore the collection online: sfca.hawaii.gov/app-art.

08/19/2026

How do you narrow down an entire art collection to just three works? 📸🍍 Meet Gaye Chan, one of the 21 guest curators featured in Trifecta at Capitol Modern.

Faced with curating from the expansive State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Collection, Gaye began with a medium she knew well after years of teaching: photography. From there, one subject caught her attention: pineapples 🍍

The images brought her back to themes she had explored in her own project, Downwind Productions, including Hawaiʻi’s shift from self-sustaining land use to commercial agriculture and the lasting impacts of colonialism, capitalism, and the pineapple industry.

For Trifecta, Gaye selected three photographs that together create a visual timeline, using a familiar symbol of Hawaiʻi to encourage deeper reflection on land, labor, and history:
✨ Overripte by Kelly Ciurej
✨ Airport Crop, The Last Pineapples by Elaine Mayes
✨ Palolo Kids by Eric Yanagi

Hear directly from Gaye as she shares how she arrived at her three selections and the story that connects them.

📍 Trifecta is on view in the Leʻahi Gallery, Second Floor at Capitol Modern
🕙 Museum Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
🎟️ Free admission, family friendly, open to the public

Video Edited by: Max High



Video featuring artist and curator Gaye Chan discussing how she selected three photographs for the Trifecta exhibition at Capitol Modern. The video shows Chan speaking in the gallery and sharing how photographs featuring pineapples led her to explore connections between Hawaiʻi’s agricultural history, land use, labor, and her previous artistic work. Video edited by Max High.

Island Roots & Reggae Night, Friday January 16, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Featuring The Vitals with Lethal Selecta and Zion Bound...
08/15/2026

Island Roots & Reggae Night, Friday January 16, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Featuring The Vitals with Lethal Selecta and Zion Bound, hosted by Miss Lulu. Open galleries, live music, local artists and vendors at the Art+Flea urban market. Free admission, all ages welcome!

Details on our website: CapitolModern.org.

Island roots and reggae night at the State Art Museum, this Friday! All ages welcome, free admission. Featuring The Vita...
08/15/2026

Island roots and reggae night at the State Art Museum, this Friday! All ages welcome, free admission. Featuring The Vitals 808 with and , hosted by Miss Lulu. Presented in partnership with .⁠
⁠
Urban market with includes local artists and food/beverage vendors. ⁠Live painting with artist collective.⁠
⁠
Museum gallery is open with new exhibits: "Schaefer Portrait Challenge" from Maui and "Contemporary Portraiture: Art in Public Places". ⁠
⁠
Friday January 16⁠
5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is Hawaiʻi's state government arts agency, administratively attached to the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Accounting and General Services. SFCA programs include Capitol Modern, the official Hawaiʻi state art museum. Explore the public art collection in the SFCA's new online database at sfca.hawaii.gov/app-art.

Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum is closed Saturday, August 15, 2026. This closure is due to a storm warning...
08/15/2026

Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum is closed Saturday, August 15, 2026. This closure is due to a storm warning. Learn more about how to prepare at ready.hawaii.gov.

Celebrate the vibrant cultures of Micronesia this month at Capitol Modern. 🌺🌊Join us at Capitol Modern for Creative Micr...
08/06/2026

Celebrate the vibrant cultures of Micronesia this month at Capitol Modern. 🌺🌊

Join us at Capitol Modern for Creative Micronesia: Music, Movement, Poetry & Fashion, a special series of free community events celebrating the rich traditions, creativity, and stories of Micronesian cultures through performances, fashion, poetry, hands-on art activities, & more.

While you’re there, don’t miss Arts of Oceania, a new exhibition opening on August 7, featuring recently acquired Micronesian and Melanesian artworks from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Collection, alongside Māori wind instruments and traditional weapons by Kalama Fallau.

✨ Upcoming Events
📅 Saturday, August 8, 1:00-4:00 PM @ Capitol Modern
Celebrate the opening of Arts of Oceania with traditional and contemporary dance, a Micronesian fashion show, poetry, youth opening protocol, and a community reception.

