University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� welcomes Indigenous Performance Productions to Hawaiʻi for a special Halloween presentation of The Land Has Spoken on Saturday, October 31 at 4 p.m. at ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s Orvis Auditorium.

The Land Has Spoken provides audiences with a memorable way to spend Halloween while discovering the work of exceptional Indigenous artists.

The live radio-style production brings Indigenous dark fiction to life through stories of monsters, omens, shapeshifters, tricksters, and the supernatural. A blend of live performance, foley sound design, original music, and atmospheric sound design creates a suspenseful Halloween experience centered on contemporary Indigenous storytelling.

The production is led by writers Shane Hawk, Andrea L. Rogers, and Kyla “Tucaya” García, who also directs and performs in the production. Andre Bouchard serves as producer, director, and assistant writer.

The cast also includes Kalani Queypo, Lorna Bowen, and Andrew Roa, joining García in an all-Indigenous ensemble of experienced theater, television, and film performers. Original music is composed by Chantil Dukart, with foley and sound design by Ed Littlefield.

Families are welcome, but please note that the performance includes mature themes and some frightening content. Parental discretion is encouraged.

Tickets are available at . For more information, contact or (808) 956-8246.

Two new murals at the University of Hawaiʻi‘s invites students to see themselves as young fish in a fishpond, nurtured until they are ready for open waters.

Kiʻowai (A Space of Abundance) was painted in summer 2026 by community artist Gillian Dueñas with students and employees in Leeward CC’s Paʻapono Internship Program. Murals were created at the Puʻuloa Campus and Waiʻanae Moku Education Center.

Inspired by Leeward CC’s oli (chant), “He kiʻowai lua, he muliwai no ʻEwa” (An abundant, overflowing estuary for ʻEwa), the murals depict moʻolelo (stories) of ʻEwa and Puʻuloa, including pipi (oysters), loko iʻa (fishponds) and shark guardians ����ʻ����ܱ���󲹳� and ������ʻ�ܰ���.

The fishpond symbolizes Leeward CC as a nurturing environment where �󲹳ܳ���Բ� (students) grow before entering larger seas.

“Art is one of our most potent medicines, and storytelling together through community murals is a beautiful way to collectively practice wellness, really see each other as community members and relatives, and honor the creative legacies of our ancestors,” said Dueñas. “It has been a deep honor to build pilina (relationships) with Leeward CC students, staff and faculty by creating this story together.”

“For me, it was more than a mural. It was a collective of how we learn and grow from one another,” said Joseph Oshita, Leeward CC AS������Ƶ vice president and Paʻapono intern. “It was a fulfilling cultural moment and an overall fun experience.”

“Stories, advice and laughter were all shared as we painted together,” said Erin Kanoelani Thompson, coordinator for Leeward CC’s Innovation Center for Teaching and Learning. “It marks a special time in our college’s history, when faculty, staff and students came together to create something that reminds us of who we are and where we come from.”

Kiʻowai is the third artwork developed through He Loa Ke Aho, a Native Hawaiian Student Support Program funded by a U.S. Department of Education Title III grant.

Previous artworks, Nā Uapo O Ka Haliʻa and ���ʻ�DZ�ū�Բ��Բ�, were created for sensory spaces at Puʻuloa and Waiʻanae Moku.

The projects, developed with Leeward CC’s S3 (Sensory Spaces and Supports) Committee, bring Hawaiian culture into calming campus environments, including the Hoʻomalu Sensory Space at Waiʻanae Moku and ��ū�Բ��Բ� Sensory Space at the Puʻuloa campus.

Learn more about at Leeward CC.

Three Windward Community College photography students are taking their work beyond the classroom and into a public exhibition alongside their professor and mentor, Native Hawaiian artist and photographer Kapulani Landgraf.

Richard Heirakuji, Lily Kamālamalama Kelly-Jervis and Shiloh Perkins are featured with Landgraf in PUKA, a photography exhibition at the First Hawaiian Center in downtown Honolulu.

The opportunity grew out of the students’ work with Landgraf. After teaching the three in ART 207, she invited them to continue their development through ART 299, an independent study course.

While the possibility of exhibiting at the First Hawaiian Center was an incentive, Landgraf said it was never guaranteed. The students had to develop cohesive bodies of work that met the standard for public exhibition.

