Hawai‘i Contemporary is excited to announce the second iteration of the Professional Development Program for Artists. Designed for emerging and mid-career artists and cultural practitioners in Hawai‘i, this series of online seminars, led by established professionals, will provide insights and advice for artists’ professional practices. The program offers participants the opportunity to hear from industry experts in a casual, yet informative setting. Topics include curatorial insights, art and law, business basics, local arts funding, ho‘opono (speaking truth), and virtual studio visits (limited availability). This program is available to Hawai‘i-based artists only. Enrollment is FREE, but registration is required.

This program and its waitlist are currently full. For news and updates on further public programming, including professional development programs, sign up for our e-newsletter.

Program Schedule

27 SEPT • Curatorial Insights
Gain a deeper understanding of how to work with museum curators and learn more about their processes. Hear insights from Hawai‘i curators Mina Elison (curator, Donkey Mill Art Center) and Tyler Cann (senior curator of modern and contemporary art, Honolulu Museum of Art).

04 OCT • Art & Law: Contracts
Understand your IP (intellectual property), how to protect it, license it, and maximize its value. Honolulu-based lawyer Seth T. Buckley (attorney, The Liko Collective) discusses how artists might consider their IP when developing and negotiating contracts in their art practices.

11 OCT • Business Basics
Delve into the fundamentals of setting up your art practice as a business. Gregory Kim (attorney, Vantage Counsel) takes you through forming and operating a small business, tax consequences, employment and independent contractors, work for hire, and more. 

18 OCT • Studio Visit Preparation  |  optional
Learn to hone your ability to effectively communicate the salient themes and areas of interest in your work. Rosina Potter (executive director, Hawai‘i Contemporary) and Josh Tengan (associate director, Hawai‘i Contemporary) detail how to prepare for your virtual studio visit (08 Nov) in this brief and optional session.

25 OCT • Local Arts Funding
Hear the latest on local arts funding for individual artists. Emma Broderick (executive director, Pu‘uhonua Society) and Donnie Cervantes (director, Aupuni Space, Pu‘uhonua Society) will discuss recently established funding opportunities for Hawai‘i artists at Pu‘uhonua Society. Marion Cadora (collections curator, Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts) and Karen Ewald (executive director, Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts) will talk about public arts commissions and opportunities. 

01 NOV • Ho‘opono: Mutual Emergence
Learn about ‘ike kupuna, or ancestral knowledge, through practices of self-awareness that begin with ho‘opono, or speaking truth. Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer (konohiki, Kūlana o Kapolei, University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu) will discuss aspects of ho‘oponopono, detailing key components to better understand the function of Indigenous wisdom needed for our time (ho‘opono, hihia, ‘oia i‘o, mihi, kūkulukumuhana).

08 NOV • Virtual Studio Visits | optional 

limited availability

Practice your presentation skills and hone your ability to efficiently communicate the salient themes in your work. A limited number of 20-minute slots will be made available with Rosina Potter (executive director) and Josh Tengan (associate director) on a first come, first serve basis.

Professional Development Program for Artists is presented by Hawai‘i Contemporary and is made possible, in part by, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.