Blog

Billie Napoleon teaches an Historian Preservation & 3-D class at Mid-Pacific Institute. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is pleased to share an interview with Educator Billie Napoleon who taught a course on Historic Preservation and 3-D scanning at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu from 2018 through the spring of 2021. Starting this fall, Napoleon began a new teaching position at Mālama Honua Charter School in Waimānalo. This article was written prior to her job change and was first published in the March 2021 issue of Historic Hawai‘i News, HHF's printed newsletter. In 2018, Napoleon and her Historic Preservation students collaborated with HHF and archaeology firm Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i in the development of the Capital Historic District Story Map.  The students completed 3-D scans of public art in the District, helping to enhance the visual impact of the digital map. HISTORIC HAWAI‘I FOUNDATION: Tell us a little about yourself--where are you from, what is your current profession, what are your interests and hobbies? BILLIE NAPOLEON: I’m from Waimanalo and have been teaching for 25 years; first five at King Intermediate, and the last 20 at Mid Pacific Institute.  My husband and I have three children ages 18, 22, and 24.  I enjoy taking care of my vegetable garden, which began as my quarantine hobby, knitting, and cooking. HHF: What led to your involvement with Historic Hawai‘i Foundation? BN: When I was first given the Historic Preservation course, I had little knowledge of preservation in Hawai‘i. I knew that it would benefit my students if I partnered with experts in the field, which led me to seek out and build a relationship with Historic Hawai‘i  Foundation. From the very beginning, Kiersten and Andrea have been so supportive of [...]

On July 16, 2021, HHF released an advocacy update on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Ala Pono Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge over the Ala Wai Canal proposed by the The City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (DTS), in partnership with Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In response, a number of readers sent us their own thoughts about the project, including comments and resolutions they have submitted. While most do not object to the potential benefits of a pedestrian bridge, a number of readers voiced objections to the project's design, specifically the massive  scale of the 180-foot tower. Mahalo to all who shared their comments with us. A final Environment Assessment is expected by Spring 2022, according to the project timeline. To send comments or questions, please refer to the contact information on the project website: http://www.honolulu.gov/completestreets/alapono. From Michael Weidenbach, July 16, 2021 I am so appreciative of HHF’s strong advocacy and involvement with this particular development initiative, and hopeful that your involvement will inspire others with some weight in the community to voice their well-considered perspectives about this initiative. For myself, having spent decades either walking or riding my bike, or driving along it, or paddling my kayak leisurely down the middle of it, or learning to paddle as a member of an outrigger canoe team, I’ve learned to love this murky waterway like a member of the family. For many years I began or ended each day paddling my kayak from the Waikīkī Library on the Kapahulu end all the way out to the Ala Wai Harbor and back. Most times I’d add a side route up the Palolo Stream to Date Street and back with tilapia [...]

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation's virtual art exhibit, Serendipity: Expressing the Connection of People, Place and the Past showcased art inspired by historic places in Hawai‘i. We were overjoyed by the submissions from artists of all ages and experiences. There was an immense amount of creativity, passion, and beauty captured by each entry. Art is such a powerful tool of engagement and has the potential to awaken deeper connections with the past, with places, and with one another. We hope you were inspired by this art exhibit and that a creative spark was lit within you to discover your favorite places with different eyes. A last minute entry from Von Dickens Ulsa garnered the second highest number of votes overall. His gorgeous piece titled, "Aloha Tower wa Doko Desuka" was awarded the People's Choice in the Painting Category. Von graciously invited our staff to his OFVON: The Exhibition II art show this past Saturday, August 21 at the Downtown Art Center. His works included iconic pieces of art throughout history - with a Hawai‘i spin. Among them were the "God of Tagalog Mythology", his exploration of new mediums from his travels through Iberia and beyond, and over 20 new works and award winning pieces! To say I was impressed would be an understatement. While not formally trained, Von is incredibly talented, imaginative, and original. His pieces evoke such emotion you get lost in the stories behind his creations. He is deeply connected to his heritage and it truly comes out through his art. His accomplishments are impressive: he headlined for both the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in 2017 and the Honolulu Pride Exhibition. His work has been shown in Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington DC, and Honolulu. [...]

More shares from the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation virtual art exhibit, Serendipity: Expressing the Connection of People, Place and the Past, a showcase of art inspired by historic places in Hawai‘i. Artists of all ages and experience were welcome to submit works of visual art, including collages, drawings, paintings, photography, printmaking, and poetry. View the virtual art exhibit through August 31st.  Historic Details Shine in Pam Chamber's Art Photography Since 1985, Pam Chambers has been teaching people how to overcome their fears and step confidently into public speaking. Through her company, Pam Chambers Consulting, she has helped thousands in all walks of life through personal coaching and a multitude of training programs. She is the author of ten books, including two photo books featuring Honolulu’s historic buildings. Born in Oxford, England, Pam’s father was a Rhodes Scholar and classics including classical architecture, were infused throughout her childhood. Pam shared how these  experiences inspired a deep love for historic places. Moving downtown from Niu Valley in 2010 and downsizing her living space catalyzed a new passion, photography! Life in a pedestrian friendly environment gave Pam the opportunity to walk almost everywhere and take the time to really see things and delight in the details. She began capturing some of Honolulu’s most familiar structures highlighting their intricate, often overlooked details. She compiled her favorites into two books, There and Back (2018) and There and Back Again (2019).* Pam shared how much she loves living in the vicinity of the Hawai‘i Capital Historic District, smack in the middle of what interests her most. From her building she can view many of the district’s historic buildings including the Territorial Office Building, (Kekuanao'a Building), Kawaiahaʻo Church and the Hawai‘i State Capitol. Learn [...]

