Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 3, 1 March 1995 — OHA Update [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Update

Culture This month OHA is holding a retreat for 40 artists of Hawaiian ancestry who will work on longrange plans and objectives for Hawaiian artists as a cohesive group. "At this retreat we will be planting the seeds for the eventual establishment of a eouneil of Hawaiian artists," said OHA eulture specialist Manu Boyd. Participants will eome from the Neighbor Islands as well as O'ahu and there will be representatives from the various artists' hālau. At preliminary planning meetings held during the past six months, artists prioritized their needs and determined that such a body would benefit Hawaiian artists, Boyd added, because it would increase their visibility (whieh might affect the frequency of commissions and the availability of grants), and foster exhibitions and referrals. The retreat is the latest in the OHA culture office's series of 'Aha No'eau, whieh convene

proponents of various areas of Hawaiian culture to discuss the state of their field and develop strategy. OHA convened two such conferences last year, on lomilomi and the

'ōlelo Hawai'i, and is planning a conferenee on hula traditions for July (see page 3 for details). Housing The Native American Indian Housing Council will be holding its 2 1 st annual convention in Honolulu next month. The eouneil is an umbrella group for Native Amenean Indian housing authorities across the country, groups whieh help to build affordable housing for different native peoples. Four hun-

dred representatives from these authorities will be at the convention. OHA has been asked to help with some of the convention

logistics as well as provide some manpower support the day of the convention. OHA is interested in establishing similar housing authorities

for Hawaiians with the hope of tapping into the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding presently available for Native Americans.