The Volcano Art Center is honored to present “Worldwide Voyage: Hawaii Shares Its Culture With The World,” a fine-art exhibition that chronicles the navigational story of the Hokule‘a’s Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage, told through photographs, cultural items and art inspired by the voyage.
The exhibit opens with a blessing by kumu Keala Ching at 12:15 p.m. today and will be on display through July 2 at the VAC Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The public is invited.
The Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage has taken the iconic sailing canoe Hokule‘a around the world, and her sister canoe, Hikianalia, throughout the Pacific to promote a global movement toward a more sustainable world. The Malama Honua (caring of Island Earth) mission seeks to engage communities worldwide in the practice of sustainable living while sharing Polynesian culture, learning from the past and from each other, creating global relationships and inspiring action to care for and discover the wonders of Earth.
Since departing Hawaiian waters in May 2014, Hokule‘a will have sailed approximately 60,000 nautical miles and made stops in 27 countries and 100 ports, weaving a “Lei of Hope” around the world.
The exhibition consists of a collection of mounted photographs, cultural items and art curated by Gary Eoff. The photographs, provided by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, offer a firsthand account of the navigation, ports visited and the stories of the individual navigators.
The cultural items, made by lauhala weaver Ed Kaneko and his students as well as Eoff, illustrate primitive wayfaring methods and supplies used on ancient voyages.
“Volcano Art Center wishes to extend a huge mahalo the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the ‘Oiwi Television Network and the individual photographers for sharing the visual story with us,” said gallery manager Emily C. Weiss.
“Their mission to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire communities to respect and care for themselves, each other, and their natural and cultural environments is truly something we support.”
The exhibition is sponsored by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. For more information, visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.