8/18/2021: Earlier this summer, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation launched a virtual art exhibit entitled Serendipity: Expressing the Connection of People, Place and the Past to showcase art inspired by historic places in Hawai‘i. Artists of all ages and experience were welcome to submit their work. A total of 62 entries were received and together represent a diverse range of collages, drawings, paintings, photography, printmaking, and poetry. The virtual gallery is available here: https://art.historichawaii.org. As an engagement piece to the show, we invited the general public to vote for their favorite works to select the People's Choice Awards. Over 420 people participated in the voting. In addition, Honorable Mention Awards were given to outstanding works representing the major islands of Hawai‘i. The award-winning works of art were announced during HHF's Annual Meeting held yesterday--click on the image below to view the awardees. People's Choice Awards Presentation Congratulations to each of the award-winning artists!  Thank you to all of the artists who submitted work in support of this show.  A special mahalo to webmaster and design guru Jason Antonio for his artistry in creating the graphics and gallery for this exhibit. Serendipity will be available online through the end of the month. Some works are offered for sale by the artists. 30% of the proceeds of each sale will support Historic Hawai‘i Foundation's mission. Please consider supporting this talented group of artists. People's Choice Awards Collage: Containment Landscape #29 Kilohana by Margo Ray Drawing: Ho‘omana‘o Kaua‘i by Berkana McDowell Painting: Aloha Tower wa Doko Desuka by Von Dickens Ulsa Photography: YWCA at 6:00 p.m. by Pamela Chambers Printmaking: Pang's House, Waipahu Study no. 27 by Stephen Yuen Poetry: A Five-Century Road Trip Through Kukuipahu by Kelli Bond Poetry: Wailuku by Vanessa Lee-Miller Honorable [...]

8/19/2021: Historic Hawai‘i Foundation invited the six new members of the Board of Trustees who were officially appointed at yesterday's Annual Meeting to tell us about their personal interests and the path that led them to HHF.  Vernon Wong, who was elected board president, also reciprocated. We hope you will appreciate their candid and thoughtful responses. Q&A with the Trustees Elected to Serve a First Term on the Board The questions asked: Tell us a little about yourself and what motivated you to join the HHF board. Please name one of your favorite historic places in Hawai‘i and describe what makes it special to you. (Imagine where you'd take an out-of-town guest, for example.) Have you learned anything about yourself during the Covid-19 pandemic that you would be willing to share? Do you have a favorite book (provide the title and author), poem, or quote that you would like to share? What are you most proud of? JEREMY BALDWIN Jeremy Baldwin’s roots on Maui and O‘ahu go back six generations. He is manager and part owner of JKT Partnership which owns a number of historic buildings in Makawao Town on Maui. He has a BS in physics from Harvey Mudd College but has always been more interested in building and architecture. Many historic properties of the family led to repairs and renovations relying on traditional methods and the making of many sash windows. Single wall construction is the most fun to restore because it was often covered up and is more unique to the islands. He serves on the boards of Seabury Hall, Montessori School of Maui and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation. I enjoy being involved with small historical projects and always viewed the [...]

By: Sandy Takahashi, Hāmākua Jodo Mission Member The First Buddhist Temple in Hawai‘i In 1894, Reverend Gakuo Okabe was sent to O‘ahu, Hawai‘i as an officially selected Jodo Shu priest. Approximately two months later, Okabe left for Maui and then headed to Hawai‘i Island. After arriving in the County of Hāmākua, Reverend Okabe garnered a strong following among the Japanese immigrants living on the plantations who felt he was a sincere and honorable priest. Recognizing this, they rented him a house and placed a sign in front that read “Sacred Altar of Amida Buddha from Japan.” Tanikichi Fujitani Reverend Okabe worked tirelessly to spread his mission work of the teachings of Buddhism by visiting many locations, giving sermons and performing special memorial services for unknown deceased people, carrying an Amida Buddha statue on his back wherever he went. After some time, the Japanese community felt it was time to have a home temple built with Reverend Okabe as their sensei (“teacher” is its proper translation; however, this term is also used to address ministers, as well as doctors and lawyers). Hisashi Shimamura, the Imperial Consulate General of Japan to Hawai‘i, soon paid a visit. Members of the Japanese immigrant community mentioned the idea of building a home temple in Hāmākua. Consulate General Shimamura was so pleased with the idea that he pledged $300 to begin construction. Led by Reverend Okabe, the Japanese immigrant community worked extra hard to raise additional funds. This was a seemingly impossible task, but Reverend Okabe and one of the founding members, Tanikichi Fujitani persisted by going house to house on foot seeking donations within the plantation camps. They often subsisted on bananas on their journeys, all to make [...]