Beyond taking photographs

Heirakuji’s work explores his relationship with Kohala, the birthplace of his ancestors. He said Landgraf challenged the students to think beyond individual photographs through research, community connections and storytelling.

Kelly-Jervis developed her technical skills in black-and-white film photography and darkroom printing while exploring her relationship to hala through her ����ʻ�ǰ�ūʻ���� and Keanahala, a community weaving program under Puʻuhonua Society.

�ʱ���쾱�Բ�’ Paʻa is a portrait series rooted in her family’s ties to Waiʻanae Moku and offers a perspective of a place she says is too often defined externally by what it lacks.

“PUKA marks a moment of opening,” Landgraf said. “It is an opportunity to share work publicly, to step into visibility, and to begin the lifelong journey of developing a visual voice.”

PUKA is on view through March 25, 2027, at the First Hawaiian Center, in Honolulu. The exhibition is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

A vibrant new mural inside the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� Bookstore is welcoming students with a colorful tribute to the campus community and its rich botanical landscape.

Created by ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� alumna and local artist Rachel Radona, the mural draws inspiration from the hundreds of plant species found across campus. More than a collection of flowers and trees, the artwork reflects the stories, cultures and experiences that make up the ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� community.

“Art is about stories and moʻolelo,” Radona said. “Every student is different, comes from different backgrounds and comes from different cultures. Every plant and student has a different story to share.”

Inspired by campus

Before putting paint on the wall, Radona spent time exploring the university’s plant map and learning about the species that grow throughout campus. The mural features plants including the silk floss flower, kōū and ʻulu trees,
each chosen for its connection to ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� and the stories they represent.

One of Radona’s favorite elements is the ʻulu, which she said symbolizes community resilience through its place in Hawaiian moʻolelo. She also incorporated the kōū flower, a plant traditionally associated with welcoming guests, to help create an inviting atmosphere for everyone who enters the bookstore.

Throughout the mural, bold colors and flowing shapes reflect Radona’s artistic style. She hopes the finished piece encourages students to pause, notice the plants around them and discover something new about the campus.

Art that brings people together

Although painting the mural was rewarding, Radona said the interactions with students, faculty, staff and families became the most memorable part of the project.

“That’s what art is all about,” Radona said. “Whether it’s music, whether dancing or it’s painting, you’re supposed to share with one another.”

A recent ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� graduate, Radona said returning to campus to create the mural felt especially meaningful. She hopes the artwork reflects the welcoming spirit of the university while giving students another place where they can see themselves represented.

She also believes public art plays an important role on a college campus by giving people another way to express themselves and connect with others.

“It’s so important,” Radona said. “We are all trying to make our way, find our way in college. Art is mine. But I know so many wonderful people here who found their voice in so many other things.”

As students return for the fall semester, the mural will serve as a lasting reminder that every member of the ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� community has a story to tell and that those stories help shape the campus experience.

— Emili Phomsouvanh

“ʻAʻohe puʻu kiʻekiʻe ke hoʻāʻo ʻia e piʻi”—“No cliff is so tall that it cannot be scaled.”

That message of perseverance now greets students inside the student lounge, where third-year student Tatiyana “Tati” Nero transformed a blank wall into a colorful celebration of Native Hawaiian culture, campus pride and determination.

Symbol of resilience

The ʻōlelo noʻeau, or Hawaiian saying/proverb, is at the heart of Nero’s mural in the section of the Campus Center student lounge known as the Box Office. The design features the koaʻe kea, Kauaʻi‘s CC’s mascot, along with tribal-inspired designs and naupaka kahakai, a native coastal plant.

Nero chose the ʻōlelo noʻeau specifically with the koaʻe kea in mind. The native seabird is known for soaring and nesting along steep sea cliffs, making it a fitting symbol for overcoming challenges.

“I wanted this to be a reminder of perseverance to students at Kauaʻi CC,” Nero said.

Stepping beyond comfort

The mural represents a major artistic leap for Nero. Although she has long been known as an artist, her previous work focused almost exclusively on black-and-white hyper-realism.

“At first I was hesitant because I don’t paint or work with color,” Nero said. “This was definitely a learning experience for me.”

