Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 3, 1 March 1988 — Aotearoa Festival of Arts in October [ARTICLE]

Aotearoa Festival of Arts in October

New Zealand Exhibition Seeks Hawaiian Artists

Contemporary works by native Hawaiian artists are being sought for a fall exhibition in New Zealand that offers an exceptional opportunity for cultural exchange with Maon artists. The opening of the as yet untitled exhibition in October 1988, coincides with the Aotearoa Festival of Arts, a three-day event of traditional Maori Performing Artists, a first time for the visual art exhbition and the festival together. It is also the first time native Hawaiian contemporary visual artists are being invited to participate in a traveling exhibition officially sponsored by the Council for Maori and South Pacific Arts, sponsor of the show. The Council is part of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, the national arts organization in New Zealand. The exhibition, whieh also features works by leading Maori artists, will be presented in New Zealand's North Island through the end of 1988. Cities hosting the exhibition are Whangarei, Auekland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington and Rotorua. Two exhibition organizers were in Hawaii in February to meet Hawaiian artists. They were Kura Rewiri-Thorsen, exhibition curator and a recog-

nized painter herself, and Eric Tamepo, program manager for the Council for Maori and South Paeific Arts. They are being assisted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' Cultural Services Officer Maleolm Naea Chun, and Momi Naughton, who is also organizing participation by Hawaiian visual artists in the Fifth Pacific Festival of Arts in Townsville, Australia. Mrs. Rewiri-Thorsen stresses that "cultural exchange is an important aspect of this venture. This is a ehanee to see where our two people are at in contemporary visual arts, and to see the universality of Pacific art.' Six Hawai'i artists will be invited to participate, and to travel to New Zealand to accompany the exhibition, do workshops with Maori artists, and be a resource to schools in areas of the tour. Rewiri-Thorsen and Tamepo work with Council committees to provide assistance to Maori and South Pacific artists — weavers, carvers, and eontemporary visual artists, musicians, dancers and drama. The Council is now expanding its activities to include Maon writing, video and film projects. Tamepo also visited funding organizations in Hawaii to seek assistance to cover costs of taking

loeal art to New Zealand. Mrs. Rewiri-Thorsen explained that "Maori artists are strengthened by our heritage, and reflect this in our art. It is very important as a reaffirmation of our people. "Being contemporary artists doesn't mean forgetting where we eame from. Rather, it strengthens us. Our heritage, our spirituality make us what we are. Traditional beliefs are our base. Adds Chun: "This is why it is important for our artisans to go there, and then eome back and see what ean be done here. It broadens our artists' concept of the world, and encourages them to explore new areas. That is the true value of cultural exchange, to translate that experience back here, and to ask, "How do I look at my own culture, and better myself and my people?" Hawaiian contemporary visual artists interested in applying should write to Kura Rewiri-Thorsen, Visuai Arts Committee, Council for Maori and South Pacific Arts, e/o Maleolm Chun, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 1600 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1500, Honolulu, HI 96814. The deadline for applications is the end of May, 1988.