Hawaii Nei reception tonight at Wailoa Center

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The Hawaii Nei 2015 Art Exhibit will host a “Holiday Reception” from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on first Friday at Wailoa Center.

The Hawaii Nei 2015 Art Exhibit will host a “Holiday Reception” from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on first Friday at Wailoa Center.

The reception will feature do-it-yourself, native species-themed Christmas ornaments and wrapping paper, along with musical entertainment performed by Apokolani and an assortment of sweet refreshments.

In addition, the Volcano Art Center will announce the artists chosen for its 2016 Native Species in the Volcanoes National Park Invitational.

Tonight’s reception is free and open to the public.

The Hawaii Nei Art Contest is a juried art exhibit in its seventh year celebrating the unique native species of Hawaii Island. The exhibit is organized through a collaboration of the Three Mountain Alliance, the Natural Area Reserve System, the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project and the Wailoa Center, State Parks Division.

On behalf of all the coordinators of this event, Wailoa Center thanks all the volunteers and sponsors who helped make this year’s Hawaii Nei exhibit possible.

Wailoa Center is a Division of State Parks, Department of Land and Natural Resources and is located at 200 Piopio St. within the Wailoa State Park Recreation Area in Hilo. Admission is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center is closed Saturday, Sunday and state holidays.

For additional information, call 933-0416 or email wailoa@yahoo.com.

Hawaii Nei 2015 award winnters

Hawaii Nei 2015, an exhibit celebrating the native species of Hawaii Island, announced its winners in the youth and adult categories at the opening reception for the artists Nov. 6.

YOUTH

First-place winners in featured category “Bugs!”

Lower Elementary: First-grade class from Volcano School of Arts and Science, “Escaping Koa”

Upper Elementary: Pohaku Kaye, “Three Shades of Blue, One Green”

Middle School: Erica Greig, “Kamehameha Butterfly”

High School: Kealani Berg, “Udara blackburnii Butterflies”

First-place award for overall depiction of native species

Lower Elementary: Alena Adkins, “Alala in Koa Forest”

Upper Elementary: Hinanowelo Perry, “Na Lehua 1”

Middle School: Taylor Ann Uʻilani Barongan, “Mixed”

High School: Alyssa Faletoi, “Hidden in the Reef”

Juror’s Choice for overall Youth categories: Cody Yamaguchi, “Apapane”

ADULT

First-place winners in featured category “Bugs!”

Amateur: William Sewell, “Wekiu Bug”

Professional: John Mydock, “Vanessa Tameamea”

First-place winners for overall depiction of native species

Amateur 2-D: Maria Macias, “Mauna Kea Silversword”

Professional 2-D: John Dawson, “Lost in the Wilderness”

Professional 3-D: Heather Mettler, “ʻOhiʻa Blossom and Tapa Band”

Photography Amateur: Mary Bowman-DeMent, “Gentle Dawn”

Photography Professional: Tommy Adkins, “Lilinoe, Fine Mist”

Juror’s Choice for overall categories: Dominic Tidmarsh, “Kinolau”

The State Foundation on Culture and Arts Acquisition committee selected three works of art for purchase consideration.

State Foundation Acquisition Awards:

“ʻAlala,” woodblock print by Margaret Shields

“Vanessa tameamea,” turned Norfolk pine bowl with pyrography by John Mydock

“Kinolau,” painting by Dominic Tidmarsh