Immerse Yourself in Art: The Paradise Studio Tours

By Noel Morata

The concept of creating open studio tours in Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) originated between Karen Hagen and Patti Datlof, pottery and cement artists, creating unusual and very colorful cement-based sculpture and objects. “After schlepping heavy concrete crafts and household gifts to art fairs all around the island, I wanted to find an easier outlet in HPP so I wouldn’t have to keeping carrying all these heavy pieces around,” laughs Karen. Tossing around ideas with Patti and raku pottery artist Margaret Lynch, the three decided to create an open studio outlet for artists within HPP and invite the community to shop and support local artisans living in this large subdivision. Not surprisingly, each artist knew other artists in the community who were also interested in creating an open studio tour concept. It was the start of a great collaboration with artists in HPP to support each other and build a local following within their community.

Now in its sixth year, the Paradise Studio Tour starts the holiday shopping season after Thanksgiving. The artwork and crafts cover the entire gamut from ceramics to mosaics, stained and fused glasswork, jewelry and clothing, gourds and wooden paddles, quilts and beads to various mediums of painting in watercolor, oils and acrylic. It’s a diverse and extensive collaboration of amazing talent within the community.

There are 13 shared studios around Hawaiian Paradise Park to enable buyers to view multiple artists within each section. At one group show you may get a mixture of different artistic mediums being presented. “The sponsoring artist for each shared studio decides who will show along with them at that particular location,” says Michelle Deis. “We help to fit other artists into a spot so most of the exhibits complement each other.”

Michelle, also an artist, creates exciting jewelry pieces made of intricate bead work with stones and found objects. Her entire collection is very colorful and tactile, and the small to large pieces are well-priced considering they are one-of-a-kind custom jewelry.

There is quite a diverse collection of artists and interests within the group, and it also spans a large age group. The oldest artist is eighty-one-year-old Glory Kirkland, a self-taught jewelry designer who creates detailed braiding work called Kumihimo (the Japanese art of cord making via braiding and done on a marudai stand for faster and more complex cording). She finishes each piece with a jeweled centerpiece done with intricate bead work on stones attached to the beautiful braiding. Glory spends her free time showing and giving demonstrations of her craft at seniors and craft events at Sangha Hall, and local bead shops.

One of the younger Paradise Studio Tour art members, Daniel Moe, is a glass artist working in slumped and blown glass. He gets the motivation and inspiration for his works by going out into nature, taking long hikes onto the lava fields out in Kalapana. “On more than one occasion, after going out to the lava fields to bring a glass offering and to gain some clarity and inspiration,” he says, “I feel the presence of Pele and I am usually graced with some acknowledgement and guidance to my glassworks.” Many of his glass vessels reflect the hot red lava flowing onto the dried black lava. He has recently combined waterfall and lava imagery onto glass sculpture, vessels, and ornaments.

As part of their mission to help the arts community, ten percent of each artist’s total proceeds are donated every year to an arts program in schools within the Puna community. The donations are rotated annually between Pāhoa, Kea‘au High and Hawai‘i Academy of Arts and Sciences school in Pāhoa. “This year’s contributions will be donated to the Pāhoa High School art department,” says Ann Kalber, the board president. In 2010 alone, they contributed $1,800 for art materials to the high school at Kea‘au. “It’s an important goal for our organization to support local arts programs at the schools,” says Ann Kalber. “This annual event helps each school recipient to purchase necessary art supplies so it doesn’t have to come out of the individual teachers’ salary,” she states. Surprisingly, Ann explains, an art teacher told her some years ago that each art department is only allocated $1.25 per student per year for art supplies, which is barely enough to constitute an art program. Ann is also an artist at the hui. She creates brightly colored children’s clothing and beautiful lava-inspired photography.

Some artists take their own initiative to help the community with art-inspired outreach programs. Cheryl Sheldon, or Hopper as all her friends call her affectionately, goes out to the community in her brightly painted Volkswagon bus and sets up various art programs. One such activity includes children painting a Matson shipping container in Hilo. Hopper also sponsors the non-profit program “Art Uprising,” a mobile art enrichment for kids and “Art Day Saturday” at the Hilo farmers market on Saturdays, a free hands-on make and take crafts experience for kids of all ages. For the Paradise Studio Tour at her new studio on Kilia Street, she will have a make-and-take activity for children and adults, where you can create a holiday ornament using recycled materials. Come see her paintings and tie-dyed clothing, and also partake in the fun and make a Christmas ornament to take home.

The Paradise Studio Tour is a wonderful opportunity to see the diverse arts and crafts from artists residing in east Hawai‘i. It will be a fun way to see some beautiful artwork, talk story with the artists, and support locally made artwork from this community during the holiday season. ❖

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For more information: 808.895.6601, ParadiseStudioTour.com
Contact writer Noel Morata: NoelMorata.com