Connecting Hawaiʻi and the Pacific through contemporary art

Installation view: Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum, Laukanaka (detail), 2019, The Hub at Ward Centre, Honolulu Biennial 2019. Photo: Christopher Rohrer.

mission

Inspired by the unique histories of Hawai‘i as a gathering place for diverse peoples, cultures, and ideas, Hawai‘i Contemporary connects communities from across our islands and the regions united by the Pacific Ocean through contemporary art. As a collaborative partner, we organize the Hawai‘i Triennial every three years, the state’s largest, thematic exhibition of contemporary art from Hawai‘i, the Pacific, and beyond. The multi-site exhibition has commissioned and presented work by more than 130 artists and art collectives from our Islands and around the world. Complemented by year-round public programming, Hawai‘i Triennial affirms the organization’s mission to positively contribute to a vibrant arts ecosystem in Hawai‘i and inspire meaningful exchanges around the visual arts.

history

Founded by KJ Baysa and Isabella Ellaheh Hughes in 2015 as a dedicated contemporary art platform in Hawai‘i, Honolulu Biennial Foundation debuted the inaugural Honolulu Biennial in 2017. The exhibition proved a great success, and it, along with a successive Honolulu Biennial in 2019, welcomed a combined 200,000 guests from Hawai‘i, the US, and abroad. In 2020, we announced the transformation of our signature event into a triennial format (Hawai‘i Triennial), and the organization was renamed Hawai‘i Contemporary to better reflect our aspiration to include all Hawaiian Islands in our activities. We have since presented Hawai‘i Triennial 2022, which featured 43 artists and art collectives and welcomed more than 100,000 visitors, and we currently offer year-round, free programming to the public, including the Professional Development Program for Artists.

Since our inception, Hawaiʻi Contemporary has instilled the values of collaboration and inclusivity into our guiding mission. We aim to cultivate a diverse network of cultural alliances and mutually reciprocal partnerships to create a resilient and accessible gateway for contemporary art in Hawai‘i nei.

Hawai‘i Contemporary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization based in Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i.

Installation view: Chiharu Shiota, Crossroads, 2019, The Hub at Ward Centre, Honolulu Biennial 2019. Photo: Christopher Rohrer.

Signature EVENTS

HAWAI‘I TRIENNIAL

once every three years
next iteration: 2025

A curated, thematic, and international exhibition of contemporary art presented across multiple sites throughout Hawai‘i

ART SUMMIT

once every three years
next iteration: 2024

A thematic precursor to the Hawai‘i Triennial that brings together artists, curators, and thinkers from Hawai‘i and the Pacific for dialogues around contemporary art and ideas

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

year round

A series of free public programs (like Art in Conversation and Professional Development Program for Artists) focused on expanding the thinking around contemporary art practices

Installation view: Bernice Akamine, Kalo, 2016–, Ali‘iōlani Hale, Honolulu Biennial 2019. Photo: Christopher Rohrer.

Meet the Team

The Hawai‘i Contemporary team gathers with participants of the fall 2023 Professional Development Program for Artists.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Piia Aarma, chair

Maile Meyer, VICE-CHAIR

Masako Shinn, secretary

Trever Asam, Treasurer

Kristen Chan

Patricia Chang Moad

Diane Chen

Paul Friedman

Jonathan Kindred

Gloria Lau

Jason Lazzerini

Chloe Seto Hartwell

Kaʻiulani Sodaro

Anne Swayne Keir

ADVISORS

mona abadir, board president, Emeritus

Fumio Nanjo, Artistic Director, Emeritus

nina tonga, Artistic Director, Emeritus

larissa kolesnikova, global advisor

heather shimizu, global advisor

may xue, global advisor

ROSINA POTTER

Executive Director
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Rosina worked for more than 15 years in art gallery management, project consulting and community development before being named art director at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in 2018. As the company’s sole arts professional, she managed the Resort’s Artists Showcase, a museum-quality permanent collection, and created related programming and activations. She served on the board of Art Maui and consulted on a range of arts and cultural projects in support of local artists. Born in North Carolina, Rosina graduated from University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in history and art history. She has lived on Maui since 2004.

JOSH TENGAN

Associate Director
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Josh is a Honolulu-based independent curator, writer, and a community arts organizer from Pauoa, Kona, Oʻahu. He served as assistant curator of HB19 and returned to Hawaiʻi Contemporary as exhibition manager of HT22. From 2015–2019, he worked with local and Native Hawaiian artists at Puʻuhonua Society to deliver Hawaiʻi’s largest annual thematic contemporary art exhibition, CONTACT. He was an associate director of Puʻuhonua Society (2021–2022) and an arts manager at Nā Mea Hawai‘i/Native Books (2014–2022). He is a 2022 Independent Curators International Curatorial Research Fellow with Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick (associate curator, HT22) for the multi-site exhibition of Kānaka ʻŌiwi contemporary art, ʻAi Pōhaku, Stone Eaters, curated with Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu (co-curator, HT25). In June 2024, the Mayor of Honolulu appointed Josh to the Commission on Culture and Arts, which assists the City in promoting the arts in the community and preserving its artistic and cultural heritages. He holds a Curatorial Studies MA with Distinction from Newcastle University (UK) and a BA in Fine Art from Westmont College.

NICOLE DUARTE

Communications + Publications Manager
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Nicole is an arts administrator, writer, and layout designer who has contributed to Hawai‘i’s arts community, managing art projects, organizing pop-up exhibitions, and producing communications around art. She has worked with Hawai‘i-based artists, and has had a supporting role in CONTACT, an annual juried exhibition of contemporary art in Hawai'i. She sits on the board of Pu‘uhonua Society, an organization that creates opportunities for Native Hawaiian and Hawai‘i-based artists and cultural practitioners. Originally from Kailua, she holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Arizona in English Literature and Composition and a Graduate Diploma in the History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

MONICA LEE

Operations Manager
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Originally from Moanalua, Monica cultivated her nonprofit, event management, and communications skills in New York, Chicago, San Diego, and Los Angeles, most recently serving as Director of Regional Communities with UCLA Alumni Affairs. She complements her work with Hawai‘i Contemporary as a volunteer at Honolulu Museum of Art, Kumu Kahua Theatre, and Hawai‘i State Art Museum. She sits on the board of Asian Pacific American Friends of the Theater, and has served on the boards of the UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni Network, Slow Food Urban San Diego, and Project by Project. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA.

JASA MCKENZIE

Project Manager
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LINDA STUBBS

Registrar
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HARINETA RIGATOS

Digital Marketing Associate
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RICH RICHARDSON

Exhibition Manager + Lead Installer
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LILA LEE

Assistant Registrar + Producer
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DIANNE SHEN

Curatorial Intern
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