Nero was first approached about creating the mural in summer 2025 as part of an effort to make the student lounge a more lively and welcoming space. She spent nearly a month developing the final design, and the project took about seven months to complete. With help from her art instructor, siblings and student government colleagues, the mural was unveiled February 4, 2026.

“I was given the space, and I kind of just wanted to bring life to the campus,” Nero said.

Born and raised in Anahola, Nero is pursuing a degree in Hawaiian Studies and plans to enter the nursing program. She also serves as an at-large senator in student government, where she works to empower Native Hawaiian students, veterans, students with disabilities and international students.

She said, “I’m committed to voicing the concerns of our students and ensuring that their college experience at Kauaʻi CC is gratifying.”

University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� faculty and staff worked with students at Enchanted Lake Elementary School to turn a blank wall into a colorful mural that celebrates the natural beauty, history and sense of place of Kailua.

The project was a collaboration among ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� team members: Sheanae Tam and Niki Fisiiahi-Thomayer, students participating in the elementary school’s 2026 Summer Enrichment Program, and Beau Uehara from ALU LIKE

“This was such an awesome experience,” said Enchanted Lake Elementary Principal Noel Richardson. “For a while, it appeared that we would not be able to get the mural started, but the right people have a way of making things happen. We shifted the plan over to our summer enrichment program and it all came together! I truly appreciate the support provided to see this through.”

‘What do you envision?’

The process began with a classroom visit to incoming fifth- and sixth-grade students. Through icebreakers, a guided meditation and ����ʻō������� (stories) of Kailua, students reflected on the places and elements that make their community special. They were then asked to sketch their ideas in response to the question: “When you think of Kailua or Enchanted Lake Elementary, what do you envision?”

Students’ drawings featured rainbows, native plants, birds, beaches and ocean life. Using these ideas as inspiration, Tam, the lead artist, created a mural design rooted in the natural and cultural features of Kailua.

Over several weeks, students in grades one through six painted the mural in small groups, ensuring every child had the opportunity to contribute.

During ��ōʻ�����, or celebration of the completed artwork, students shared that participating in the project made them feel proud, happy and connected to their school community.

The ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� Ulu Aʻe Transitions team and school opened the final day with a pilina circle, creating a space for connection and reflection before the ��ōʻ����� celebration.

While completed over a short summer session, the mural leaves a lasting impact—reflecting the creativity of Enchanted Lake students and their deep connection to the place they call home.

University of Hawaiʻi librarian Bronwen “Bron” Solyom spent more than 37 years preserving Hawaiʻi’s cultural heritage, strengthening internationally recognized collections, and mentoring generations of librarians, students and scholars. She died in Honolulu on May 23, 2026, at the age of 81.

Related: Bronwen Solyom: Passionate curator of Jean Charlot collection

Solyom’s colleagues, friends, family and researchers gathered in Hamilton Library’s Hawaiian & Pacific Collection Reading Room on July 17 to celebrate a life defined by curiosity, generosity and scholarship. Guests included Solyom’s husband, Garrett Solyom, friend Maya Soetoro-Ng, and Jean Charlot Foundation President Allison Wong.

Many colleagues and friends also shared memories of Solyom’s impact at ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�.

A lasting legacy at Hamilton Library

Solyom was best known for her work as curator of the , an internationally recognized archive documenting religious art, Mexican art, Hawaiʻi artists and other unique cultural materials. From 2003 to 2016, she organized and preserved the collection, created finding aids, mentored interns and assisted researchers from around the world.

“Bron’s lasting and most excellent contribution not only to the university, but to the scholarly world, will be what she did as curator of the Charlot Collection,” said Russian Collection Librarian Patricia Polansky. “Scholars from around the world visit to use these materials. Bron has mentored countless numbers of interns from the library school and the museum studies program.”

Solyom also helped establish Hamilton Library’s , writing a white paper that encouraged former members of Congress to donate their papers and helped build a resource that now includes the papers of most of Hawaiʻi’s former members of Congress since statehood.

Solyom’s Hamilton Library colleagues recognized her contributions with the Nina D.P. Horio Award for Excellence in Librarianship upon her retirement in 2016. Through the collections she preserved, the librarians she mentored and the scholars she inspired, her legacy will continue to shape Hamilton Library and ������Ƶ for generations.

