Bishop Museum Celebrates Four Native Hawaiian Artists
MAMo Awards 2008: Celebrating Our Masters
Opens April 19, 2008
MAMo Awards 2008: Celebrating our Masters opens at Bishop Museum’s J. M. Long Gallery April 17, 2008 and remains on view through September 7, 2008. Normal Museum admission applies. The exhibition is one of several events planned in celebration of the third annual Maoli Arts Month (MAMo), May 1 through 31, 2008.
Coordinated by Bishop Museum’s Noelle Kahanu, MAMo Awards 2008: Celebrating our Masters honors four Hawaiian master artists who have tirelessly championed the cause of Native Hawaiian arts: revered lauhala weaver Elizabeth Lee (Kona); painter David Parker (O‘ahu); sculptor Hanale Hopfe (Waianae); and painter and arts organizer Al Lagunero (Maui). The exhibition celebrates these artists through the presentation of artworks that attest to their lifetime achievements and will remain on view from April 19 through July TBA in the Hawaiian Hall Vestibule Gallery.
Says Kahanu, “We have the Hoku Awards and the Merrie Monarch, but how were we acknowledging the visionary visual artists within our own Native Hawaiian community? We weren’t. So this annual exhibition and Maoli Arts Month Award (MAMo Award) is our community-based response to honoring those who have truly led the way. Each of these artists is well known for both perpetuating traditional arts and breaking new ground. They have fostered and inspired new generations of artists.”
The exhibit is part of MAMo, a month-long community-based event celebrating Native Hawaiian art, artists, and cultural practitioners with a host of activities and events at a variety of venues throughout Honolulu, including the Hawai‘i State Art Museum, Chinatown Arts District, The Arts and Marks Garage, as well as Bishop Museum.
Says Kahanu, “What better way to start off MAMo than with this exhibit, by celebrating our master artists. They are our foundation, our source of inspiration.”
MAMo organizers include Bishop Museum, PA‘I Foundation, Hale Ku’ai, Maoli Arts Alliance, as well as other Native Hawaiian artists and organizations, and the City and County of Honolulu, Mayor’s Office for Culture and the Arts.
This art exhibition is funded under the Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program (NHCAP). (The views and conclusions contained in the exhibition are those of the artists, and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U. S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government.) Bishop Museum welcomes artistic expression.
For more information about MAMo Awards 2008: Celebrating Our Masters, call (808) 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org. For information about other Maoli Arts Month activities, visit www.maoliartsmonth.org.
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