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Reviving Historic Hilo: Film, Art and Preservation event

March 21 Event Highlights Hilo Preservation & Beautification Program Public Mural Project 'Twisted Braid’: Hilo Heritage through the lens of Public Art & Film Have you noticed two gorgeous new murals in downtown Hilo? Come share a celebratory evening highlighting Hilo community, public art and culture and learn about the rich context in which the murals were created and the grant program that helped support them in this community-centric public event. The public is invited to a presentation about Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s Hilo Preservation & Beautification Program. The event includes a short film premiere of ʻTwisted Braid’ by artist-in-residence and local filmmaker, Ricky-Thomas Serikawa, and a panel discussion with Miya Tsukazaki, mural sponsor and grantee Temple Children, renowned mural artist Yoskay Yamamoto, and cultural partner Keahi Warfield, Ph. D. A reception will follow. Friday, March 21, 2025 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. In person at the Nā Leo TV Auditorium 91 Mohouli Street, Hilo RSVP by Wednesday, March 19 Pūpū by Poke Market and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required. REGISTER Please consider an offering to help fund programs like this. All proceeds support the programs and mission of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation. Event Sponsors Murals: Top of page:  Artist Yoskay Yamamoto in front of his public mural at Agasa Furniture & Music Store. Above: Hilo Plaza Building, Waipio Tailgate by artist David 'Jarus' Loran. The Grant Program The Hilo Preservation & Beautification Program provides grants for the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and beautification of historically-significant buildings, structures, parks and public facilities located in the downtown area [...]

2025-03-06T14:06:01-10:00February 28th, 2025|Categories: Events, Events - Home sidebar, Featured Homepage Top|

View the recordings: 38th Annual Experts Historic Preservation Lecture Series

2025 Experts Lecture Series: Conserving Architecture Wednesdays, January 29 to March 5, 2025     12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Virtual on Zoom Free, registration required (scroll down to Register for individual lectures) The series is co-curated and co-sponsored by the UH School of Architecture’s Historic Preservation Graduate Certificate Program and Historic Hawai‘i Foundation. Why Conserve Architecture? How do we measure and protect what we hold dear? Built culture is an expression of human relationship to place, past and one another. Architecture, emerging out of a specific lens of time and locale, encapsulates shared meaning and weaves us together in a collective experience. Conserving architecture, therefore, is integral to the perpetuation of significant places that act as repositories of our histories, and guides to our individual and cultural identities. Join us for the 2025 Experts series -- this year's theme will take us on a journey spanning 150 years of Hawaii's history in an exploration of what it takes to save built sites. The examples highlighted will include one palace, three memorials, two churches and one residence, representing three Islands. Six expert presenters will lead us through their personal efforts to preserve, conserve and perpetuate these significant places. Architectural conservation is the act of preserving, maintaining, and sometimes restoring historic buildings, structures, or sites to protect their cultural, historical, and aesthetic value. The goal: to ensure these structures retain their historic integrity and significance for current and future generations to learn from and engage with. “In preserving a building, we are not merely conserving its material form; we are ensuring the continuity of its history, culture, and significance.” ~James Turrell Wednesday, January 29, 2025 12:00 to 1:00 PM [...]

2025-03-05T14:53:53-10:00January 7th, 2025|Categories: Events, Events - Home sidebar, Featured Homepage Top|Tags: |