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In celebration of World Oceans Day, the Alaska SeaLife Center featured a captivating exhibit that bridges the worlds of microscopic marine science and fine art. The “Plankton Mandala Art Exhibit” is the culmination of a multi-year collaboration between a team of ocean ecologists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and an Alaska-based artist and educator. The intricate artwork captures the beauty of the smallest ocean animals, all created during an artist-in-residence program at Seward Middle School and community workshops at Alaska SeaLife Center. The exhibit opened in April and is still available to the public.

“It is easy to overlook the details of an organism—until you try to draw it,” said Petra Lenz, project lead and research professor at the (PBRC) in the ������Ƶ Mānoa (SOEST). “Combining art and science allows us to introduce concepts and characteristics that are easily missed. Sensory hairs, eyes, and symmetry take on a new meaning when they become part of a drawing.”

Sharing discoveries with communities

The National Science Foundation-funded science driving this initiative focuses on the annual “spring restart” of the zooplankton community in the Gulf of Alaska, a time when tiny crustaceans awake from a wintertime lull and flourish as days become longer. The PBRC research team is assessing the understudied winter and early spring cycles to determine how species of zooplankton grow, stay healthy and are distributed throughout the water depths. Zooplankton, particularly tiny crustaceans known as copepods, serve as the crucial link connecting microscopic algae to economically vital fisheries, seabirds and marine mammals.

Lenz worked with Alaska artist Kim McNett to develop an innovative educational experience that translates complex biological concepts into hands-on art. While McNett developed the art component, how to engage students and adults in plankton theme artwork, select art materials, sample drawings and reference materials; Lenz and her graduate student Lauren Block worked on the scientific concepts and hands-on science activities.

Latest research

Block also spearheaded much of the fieldwork and foundational research for the project. Highlighting the scientific success of the project, her findings were published in . Block’s research integrated traditional sampling methods with modern molecular approaches to characterize the diversity, development, feeding and physiology of zooplankton in a deep Alaskan Fjord, Resurrection Bay.

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An ancient glass shard. A mural painted thousands of miles from home. A ceremonial headband passed through generations.

These objects tell stories that stretch across generations and oceans in , a new digital exhibition created through the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s (CSEAS) and its (APME) program.

“The APME program was designed to introduce the cohort to museum experts based at cultural institutions in Hawaiʻi as well as museum educators affiliated with the National Park Service,” said APME program director Teri Skillman. “A regional need exists both to upgrade the Asia-Pacific region’s national and provincial museums and to build a network across the Pacific.”

Stories that span oceans

Among the featured stories is a fragment of Egyptian Roman glass discovered in a burial site in Palau. Researchers traced it to an Egyptian workshop, revealing trade connections that linked distant cultures centuries before modern navigation.

Other stories focus on living traditions. Dissa Aruna Makalingga, collections manager at Museum Affandi in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, tells the story behind The Wisdom of the East, the only mural completed during the lifetime of celebrated Indonesian artist Affandi. As Affandi’s great-grandson, Makalingga traveled to Hawaiʻi to see the mural for the first time at the ‘s Imin Center, joining only two other family members who have ever viewed it in person.

Building museum connections

Beyond creating the exhibition, participants exchanged ideas with museum experts in Hawaiʻi, shared preservation strategies and built a network that continues long after the program ends. The Asia-Pacific is home to about 1,800 cultures that often face similar challenges preserving their heritage, including limited resources and climate impacts. By sharing knowledge and best practices, APME helps museum professionals protect and tell the stories of their communities.

������Ƶors can explore the exhibition through APME‘s new website, where each story reveals how history lives not only in museum collections, but also in the people and communities who continue to care for them.

APME provides professional development for early- and mid-career museum professionals from small and medium-sized museums and cultural centers across Island Southeast Asia and the western Pacific, helping them strengthen museum practices while building lasting partnerships across the region.

The APME Program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and conducted through the Hawaiʻi-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit CESU; TA# P24AC000688.

—by Julia Liu

Nearly 200 cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, family members and supporters gathered at the on July 18 to explore how creative expression can support healing and well-being during the cancer journey.

The free “Healing Through Art” workshop, presented by the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community, featured presentations on the research behind art therapy followed by hands-on sessions in drawing, poetry, meditation with shakuhachi (Japanese flute) music, collage art and ti-leaf lei making.