📅 Saturday, August 15, 11:00 AM-4:00 PM during Super Saturday @ Capitol Modern
Enjoy free, family-friendly art activities, live music, local vendors, and hands-on workshops with Micronesian and Pacific Islands artists.

📅 Saturday, August 22, 1:00-4:00 PM @ Capitol Modern
Experience traditional and contemporary fashion, poetry, and cultural performances celebrating the diverse communities of Micronesia.

🎟️ Free admission, family-friendly, & open to the public
📍 Capitol Modern is the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum

Carousel of promotional graphics highlighting Capitol Modern’s August programming. Graphics feature the Arts of Oceania exhibition and three Creative Micronesia: Music, Movement, Poetry & Fashion events on August 8, 15, and 22, celebrating Micronesian cultures through performances, fashion, poetry, hands-on art activities, music, local vendors, and community gatherings.

“This grouping was inspired by Hawaiian, Native Alaskan, and Belauan (Palauan) material culture. These hairpins also fun...
08/06/2026

“This grouping was inspired by Hawaiian, Native Alaskan, and Belauan (Palauan) material culture. These hairpins also function as self-defense implements, incorporating design elements drawn from traditional weaponry and fishing tools.” - Anthony Joseph Watson.

A dual citizen of the United States and Belau (Palau), Anthony Joseph Watson has lived on Oʻahu for the past 23 years. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he developed the foundation for his multidisciplinary artistic practice. Today, Watson works as a full-time artist.

"Enthused and Spiteful Hairpins" by Anthony Joseph Watson, 2025. Guava, Hong Kong orchid wood, koa, bamboo, oyster shell, black coral, plastic, natural dyes, 5160 steel, nylon. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Purchased from the "Ocean of Peace" exhibit at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (2025-2026). On display in "Arts of Oceania", a mini-exhibit at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, August 7 - November 28, 2026.

Image description: first photo shows three hairpins with text under the photo (repeated in the caption above). Second photo shows a larger view of the hairpins. Third photo is a closeup focused on one hairpin with the other two in the background.

Behind the scenes at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum! This week, a new mini-exhibit, "Arts of Oceania" is b...
08/05/2026

Behind the scenes at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum! This week, a new mini-exhibit, "Arts of Oceania" is being installed in the ground floor display case. This exhibit includes traditional Native Hawaiian and Māori weapons and Māori wind instruments, all made by cultural practitioner Kalama Fallau and on loan to the exhibit. In the first photo, Kalama is assisting SFCA Art in Public Places (APP) Program art installer José González with the placement of a Māori wind instrument. The second photo shows a sketch provided by Kalama for the exhibit layout. In the third photo Kalama is standing with SFCA APP art installers Teig Grennan, José González, and Pete Powlison.

You can meet Kalama at the opening reception this Saturday, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. during the "Creative Micronesia" event.

"Creative Micronesia" 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. has music, fashion, and poetry showcasing cultures from across the islands of Micronesia. Free admission, all ages welcome. More information on the Capitol Modern website: CapitolModern.org/events.

07/31/2026

What do we carry with us? In "Paʻuʻaha" (2017), artist Marques Marzan draws inspiration from the traditional Hawaiian kōkō, woven carrying nets once used to suspend and transport food and personal belongings. Through this work, he reflects on the body as a vessel that carries not only physical necessities, but also our stories, families, and life experiences.

By enveloping the body in woven natural fibers, "Paʻuʻaha" reimagines the kōkō as a wearable work of art. Marzan honors the role each of us plays in carrying and protecting the knowledge, memories, and traditions passed down through generations.

Originally created to be worn, the work is displayed open, allowing viewers to appreciate the intricate knotwork and craftsmanship from every angle. Whether worn or exhibited, the piece continues to speak to connection, protection, and the evolving journeys we each carry.

Paʻuʻaha is one of the featured works in Trifecta, an exhibition where 21 members of Hawaiʻi’s arts community each selected three works from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Collection, offering new perspectives on Hawaiʻi’s public art.

Address

250 S Hotel Street Fl 2
Honolulu, HI
96813

Opening Hours

Monday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Thursday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Friday 7:45am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18085860300

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category