The Waimea Arts Council: Art at the Heart of Waimea

By Jan Wizinowich

At the intersection of Mamalahoa Highway and Kawaihae Road is a cluster of small buildings at the heart of old Waimea and the home of the Waimea Arts Council (WAC). With its double doors flung wide open, inviting passersby into a world of beauty and whimsy, the Firehouse Gallery, housed in the old Waimea firehouse, has long been a beacon of the creative spirit of our North Hawai‘i community. The oldest organization of its kind on Hawai‘i Island and second oldest statewide, WAC has endeavored to enrich the lives of North Hawai‘i residents through the arts.

Beginnings

As WAC’s mission states, it’s “a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the arts, the encouragement of artists, and providing a forum for art-related community events” that began in 1974 with a group of local residents whose awareness of the importance of art inspired them to create a venue for art and artists and a way to connect people through enrichment offerings.

For the first few years, WAC sponsored exhibits and sales in Kahilu Hall (also known as Barbara Hall and the main Parker School building), festive affairs where around 35 artists from Hāmākua to Kawaihae shared their talents. Along with visual artists, jewelers, and weavers, there was a bonsai workshop demonstration by Yutaka Kimura, hula provided by Kumu Stephanie Lindsey’s hālau, and music by guitarist David Gomes.

The 1978 art sale saw a visit from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), which purchased the creations of three artists: Pat Hall, Floria Shepard, and Margaret Waldron, for the Hawai‘i State Art Museum.

Along with the annual artists’ market in 1979, WAC also sponsored a needle arts clinic and a David Gomes concert at Thelma Parker Library. During that year it became the vision of Helen Cassidy (then-president of WAC) and Mariechan Jackson to create a center that would provide lessons, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and activities related to arts and crafts.

Serendipity came into play when the fate of the original Waimea firehouse and bunkhouse, vacated with the construction of the new Waimea Civic Center at its current location, came into question. Through much discussion and wrangling on the part of WAC members, a county lease was obtained for the Firehouse Gallery and the adjacent bunkhouse, now the WAC office.

Firehouse Gallery opened in 1980 with a six-week summer session that included artist faculty G.G. Garida, Jean Boone, Helen Cassidy, Margaret Waldron, Amanda Raleigh, and Marcia Ray. Jo Diatalevi taught theater arts and Dolly Loo provided hapa haole (part Hawaiian and Caucasian) hula classes. Winter classes included weaving, visual arts, batik, feather lei, quilting, ‘ukulele, folk and jazz dancing, and stained glass making.

While focused on the arts, WAC has endeavored to reflect and draw from the diverse community it serves. In an effort to “provide something of value for everyone,” in 1980 WAC also sponsored a historic tour by Mollie Sperry and Momi Urbic (Naughton) and a slide lecture on China by Linus Chao.

In 1983, along with a lecture and a lei demonstration by Marie McDonald and a slide presentation on Bonsai by Yutaka Kimura, there was a presentation on coins, “From Croesus to Kamuela,” by Bernard von NotHaus.

In 1984, WAC sponsored a Karin Hazelhoff presentation on her studies of the effect of color and light on the human environment, a lecture by Rene Racine, then-director of the Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope, entitled “Explorations of Inter-galactic Phenomena,” and a lecture by local architect Clem Lam. There was also a classical guitar concert by Franz Solmssen, an exhibit of basketry of the Pacific and Turkoman rugs, and a presentation by photographer Warren Noll. That year, May was declared “Art Month” by then-mayor Matayoshi and WAC responded with continuous art displays that included children’s art shows.

Fostering Art and Artists

According to current WAC Board Vice President Amaury Saint-Gilles, “We’re really an incubator for art and artists. We provide a safe place for artists to hang their work and, we hope, a start for a career in art.” To that end, young artists are showcased with the annual WAC Nā ‘Ōpio art show in March, where North Hawai‘i students, grades 6-12, get the opportunity to display their artwork and experience a juried show.