The power of creative expression

Research has shown that art therapy and other creative approaches can help reduce anxiety, depression and emotional distress among people affected by cancer.

“The friendships and connections that blossomed among the people who attended, along with the skilled and caring artists sharing their gifts as tools for the cancer journey, were truly inspiring,” said Jami Fukui, faculty lead for the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community. “We want the ������Ƶ Cancer Center to be a place of community, and I think healing was accomplished today.”

Among the presenters was artist and breast cancer survivor Leni Acosta Knight, who encouraged participants to express themselves freely through drawing. “To be able to have your mind be free of any stress or pain—just a reprieve from the chaos and overthinking things—I think is very helpful,” Knight said.

Participant Ann Sueno said trying collage art reminded her that creativity can be a powerful outlet. “This lets you just be yourself and lets you just be creative,” Sueno said. “Just being creative, I think that’s really rewarding.”

“Cancer care extends far beyond the clinic,” said Naoto T. Ueno, director of the ������Ƶ Cancer Center. “Programs like ‘Healing Through Art’ create spaces where people can find comfort, express themselves and build resilience alongside others who understand their experiences.”

The event is part of the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community, a free quarterly program that empowers and supports people affected by cancer. The next workshop, “Let’s Move! The Importance of Physical Activity in the Cancer Journey,” is scheduled for October 17 at the ������Ƶ Cancer Center. Registration details will be available soon.

Windward Community College gave artist Shar Tuiʻasoa a foundation, offering the accessibility and community support, which helped her define her path as a world-class illustrator. For Tuiʻasoa, of Punky Aloha Studio, Windward CC was more than just a school—it felt like a second home or “warm blanket.”

The college was also a hub of creativity that proved pivotal in her artistic journey. Since earning her art certificate in 2024, she has created vibrant work for global giants including Apple, Disney, Pixar and more.

“Community college gave me a place to land. It was a chance for me to try a few different things without having to fully commit, and really learning to enjoy that part of academia,” Tuiʻasoa said. “Having college outreach and the professors on campus really being involved and encouraging us, that was something I just wasn’t used to.”

The foundation formed at Windward CC continues to fuel her professional work, as she practices with her paints, exploring color theory.

“All of that really stems from that deeper understanding that Professor Snowden Hodges gave to us that he really instilled in us,” she said. “You’re surrounded by other people who are creative, like-minded people, and we kind of just gathered together and made a family.”

5th annual ������Ƶ Alumni Makers’ Market

In 2026 Tuiʻasoa is bringing that connection to the 5th Annual ������Ƶ Alumni Makers’ Market—an event dedicated to showcasing food, drinks and products from alumni-owned and -led businesses. Her design features the official colors of all 10 campuses and aims to capture a sense of place and of home.

“I’m so proud to have gone to Windward CC to be a part of the ������Ƶ system. Just being able to continue being a part of that family, being in community with fellow alum, it just feels like a very full circle moment,” Tuiʻasoa said.

The 5th Annual ������Ƶ Alumni Makers’ Market is set for Wednesday, July 29 at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikīkī. , and include unlimited access to food and drink stations, and the opportunity to purchase merchandise.

Presented by the ������Ƶ Office of Alumni Relations in partnership with the ������Ƶ Alumni Association, a portion of the proceeds will go toward addressing current ������Ƶ student needs statewide. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, email contact@uhalumni.org.

Thousands of travelers pass through Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport every day, but few may realize the vibrant mural in Lobby Four welcoming them was created by a recent University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� graduate balancing double majors, cheerleading and a dream project years in the making.

Just weeks after graduating with degrees in and , (CALL) graduate Rachel Radona is already leaving her mark on Hawaiʻi through a large-scale mural installation celebrating aloha, community and island life.

“It was definitely an ‘oh my gosh’ moment,” Radona said. “This is crazy.”

The opportunity came after Radona completed one of her early mural projects at the ������Ƶ Federal Credit Union branch in Kapolei. Soon after, she received a call about a possible airport mural project from people who had been following her work.

Although several artists were considered through a selective process, Radona’s vision stood out. Her mural centers around plumeria flowers, symbolizing Hawaiʻi’s welcoming spirit and lei-giving tradition.

“The whole lobby theme was about flowers and aloha,” she said. “People associate plumeria with giving and receiving lei, and that’s what the airport is all about.”

