New Pareos for the gallery

How I spent my Tuesday afternoon with Arthur, the silk screen king...

Kalani Part 3, Performance Art

The performance portion of the program was short, only two dances, one with hula dancers doing O Pele with a silk dancer and then Kimo doing a solo.

Kalani Art Show

Right after the opening ceremony Kalani hosted an art and performance show. It's a local style show, people from the neighborhood but mostly Kalani volunteers show their craft. There's always a lot of creativity that comes through Kalani. I participated with 3 new pieces, including a portrait of a hula dancer (because I was told that was the theme, notice how everyone complied...)

Kalani opens their Aloha Center

Kalani honua has a new office and cafe at the entrance of the eco resort. Sunday Kimo, beloved hula instructor at Kalani, headed a ceremononial chant to bless the new space with the help of Dottie.

Merrie Monarch Parade

It's already come and gone. We opened the gallery on Saturday so we could watch the parade. Here are some photos though half way through my camera ran out of juice.















I know it looks like mostly Pau riders but really we had some nice floats with hula dancers and music. I'll have to upload the videos later.

Welcome in Japanese

How about this. Our fourth year with the gallery and someone had the brilliant idea to capitalize on my knowledge of Japanese (with all the Japanese people that come to Merrie Monarch--usually half the audience is from Japan!! The biggest halaus-hula groups- are Japanese, not Hawaiian). Of course I don't think I want to work a whole week at the gallery, as good an idea as that one is, but I did the next best thing and made this sign...

Merrie Monarch Painting

Merrie Monarch is happening again in less than a couple of weeks. Hilo's biggest event. It's also the world's premiere hula competition and it happens right here. So finally the gallery got it and decided to hold a hula art show and opening. Duh, we're so brilliant sometimes... The opening was well attended because we also got it together to send out emails to let people know (finally all those years of filling out our guest book paying off for the guests--they heard from us). Here is my painting for the show. We also had actual hula dancers perform. Ehulani Stefany's dancers and even Ehulani herself doing the some modern hula (called ‘auana). A fun-filled evening at the Arthur Johnsen gallery. Go to the gallery blog to see photos from the opening (and Arthur's paintings).