Hawai‘i State Capitol Reflecting Pools

In August, the Hawai‘i Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) issued a Draft Environmental Assessment for public review and comment on the “Rehabilitation of Chambers Level Water Proofing System and Related Improvements” (aka “Hawai‘i Capitol Pools Improvement Project”) for the Hawai‘i State Capitol. DAGS stated that the proposed improvements and modifications are needed to resolve persistent issues presented by the Capitol reflecting pools, including algae growth, leakages into office and operational spaces, and damage to the building’s structural, mechanical, and electrical components. The Capitol is located at the center of the Hawai‘i Capital Historic District, a nationally-significant historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Capitol is unique among U.S. State Capitols in its use of architectural elements to reflect Hawai‘i’s landscapes, natural features, and heritage. From the exterior of the structure, this is most exemplified by the two reflecting pools, representing the ocean, the conical shape of the legislative chambers, representing the volcanoes of the state rising from the sea, the perimeter columns representing palm trees and the eight main Hawaiian Islands, and the open-air rotunda, representing the open society. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation provided comments on the proposal with major concerns about the approach. The Capitol reflecting pools are a significant, unique architectural feature of the Capitol, and reference the relationship of Hawai‘i and the ocean and the project would permanently alter them. HHF noted that although the need for the project was presented as a maintenance issue, the alternatives eliminated the option to repair the existing system and correct the deficiencies. Instead of including an option to address chronic repair and maintenance problems associated with the water-filled reflecting pools, the environmental assessment only looked at alternatives that [...]

2024-11-22T15:09:06-10:00November 22nd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Eleven Properties Added to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places

The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added eleven properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in May 2024. Learn more about their history, characteristics and significance. Properties are eligible for inclusion in the register if they meet one or more criteria of historic significance: A) association with broad patterns or events; B) associations with historic individuals; C) architecture and design; or D) likely to yield important information. Bunny Y. B. and Lily M. Y. Wong Residence, O‘ahu Built in 1940, the Bunny Y. B. and Lily M. Y. Wong Residence is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood just above Kapi‘olani Park in Honolulu. The home is significant on the local level under Criterion C as a very good example of a modest vernacular pre-war residence designed in a modern style and well adapted to Hawai‘i’s climate. The single wall residence retains many distinctive architectural elements which were typical of its period, including its vertical, bleached redwood, 12” wide tongue and groove walls, canec ceilings, single panel doors with original glass knobs, sliding windows and doors with horizontal panes, scored concrete floors, and flowing L-shaped living-dining room. The relationship to the outside is exemplified by its use of sliding doors and windows, as well as corner windows and presence of a rear lanai which overlooks the backyard. View the nomination. Cloward Residence, O‘ahu The Cloward Residence, named for its longtime owners, is in the Diamond Head neighborhood of Honolulu. Dr. Ralph B. Cloward was the only neurosurgeon in Hawai‘i during World War II and was well-known for his work treating victims of brain injuries after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and nationally renowned for his spinal surgery innovations. [...]

2024-08-30T09:38:46-10:00August 29th, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|Tags: |

Designing for Democracy

Hawai‘i Capital Historic District and the History of Postwar American Government Centers by Daniel M. Abramson Professor of Architectural History and Director of Architectural Studies, Department of History of Art & Architecture, Boston University I am an architectural history professor at Boston University currently researching a book focused upon postwar American government complexes, including the Hawai‘i State Capitol and nearby 1960s and 1970s municipal, federal, and state buildings in the Civic Center's landscaped setting. In 2023, when I contacted the Hawai‘i State Archives, I was fortunate that an archivist, Carol Kellett, drew my attention to the 2019 symposium, “Democracy by Design, The Hawai‘i State Capitol at 50," organized by a governor- and legislature-appointed task force that included the Historic Hawaii Foundation (HHF), Hawai‘i State Archives, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, DAGS, local architects and planners, legislators and then-First Lady, Dawn Amano-Ige. The recorded presentations are available on the HHF website and YouTube. Prior to my recent visit to the Hawai'i State Archives, I was thus able to learn from the symposium's impressive speakers and their presentations.  The talks, especially by Don Hibbard, Bettina Mehnert, David Miller, Katie Stephens, and Kelema Moses, feature invaluable information, primary sources, and extensive images about the history of the State Capitol and Civic Center planning dating back to the 1930s; the evolution of the Capitol Building design; and the cast of significant politicians, businessmen, citizens, and architects involved in the process. The Historic Hawaii Foundation's online Capital Historic District story map is also a fantastic resource, as is the booklet by Don Hibbard, Democracy By Design: The Planning and Development of the Hawaii State Capitol, which makes accessible much of the Symposium's content. I was thus [...]