Aloha through art

Known for her graffiti-style art, Radona adapted her style to fit the project’s vibrant Hawaiian aesthetic while still bringing her own creative vision to life.

“I really wanted to embrace the feeling of getting a fresh lei,” she said. “The flowers are just so bright, and you can vividly smell everything and feel all of the aloha and mālama (care) that was put into making it.”

While completing the mural, Radona balanced the project alongside two majors and ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� cheerleading. Still, she said the experience never felt like work.

“It honestly wasn’t that challenging when you love what you’re doing,” she said.

Now, as thousands of travelers pass through the airport, Radona hopes the mural reminds people that Hawaiʻi’s true beauty comes from its people.

— by Willow Hutchison

Windward Community College Professor of Art and Gallery ʻIolani Director Kapulani Landgraf has been named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow. Landgraf is one of just 223 distinguished individuals selected from a highly competitive pool of nearly 5,000 applicants for this honor.

The fellowship will support Landgraf’s project, What Was Taken, What Remains, a body of work confronting colonial histories and reasserting Hawaiian visual sovereignty. Through archival research, photographic interventions, collage and the integration of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) and moʻolelo (stories), the project reframes dominant narratives to restore voices to histories long obscured.

‘On our own terms’

“My work has always been about accountability—of images, of histories, and of the ways they are constructed and carried forward,” Landgraf said. “This fellowship supports the continuation of that work, but it also underscores its urgency. What has been taken cannot remain unexamined, and what remains must be made visible on our own terms.”

Widely recognized for her multimedia installations and photography exploring ʻāina (land) and the impacts of colonialism, Landgraf positions the camera as both a witness and an intervention. At Windward CC, she has transformed Gallery ʻIolani into a space centered on Hawaiʻi-based artists and cultural continuity. She is also the author of multiple monographs, including Nā Wahi Pana O Koʻolau Poko and Nā Wahi Kapu O Maui, which extend her explorations of ʻāina, moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy), and resistance.

Established in 1925, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation provides monetary stipends allowing scholars and artists to pursue independent work under “the freest possible conditions.” The Foundation has granted nearly $450 million to more than 19,000 Fellows, an elite group that includes Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and cultural icons.

Students from Leeward Community College are showcasing their work in the Honolulu Printmakers’ 98th Annual Exhibition at the (DAC) in Honolulu.

A highlight of the exhibition is “Approximation”—a large-scale collaborative installation created by students in Assistant Professor Erika Molyneux’s digital printmaking class.

The piece draws visitors into the gallery with its dynamic arrangement of 60 individual prints and recently earned a $300 award sponsored by Hawaiian Graphics and Art Source & Designs Custom Framing and Gallery.

In the course, students design imagery digitally before translating their work into physical matrices for hand printing.

For this project, students explored letterforms as visual art, inspired by movements such as Futurism and Dada. They then assembled the individual works into a unified composition resembling a tilde (~), a symbol often used to indicate approximation and the inspiration behind the project’s title.

“I wanted students to think about typography in a more experimental way—how letterforms can move, interact and create meaning beyond language,” Molyneux said. “The final installation reflects their creativity and willingness to take risks.”

Student artists included Eric Blazek, Julian Calzo, Ronald Carnate, Meagan Dean, Karlie Godfrey, Rashad Maynard, Mia Park, Dominika Pope, Hayley Teehera and Mia Yonashiro.

Printmaking on campus

Leeward CC’s presence in the exhibition also highlights growing opportunities in printmaking on campus.

In addition to the installation, students Spencer Miller and Lis Perola Pivotto contributed collagraph prints that demonstrate experimentation with materials and process.

A newly renovated printmaking studio—made possible through the efforts of multiple faculty and staff—supports this work. Helena Noordhoff, who is a printmaking instructor, manages the studio and helps expand hands-on learning opportunities for students.

“The studio is really about giving students space to explore, experiment and learn through making,” Noordhoff said. “It’s exciting to see that energy reflected in the work being shown here.”

The exhibition is on view at the DAC on Nuuanu Avenue through April 25. Additional details and gallery hours are available on the .

A Leeward Community College alumna who goes by Sasha is reconnecting with her roots through art, and shared a personal body of work at Cafe in April.

