Explore EXCORE

Museum After Hours
Explore EXCORE
Friday, September 12, 2025
5 pm – 9 pm
Location: Gallery Lawns | J. M. Long Gallery · Hawaiian Hall Complex | Science Adventure Center

$10 pre-sale, $15 at the door for General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

Discover the art of underwater imaging with Explore EXCORE, showcasing imagery captured by the Center for the Exploration of Coral Reef Ecosystems (EXCORE) with insights into the technology empowering their undersea scientific research. Join us for the public Grand Opening of our newest exhibit, featuring a deep-dive panel discussion on the exhibit themes, opportunities to engage with Bishop Museum researchers pioneering the latest advancements in marine imaging, hands-on activities that bring undersea exploration to life and much more.

EXCORE’s mission is to utilize (and in some cases, invent) the latest technologies available to explore and document Biodiversity on coral reefs. It was established at Bishop Museum a decade ago to formally recognize a legacy of technology-based exploration and discovery that extends back to the very beginning of the Museum.

Spotlight Programs

Build Your Own Marine Ecosystem
5:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Gallery Lawns
Enjoy art activities inspired by Explore EXCORE — build your own marine ecosystem using stamps, coloring pages, and unique illustrations of marine life. Learn how to identify fish with experts from Bishop Museum’s Ichthyology team.

Explore EXCORE w/ Co-Curators + Exhibition Designer
Panel Discussion
Gallery Lawn Stage
6:00 pm
EXCORE, Bishop Musuem’s Center for Exploration of Coral Reef Ecosystems, has led the way in deploying and inventing the world’s most advanced technologies to survey, study, and celebrate the astonishing biodiversity of coral reefs. Join co-curators and scientists Brian Greene and Richard Pyle and Exhibit Designer DeAnne Kennedy as they lead a deep dive exploration into the EXCORE universe and the art of underwater science. Hear the stories behind the making of the exhibition, learn about the cutting-edge underwater cameras that make new discoveries possible, and hear first-hand from EXCORE scientists about recent breakthroughs.

• Brian D. Greene, Ichthyology Research Specialist & Diving Safety Officer (DSO) of the Center for the Exploration of Coral Reef Ecosystems (EXCORE) at the Bishop Museum
• Richard L. Pyle, Senior Curator of Ichthyology, Director of the Center for the Exploration of Coral Reef Ecosystems (EXCORE), pioneer in deep diving technology
• DeAnne Kennedy, Bishop Museum Exhibition Designer

Live Music
Kalaʻe Camarillo
Gallery Lawn Stage
7 pm
Born and raised in Kīhei, Maui, Kalaʻe Camarillo comes from a family of music educators and entertainers. His grandfather, George Camarillo, started the first ʻukulele band in Hawaiʻi public schools at Waiākea Intermediate, and his father, Rama, followed in his footsteps by becoming an ʻukulele teacher as well. His education and passion for music led Kalaʻe to become a third-generation music educator, teaching at Kapālama Elementary, and a professional musician. In 2024, he released the “Sands of Old Lahaina,” which garnered him Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards for Music Video, Single, and Song of the Year, earning him a lifetime total of six Hōkū awards.

Meet Dr. Rich Pyle in The Twilight Zone
Science Adventure Center | Lower Level, near the coral tank
7:30 pm – 8:15 pm
Join Bishop Museum Senior Curator of Ichthyology Richard L. Pyle on a journey through the history and evolving technologies of the Museum’s marine exploration efforts.

Ichthyology Specimens and the Jack Randall Photo Collection
Gulab & Indru Watumull Atrium | Hawaiian Hall Complex
5:00 pm – 5:45 pm & 7:15 pm – 8:30 pm
Join Bishop Museum Ichthyology Collections Manager Calder Atta and Research Specialist Cassie Kaʻapu-Lyons for a special viewing of select collection specimens and images from the historic photo collection of renowned ichthyologist John E. “Jack” Randall.

Hawaiian Hall Tours
Hawaiian Hall Complex
Times 5:30 pm & 7:00 pm
Immerse yourself in the beauty and history of Hawaiian Hall on a guided tour, highlighting tradition and change in Hawaiʻi through signature gallery spaces and displays. Meet at the staircase in Hawaiian Hall’s front entry tower.

Planetarium Shows
J. Watumull Planetarium
Tickets required; reserve at Shop Pacifica upon check in. Free for members and children under 4, $3 per person general admission. Limited seating.

6:00 pm Hawaiian Sky Tonight
6:45 pm Ocean Paradise
7:30 pm Hawaiian Sky Tonight
8:15 pm Ocean Paradise

The Hawaiian Sky Tonight
6:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Join our guide to discover what stars, constellations, planets, and more can be seen in the skies above Hawaiʻi on the night of the show. Live presentation, 25 minutes.

Ocean Paradise
6:45 pm & 8:15 pm
Visit three marine national monuments through the unique atolls of Palmyra, Midway, and Rose in scientific and human stories about their beauty and the threats that these ecosystems face. Educational film, 25 minutes.

ʻOhana Offerings
Food and Beverage on the Lawn
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Lauhala Weaving w/ Keoua Nelsen (Flanders Lawn)
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Weave the dried leaves of the Pūhala (Pandanus) into a stunning bracelet (one per attendee). Courtesy of Helumoa, Royal Hawaiian Center

Lei Making w/ Maxeen Shea (Flanders Lawn)
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Use the kui (sewing) style to string an assortment of blossoms into a beautiful lei (one per attendee). Courtesy of Helumoa, Royal Hawaiian Center

ʻUkulele Lesson w/ Puʻuhonua Jumawan (Flanders Lawn)
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Learn basic chords and sing a song as you strum Hawaiʻi’s best-known string instrument, introduced to the islands in the 1870s from Portugal. ʻUkulele provided. Courtesy of Helumoa, Royal Hawaiian Center

Keiki Activities w/ Ulu Aʻe Learning Center (Flanders Lawn)
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Activities include ʻohe kāpala (create a greeting card using stamps), kōnane (outplay your opponent in a two-player strategy board game) and kiʻi pōhaku (collect the most matching petroglyphs). For ages 5-10. A parent/guardian must be present.