The Maui News

Maui Arts & Cultural Center will present the 54th Annual Statewide Exhibition for Hawaii Craftsmen to end the year’s exhibits in Schaefer International Gallery.

The exhibit, which began at the Downtown Art Center in Honolulu in September and ran through Oct. 15, opens in the Valley Isle on Nov. 8 and runs through Dec. 23.

Admission is free. The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, and also before select Castle Theater and Yokouchi Pavilion shows.

It features 114 works by 92 artists from Hawaii Island, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu.

This year’s juror was Neida Bangerter, Gallery Director at Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Schaefer International Gallery, who has overseen the curation and facilitation of exhibitions there since 2009.

“My experience traveling to five neighbor islands as this year’s juror revealed an overwhelming amount of great work from artist communities statewide,” Bangerter said in a news release. “Viewing works directly enabled me to examine each piece to consider the material and treatment in handling by the artist, and to understand their ideas presented.”

Hawaii Craftsmen is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization founded in 1966 with the goal of increasing public awareness and appreciation of fine craft throughout the state, according to a news release.

Their founding members consisted of local artists, art educators, and influencers dedicated to honoring Hawai’i craft artists while providing opportunities for artistic growth, professional development, and recognition.

Today, the nonprofit continues to influence the state of contemporary craft in Hawaii by supporting generations of students, artists, and craftspeople.

The first Hawaii Craftsmen Statewide Juried Exhibition took place in 1967 at Ala Moana Center.

This year, 22 awards were presented to various artists based on the quality and presentations of their individual work.

The juror’s criteria included visual appeal, craftsmanship, and compelling combinations of material.

Of the three top awards, the Thurston Twigg-Smith Best in Show Award for $3,000 went to Eric Sullivan from Oahu for his ceramic and steel work Erethizon.

The Elizabeth Rice Grossman Award of Excellence for $1,000 was awarded to Peter Naramore of Kula, Maui for his console table made of monkeypod, ebony, and pheasantwood.

The Charles E. Higa Memorial Award of Excellence for $1,000 went to Daniel Sheinfeld Rodriguez of Hawai’i for his chair made of sugi pine.

The 2022 exhibition is organized by Hawai’i Craftsmen and presented in partnership with Maui Arts & Cultural Center, and is sponsored in part by County of Maui, Office of Economic Development, and Hawai’i Tourism Authority through the Community Enrichment Program.