Sasha, who earned an associate in arts in liberal arts with a focus on art and art history in 2017, said her time at Leeward CC helped shape both her creative direction and career. From hands-on class projects to a study abroad trip in France, she was exposed to different perspectives that continue to influence her work today.

“Through attending Leeward, doing many different projects in art classes, going on a study abroad trip to France with my classmates, I had so many opportunities to see and feel culture and art,” Sasha said. “Everything I learned has turned into my skill and profession.”

After graduating, Sasha went straight into the workforce and now balances several roles, including work as a TV personality and collaborations with travel media focused on Japan. She also promotes Hawaiʻi-based small businesses and continues to build her presence as an artist. Her Instagram account , which has nearly 38,000 followers, shares a mix of her artwork, travel experiences and everyday life in Hawaiʻi, connecting with a local audience as well as those interested in island culture.

����������� ʻ�徱�Բ�

Her art exhibit, centered on the theme mālama ʻ�徱�Բ� (caring for the land), drew from her upbringing and her growing understanding of Hawaiʻi’s history and values.

“This really reflects the perspective and environment I grew up in,” she said. “The process of myself growing up and learning the history of Hawaiʻi… came from my childhood and attending Leeward.”

Sasha also credited her professors and early opportunities at Leeward CC—such as painting murals in the campus theater—with giving her the foundation to take on larger creative projects.

“I hope my art can inspire people in many different ways of thinking about how important mālama ʻ�徱�Բ� is,” she said, “and your education can definitely benefit you in the future.”

Several works by University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� students and alumni are now on view at Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum in downtown Honolulu. Two portrait exhibits, Contemporary Portraiture: Art in Public Places and Schaefer Portrait Challenge, are open through July 4. Admission is free.

Contemporary Portraiture: Art in Public Places

Two pieces in Contemporary Portraiture were purchased from ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s 2024 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) thesis show, Still Standing.

• Erik Sullivan, MFA, 2024—Can’t See the Forest through the Trees (oil on panel)
• Mari Matsuda, juris doctor and MFA, 2024—E Aloha E (woodcut print)

More ������Ƶ alumni in Contemporary Portraiture:

• Kelly Ciurej, MFA, 2017
• Carol Yotsuda
• PF Bentley, bachelor of education, 1975
• ��ōʻ��� Mana (collective practitioners)
• Anne Au, master of arts Hawaiian studies, bachelor of science fashion design and merchandising, 2023/2018

The works in Contemporary Portraiture are part of the Art in Public Places Collection of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, a long-standing program that places art in public buildings to broaden access for everyone.

Schaefer Portrait Challenge

The Schaefer Portrait Challenge, a traveling exhibition organized by the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, also features ������Ƶ alumni:

• Arnold Bornios, BFA painting, 1998
• Jodie Chock, BFA painting, 2013
• Eduardo Joaquin, BFA painting, 2023
• Lynn Weiler Liverton, MFA sculpture
• Challys Pascual, BA studio art, 2024
• Joyce Schaunaman, master’s in interdisciplinary education

Capitol Modern is at 250 South Hotel Street and is open Wednesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with extended evening hours during select first and third Friday events.

Leeward Community College’s is currently hosting a monumental and deeply resonant piece of artwork: ʻUmeke ����ʻ����: Culture Medicine. The installation, which had been on display earlier this year at Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale, was unveiled at Waiʻanae Moku in November at a community welcome event.

Part of the Hawaiʻi Triennial 2025: Aloha Nō, ʻUmeke ����ʻ���� is a massive 22-foot-wide, eight-foot-tall installation created by artist Meleanna Aluli Meyer, in collaboration with ‘Team ʻUmeke’: Honolulu Community College carpentry students, ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� art faculty and students, and community kokua (help). The work reimagines the traditional ʻumeke—a wooden calabash bowl used for nourishment, water and sacred offerings—as a space for reflection, healing, repair and connection.

ʻUmeke ����ʻ���� will be on display at Waiʻanae Moku before moving on to Maui in January 2026. Hours are Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. . Meleanna invites guests to “Come home to Hawaiian culture through the arts.”

Shared mission

“Hosting the ʻUmeke in Waiʻanae Moku is an honor,” said Danny Wyatt, Waiʻanae Moku coordinator. “It reflects our shared mission to perpetuate Hawaiian culture and to make art meaningful and accessible to our ʻohana (family) across the islands.”