Long-time WAC member and retired Parker School art teacher Wendi Roehrig has seen many artists launched through the Nā ‘Ōpio show. “It’s a really great place to begin an art career. I have a list of kids that are practicing artists today; they got their start through this. If you want to sell your things at a gallery, you have to show that you’ve shown someplace and this is a good start.”

An all-volunteer organization, the 30-plus membership of dedicated artists create and exhibit their exceptional artwork while also acting as docents for the Firehouse Gallery, and provide other services as needed. Through this exchange, WAC provides a rich lifelong learning environment for artists. “I wanted to learn about hanging shows. I didn’t know anything about framing, mats. I wanted to learn what it takes,” shares Jay West, a longtime member and current WAC board president.

Always looking to grow their membership, the WAC year begins with a show to welcome new artists in January, which includes beginning artists or those who are returning to the arts. Membership costs just $50 annually plus four volunteer docent hours per month, and entitles artists to participate in ongoing Firehouse Gallery art shows and small solo shows in the back gallery.

The two WAC buildings are adorned with donated murals by long-time member Terry Bensch and WAC-sponsored murals created by students. The latest mural, completed in November 2017 by Scot Plunkett and his Kanu o ka ‘Āina students, is a tribute to the canoe culture of our island community, and also a venue for his students to see the broader world of art as well.

“When Amaury came to me to ask me about the mural, what was interesting to me as an artist was to have the opportunity to communicate a message of the younger generation connecting with the elders, but I also wanted students to expand their minds and to have an appreciation for the great things out there, so we included the Gauguin women,” explains Scot.

Community Connections

Recognizing the integral nature of art, over the years WAC has developed programs that have become annual traditions, and mounted shows that reflect the spirit and endeavors of the island community.

The WAC calendar provides a dizzying array of constantly rotating shows in both the front main gallery, as well as mini shows in the smaller back gallery. The first weekend in February is always Cherry Blossom Festival time and since its inception in 1994, WAC artists have been providing brochure cover art along with themed art shows in the Firehouse Gallery.

April shows in the Firehouse Gallery encompass environmental awareness in connection with Earth Day. The 2015 show, “Our ‘Āina,” featured recycled art and Hawaiian landscapes, plants and animals. The 2018 exhibit was focused on an ocean conservation theme.

Also in April are exhibits focused on Hawaiian culture, highlighting the Merrie Monarch Festival. The April 2016 show entitled “Legends of Madame Pele: Earth, Wind and Fire” was followed in 2017 with art inspired by Hawaiian royalty, hula, and significant island places.

One day in 2015, then-WAC Board President Amaury met Aunty Betty Webster at the KTA bakery counter and was intrigued by her ever-changing flamboyant sunglasses and her intention to get her 1500-plus collection entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. What followed was a WAC-sponsored week-long photo shoot where community members were invited to get their photos taken wearing some of Aunty Betty’s sunglasses that led to a Guinness record for Waimea.

Other shows inspired by the island community have included an exhibit in celebration of tea and coffee, and a 2016 Humane Society fundraiser where the owners of rescued pets were invited to have their pet’s character sketch done by WAC artist Janice Gail.

In October, artists have the opportunity to participate in the annual “Helen Cassidy Memorial Show,” now “The Founder’s Show,” which is juried and began in 1985 with the passing of Helen Cassidy, a driving force of WAC.

Keeping the Arts Alive

With the closure of many art galleries, WAC and its Firehouse Gallery provide much-needed opportunities for artists to display and sell their art. The WAC board also seeks to provide avenues of inspiration with conceptually-themed shows such as “Egg” and “Squared Away.”

Starting in March, as this issue of Ke Ola Magazine is published, will be the annual “Nā ‘Ōpio Art Show” and in April the “All Hawai‘i Art Competition” whose theme will be “Portal,” inviting artists to explore its multiple meanings through art. This is a juried show that will include a visit from representatives from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, who will be previewing the entries with an eye to select art for display in the Hawai‘i Art Museum, as well as other public buildings.

Although a tough economic climate sometimes places constraints on art purchases, WAC will continue to foster island creativity through their ongoing programs and collaborations with other programs to create a fertile nest for art and artists on Hawai‘i Island. ❖

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For more information: waimeaartscouncil.org