2024-08-09T09:02:14-10:00August 7th, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Mālama Lauhala: Caring for the Cultural Resource of Hala at Niuliʻi, Kohala

by The Kohala Center staff In April 2024, The Kohala Center (TKC) welcomed weavers, artists, scientists, and cultural managers to the hala grove at Niuliʻi, Kohala, Hawaiʻi Island for a co-learning session focused on lauhala. Supported by the USGS Pacific Island Climate Adaptation Science Centers, the project titled “Lauhala: Weaving Knowledges and Practices with a Climate Resilient and Culturally Significant Plant on Hawaiʻi Island” represents a collective of hala practitioners, scientists, and knowledge stewards. The project is supported by the USGS Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center and the Indigenous Cropping Systems Laboratory of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawai'i. Partner organizations are the Enlivened Cooperative, Indigenous Cropping Systems Laboratory of UH, Kū-A-Kanaka, and The Kohala Center. Together, they are celebrating hala (Pandanus tectorius) and envisioning hopeful futures that embrace the ecological and cultural resilience of this vital plant.. Ulana lauhala, the art of weaving hala leaves, is an important Hawaiian cultural tradition. This practice is sustained by a vibrant intergenerational community of weavers, their students, and caretakers of the lauhala trees. The craft goes beyond the weaving process to include the nurturing of hala groves, the harvesting and preparation of leaves, and the creation of specialized tools. The “Lauhala” project explores the impacts of colonialism and capitalism on the practice of ulana lauhala and the broader implications that they have on other Hawaiian arts and crafts. Investigating changes over the course of local history, it examines the destruction of hala groves due to human activities such as urban expansion and sugar plantations. Additionally, it highlights the potential for restoring hala through reforestation and revitalizing ulana practices, all while considering the effects of climate change on [...]

2025-01-17T11:14:14-10:00June 14th, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Unveiling the Wonders of the National Tropical Botanical Garden

Celebrating 60 Years of  Plant Preservation and Research "We're all about perpetuating tropical plants, ecosystems and cultural heritage. Our approach is really biocultural and what we mean by that is we care deeply about the relationships between our ecosystems and our communities, between people and plants." ~Communications Director David Bryant (as quoted in Island News, May 19, 2024) Preserving Hawaii's Rare Plant Life The National Tropical Botanical Garden, headquartered in Kalāheo, on the island of Kauaʻi, turns 60 this year. Originally created as the Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, NTBG was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1964 as a not-for-profit institution, dedicated to tropical plant research, conservation, and education. In the years since, its diverse collection of living and preserved plant specimens, plays a crucial role in understanding and protecting the fragile ecosystems of the Pacific region. NTBG garden sites include McBryde Garden, Allerton Garden and Limahuli Garden and Preserve on Kauaʻi; Kahanu Garden near Hana, Maui which includes the 3-acre Piʻilanihale Heiau, a National Historic Landmark believed to be the largest ancient temple in the Hawaiian Islands; and The Kampong located in Biscayne Bay, Coconut Grove, Florida.  View the timeline and history. A Repository for Genetic Diversity NTBG's native plant collection is a vast repository of genetic information for rare Hawaiian plant species.  Their meticulous record-keeping and data management systems play a crucial role in guiding the institution's conservation efforts. Through a living collections database, NTBG maintains detailed information on all the collections that come in, which helps guide where to make additional collections to have good genetic representation of some of the rare species. Collaborating for a Greener Future The NTBG's commitment to plant conservation extends beyond its own borders, as the institution [...]

2024-05-31T13:26:08-10:00May 23rd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Welcome to America’s Chinatowns Campaign