The installation embodies the values of ����ʻ����, or plant medicine, and features the voices of more than 38,000 signers of the 1897 ��ūʻŧ Petitions, opposing Hawaiʻi‘s annexation by the U.S.

The Waiʻanae Kupuna Council, an influential community group, and Waiʻanae Moku invited the installation because of its deep ties to Native Hawaiian communities and its alignment with the campus’s commitment to expanding access to higher education and serving as a vital hub for cultural learning.

The ’s first-ever Insect Art Show, presented with Honolulu Printmakers, celebrated the insect world’s powerful role in art. More than 50 pieces from local artists are being shown in downtown Honolulu, drawing a packed crowd from the arts, science and community members curious about insects.

“We were all stunned, in a good way, by the number of people who came out for the first day,” said event organizer Sandra Schachat from the insect museum, which is part of the (CTAHR). “Our goal is to create opportunities for the general public to connect on a more emotional level with insect biodiversity. They can feel hopeful about conserving insects across the planet, and especially here in Hawaiʻi.”

A rich mix of art mediums is on display, including oil paintings, watercolors, mezzotint (monochrome printmaking process) etchings and intaglio linework on metal plates, and risography (digital screen printing). Public response to the art has been strong, with risography, an eco-friendly fine art printmaking technique with vegetable dyes, attracting many admirers. The first piece sold at the show was a risograph Koa Bug by Hawaiʻi Island artist Devyn Park from Pencil Urchin Press.

This art show is open to the public at Honolulu Printmakers through December 5. It’s the latest in a series of the Insect Museum’s community events, following the successful family event held over the summer.

The museum will continue its outreach with an open house in December during the Pacific Entomology and Botany Meeting, to welcome scientists from all over the Pacific into the ������Ƶ Insect Museum.

The ancestor spirit represents my deep appreciation to my ancestors, who I feel are always guiding me in life.
—King James Mangoba ()

As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Hamilton Library’s and the Center for Philippine Studies at the ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� opened , an exhibition linking 1500s colonial maps with tattoos as living archives of Filipino cultural memory, on view through February 2026.

Opening events, held October 15–17, drew more than 100 participants for workshops, talks and live tattoo demonstrations. Attendees explored how Filipinos have used body art and the written word to resist erasure—from rare 16th-century maps and letters from the Philippine Revolution to underground newspapers from the Marcos era, all part of Hamilton’s Philippine Collection.

Mapping identity through body and archive

Philippine Studies Librarian Elena Clariza opened the program with a presentation on early colonial maps, connecting “fragile maps on paper with living maps of the body—tattoos as archives of ancestral knowledge and cultural memory.”

Guest artists from California’s Spiritual Journey Tattoo Shop and members of Tatak ng Apat na Alon (Mark of the Four Waves) demonstrated traditional hand poke and tapping tattoo techniques, sharing their nearly 30-year effort to revive Indigenous Filipino tattoo practices.

“In the beginning it was just for us to find our identity, to represent the culture in some way,” said Elle Festin, tattoo artist at Spiritual Journey and a Datu (chief) of the Mark of the Four Waves tribe. “It’s important to get the tattoos to show the resistance and to revolt against the systematic colonial mentality.”

������Ƶ community connects to heritage

For King James Mangoba, a ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� double major in communication & marketing and Hamilton Library social media content creator, the event was a personal and cultural milestone.

“The rice symbolizes my family’s livelihood of rice farming back in the Philippines. The ancestor spirit represents my deep appreciation to my ancestors, who I feel are always guiding me in life,” he said. “This tattoo is a permanent reminder of where I came from and my appreciation to my ancestors who came before me.”

Doctoral candidate Matthew Melendez, from the , participated in the tattoo sessions. “Receiving knowledge from the Tatak ng Apat na Alon tribe through our cultural portal of batok (tattooing) has profoundly transformed me from within,” he said.

The event was co-sponsored by ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Center for Philippine Studies, and Spiritual Journey Tattoo Shop. To support programs like this at Hamilton Library, visit the .

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Mark of the Four Waves members visit the Philippine Studies section at Hamilton Library.The post Exhibit links Filipino tattoos, maps across centuries first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News.]]> 225411