Artpoints takes you to
The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii
The entrance to the Contemporary Museum of Hawaii
and its lush gardens.
The Contemporary Museum is located in two locations in Honolulu; the museum and garden campus in Makiki Heights, high in the hills above Honolulu, and a satellite gallery at the First Hawaiian Center in downtown Honolulu.
Art patron, Ms. Laila Twigg-Smith who donated her former residence and the initial collection of 1200 pieces of contemporary art to the Museum in 1986. The building housing the museum was built in 1925 in the style of a traditional Japanese home. The gardens are extensive and, and are wonderful enough to justify their own visit. The gardens were designed by Reverend K. I. Inagaki from 1928 to 1941 to provide both a space for meditation and place for the museum to showcase a stellar collection of contemporary sculpture. Panoramic garden views frame the vistas of Honolulu, Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean. The gardens contain examples of Hawaii’s native flora including trees and flowing plants. Reverend Inagaki was wheelchair enabled and the garden is very handicapped accessible, unusual in designs from before the Second World War. The entrance to the museum features two amazing bronze sculptural doors with nude reliefs donated by Robert Graham. The museum gardens feature additional sculpture in wood, bronze and mixed media.
Bronze doors donated by sculptor, Robert Graham
The Contemporary Museum is an exemplary museum for several reasons:
The collection:
The collection is primarily of contemporary pieces created since 1945. The permanent collection includes such luminaries as Georgia O’Keefe, Edward Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein and and similar contemporary artists of the late 20th Century. The Museum’s collection of contemporary Hawaiian artists is unique. The permanent collection of The Contemporary Museum strongly represents contemporary art as opposed to Avant-Garde and Modernist Art, for example the works of H. C. Westermann are well represented in the collection, his comic book-like illustrations was very influential on popular culture in the 1960’s and it is revealing to see a comprehensive collection of his work in a single place.
The docent gallery:
The Contemporary Museum has developed a sophisticated and innovative docent training and development program. In the Docent Gallery, eight of the Museum’s original 32 docents each chose a work of art that is particularly meaningful to them. Each docent has written thoughtful and insightful curator’s notes on their chosen work.
From the Docent’s Gallery, I was particularly impressed by “Red’s Toys” by David Bates, selected by docent, Ms. Janet Weyenberg. (See the photo gallery below.) Ms. Weyenberg selected it for the bold brushstrokes and impressive size, she had met the artist and was enthralled with him personally. I was drawn to the work immediately. I was reminded of the Japanese Anime film “Paprika” and from there to L’entrée du Christ à Bruxelles by James Ensor, 1898 a painting at the Getty Center Museum in Los Angeles, that clearly influenced the Anime film.
An immersive art experience:
In The Milton Cades Pavilion, The Contemporary Museum has installed a work by David Hockney. This work is an interpretation of the set the artist created for the opera “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges”. The installation is lit according to David Hockney’s instructions and the opera is played continuously. The music and the lighting provide an immersive experience, drawing in every viewer to become a participant in the piece. “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” is contemporary but, by no means, inaccessiblly abstract. The result is a hypnotic, immersive arts encounter.
The café and gift store:
We were told in advance that the Café at the museum was one of the best lunch venues in Honolulu. The museum is in a secluded residential neighborhood and there are simply no alternatives to the museum’s café. The menu is American with an emphasis on sandwiches (really excellent sandwiches) with daily specials. Prices are reasonable ranging from 8 to 12 dollars. Wine and beer is not available but the wait staff is ready with a corkscrew and wine glasses if you bring your own.
In Hawaii where there is so much physical beauty and a tourism-based economy, one would expect artistic talent to abound. This proves to be true, Honolulu is full of galleries and galleries are around all the islands in cities and in parks. The Contemporary Museum gift store provides a welcome venue for local artists to sell their work.
The Contemporary Museum should be placed high on the list of any art tourist. The collection is unique. The gardens and buildings are brilliant. Artpoints strongly recommends The Contemporary Museum for visitors to the Hawaiian Islands.
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Jackson Pollock