Explore the history of Chinatowns in the United States through a new storytelling collection and learn how they foster belonging and connections today. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has partnered with Google Arts & Culture and collaborated with over 14 organizations and eight individual artists and creators to create a unique collection of stories about Chinatowns across the United States. The partnership builds on the National Trust’s 2022 America’s Chinatowns Initiative*, created to address a growing need to support historic Chinatowns in the United States through researching and building coalitions for that purpose. "It is long past due to ask what more the national preservation community can do to amplify existing grassroots action to support Chinatowns now and in the future." ~Di Gao, senior director of research and development at the National Trust and leader of the America’s Chinatown initiative. The vibrant online storytelling hub, Welcome to America’s Chinatowns, launched May 9, 2024, chronicles the histories and threats facing Chinatowns nationwide. View the hub HERE. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is honored to be a participating organization, sharing a glimpse of Honolulu’s Chinatown. View HHF’s page which includes photography by Cliff Kimura, historical interpretation by local historian Gary Coover and documentary shorts by filmmakers Kimberlee Bassford and Robin Lung as part of the collection. Often the gateways for new immigrants, Chinatown’s across the United States are an integral part of our shared history and yet are increasingly threatened by economic challenges, gentrification and development. To draw attention to their history and challenges, the Welcome to America’s Chinatowns collection sheds light on what makes each a unique cultural repository by sharing stories about the businesses, individuals and organizations that live, work and play in our Chinatowns. [...]

2024-05-13T12:06:05-10:00May 9th, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Kaʻapuni o Waimea and the Kipahele Tour Series at Waimea Valley

Editor's note: In March of 2023, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation shared a blog post by Waimea Valley staff introducing their new program, Kaʻapuni o Waimea, just after its debut. The program offers visitors cultural learning opportunities at three of the valley’s cultural sites. The objective of the program design, to allow the visitor to ground their experience in cultural values and engage directly with the valley’s mission: to preserve and perpetuate the human, cultural and natural resources of Waimea for generations through education and stewardship. HHF circled back for an update a year later (see article below). Read the original post describing the program and theme of the Kaʻapuni o Waimea, the Hawaiian cultural value of hoʻokipa, HERE.  Celebrating one year of program growth at Waimea Valley By guest contributor Waimea Valley staff Photos courtesy Waimea Valley  Waimea Valley leadership is proud to share that the Cultural Programs team has established the Kaʻapuni o Waimea initiative as a foundational component of daily programming in the Valley. Beginning with a daily average of 14 pin recipients (visitors completing the program) in the early months after its launch in March of 2023, the daily average of pin recipients is now holding strong at 130. In fact, from January through March of 2024, the pace of the program participation has grown dramatically in popularity, counting over 9,800 visitors earning their pins in the three months – already surpassing the annual total of 9,500 pin recipients in 2023! The takeaway for the Cultural Programs team is that visitors to Waimea Valley are eager to actively and respectfully engage in cultural discourse, if given the opportunity. The frontline staff of Waimea Valley receives special training to be experts in a personal [...]

2024-04-11T14:38:42-10:00April 11th, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Mauna Kea Traditional Cultural Property and District Approved for Hawai‘i Historic Register

By Kuʻupuamaeʻole Kiyuna, J.D., Legal Specialist/Kaliʻuokapaʻakai Collective Coordinator, Huliauapaʻa In November 2023, Mauna Kea was accepted for inclusion on the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places (HRHP) as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) and district. On behalf of co-nominators KAHEA and Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Huliauapaʻa researched, drafted, and presented the nomination to the Hawaiʻi Historic Places Review Board. The Board approved Mauna Kea’s listing as a TCP and District on the State register and also recommended the nomination move forward for consideration for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listing. TCPs are places associated with the cultural practices or beliefs of a living community that are both rooted in a community’s history and important in maintaining its continued cultural identity. TCP designation benefits state and county agencies because it provides more information at the forefront of regulatory compliance processes. For planning purposes, agencies won’t have to perform historic preservation eligibility and significance assessments at the state or federal levels because the property’s eligibility and significance have already been established through the TCP designation process. This benefit also extends to cultural impact assessments required under Hawaiʻi state law and environmental review because Mauna Kea’s cultural significance as a TCP is established. To be eligible for an HRHP or NRHP listing, a historic property must meet at least one criteria of significance. In the Mauna Kea nomination, Huliauapaʻa provided an in-depth analysis of how Mauna Kea exceeds all eligibility criteria (association with a historical event, a significant person, an example of notable architecture, or provides information important to understanding history and prehistory). Significance is inherent from the role Mauna Kea plays in Hawaiian cosmology and the community’s historically rooted beliefs, customs and practices; Mauna Kea’s association [...]

2024-06-17T10:48:49-10:00March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|
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