The Hawaii State Art Museum in Honolulu, HI

Hawaii State Art Museum in Honolulu
photo by aloha-hawaii.com

Oahu travel doesn't usually include sightseeing the Capitol District in Honolulu, but The Hawaii State Art Museum is worth the trip.

Things To Do in Honolulu

Best of all, it is free. The Museum is about fifteen minutes from Waikiki, located near the Iolani Palace and on the site of what once was a hotel for royal guests. The YMCA later owned the property and in 1928, demolished the hotel to build the current building. Interesting architectural details include tile floors, iron grill work, cast stone, and ornate light fixtures. When The State of Hawaii obtained the historic YMCA edifice in 2000, they decided to renovate and dedicate part of it to The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (HSFCA). The HSFCA has been collecting Hawaiian art and artifacts since 1967, and has an extensive collection.

Hawaiians are proud of their rich heritage and desired a State museum to house their artwork. The first floor is mainly dedicated to modern art. Much is for sale and there is also an enclosed gift shop in the center. Next to the gift shop is an artistic wooden rack holding a row of pots, which leak water into a row of pots below them, and those pots leak into another row of pots underneath them. The structure acts as a very striking room divider between the gift shop and a deli restaurant.

Fine art and functional art are offered at reasonable prices. Unusual jewelry made from sand is displayed along with porcelain jewelry, glass bead necklaces for only $16, chiffon dresses with Hawaiian prints, Hawaiian quilts, paintings and prints.

Hawaii State Art Museum in Honolulu

The second floor has a lobby and two walk-through galleries called Ewa and Diamond Head, all totaling 12,000 feet. The first art piece a visitor will notice is a large clay figurine by Vicky Chock entitled "Haniwa Samurai." Another piece of interest is "East and West" by Satoru Abe, a sculpture of a tree made from copper. A large section is dedicated to well known hula dancers, and their photographs grace the walls. There is also a space called the "I Love Art Gallery" for artist wannabes to experiment.

The Museum is is located located near the Iolani Palace at 250 South Hotel Street in Honolulu, and is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except for State holidays. People can conveniently take The Bus or The Waikiki Trolley to get there if they don't have a car, which is best since parking is limited.

Often tourists to Oahu will purchase a piece of art to remind them of their trip to paradise, but Waikiki and Haleiwa are not the only places with galleries. Downtown Honolulu also provides a wonderful art destination.