DK Travel : Honolulu & O’ahu : Honolulu Academy of Arts

Honolulu Academy of Arts

No one has rated this yet.

Rate it

Review this attraction

Are these details incorrect?

Hawai’i’s only general art museum, comprising 30 galleries, was founded in 1927 by the eclectic collector Anna Rice Cooke, whose home had become crammed with more than 4,500 pieces of artwork. The gracious stucco-and-tile building in the style islanders call “Territorial” was erected on the site of her original house.

Top 10 Highlights

1. Western Collection

Based initially on Cooke’s gifts, this collection has grown to over 15,000 pieces. It is particularly strong in American works in all media and French 19th and 20th-century painting, such as the Polynesian themes painted by Gauguin.
2. East Meets West

This group of objects is the product of a concept to which the Academy is deeply committed: the meeting of cultures. It is particularly apt since Hawai’i is one of those meeting places. Exhibits include trade goods and furnishings made in the East for Western use.
3. Asian Paintings

A centerpiece of the academy’s Asian holdings is the James Michener Collection of ukiyu-e paintings, which also includes some of Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji . The Asian Collection is equally strong in Japanese scrolls and Ming-dynasty Chinese paintings.
4. Southeast Asian & Indian Collections

A new gallery of Indian art, mostly collected by a wealthy Indian family who live in Honolulu, opened in 2003 with everything from a magnificent carved door to wedding attire. Southeast Asian items range from shrouds to head-dresses. Indonesian pieces appear in both the Asian and Islamic collections.
5. Art of the Pacific, Americas, & Africa

Masks, effigies, figurines, statuary, everyday tools, religious artifacts, and other pieces from the Americas, Oceania, and Africa are displayed in separate galleries and in periodic special exhibits.
6. The Art of Hawai’i

This group, made up primarily of paintings, graphic arts, decorative arts, and sculpture, includes many of the most recognized images in the islands, such as Theodore Wores’ The Lei Maker (1902).
7. Textiles Collection

The Academy’s textile collection is immense, with only a small selection on display at any time. While the focus is on Asia, there are also fine examples of Pacific tapa cloth. Japanese kabuki costumes, an emperor’s jifu (robe), saris, and everyday clothing are well represented.
8. Henry R. Luce Gallery

This 2001 addition to the Academy incorporates a large space for changing exhibits, the Hawaiian art collection, workshops, and the Academy’s offices.
9. Arts of the Islamic World

Opened in 2002 in conjunction with the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, this gallery is made up primarily of pieces from Duke’s broad-reaching collection – furnishings, woven objects, decorative pottery, and printed papers.
10. Shangri La Center for Islamic Arts

Tours of Doris Duke’s 1930s-era seaside mansion at Black Point begin at the Academy with a film, followed by a van ride to her home.

Practical Information

Doris Duke Theater at the academy is one of only two venues for independent and foreign films on O’ahu. Cozy, acoustically superior, and comfortable, this space also hosts concerts, lectures, and performances. For programming information, call 532 8768. 900 S. Beretania St. 532 8700 www.honoluluacademy.org 10am–4:30pm Tue–Sat, 1–5pm Sun Closed Mon Adm $7 (discounts for seniors, military, children – under 12s not admitted); free first Wed of every month Shangri La Center for Islamic Arts,532 3685 (reservations) tours each Wed–Sat (they book months in advance) closed Sep adm $25