City displays employee art

HONOLULU—Eighty-three works of art created by City employees and their families are on display at Honolulu Hale as part of the sixth annual exhibit of The National Arts Program in Honolulu. The event, presented by the National Arts Program Foundation and the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, features original paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, crafts, and other visual arts.

Professional artists from the Commission on Culture and the Arts judged all of the works in five categories: amateur, intermediate, professional, teen and youth. A reception and award ceremony was held today at noon. Acting Mayor and Managing Director Douglas Chin congratulated the artists and presented awards to the winners.

A portrait painting titled “I’ll Get Through This” by Rebekah Dalton was named the overall best in show. Rebekah is a relative of a Honolulu Police Department employee. She received a $300 grand prize. A total of 16 prizes were awarded and each artist received a certificate from The National Arts Program.

The program was established in 1983 by the National Arts Program. It involves employees and family members in more than 450 large and small cities, counties, airports, hospitals, and other organizations. The program is now producing “people’s art” at a rate of 30,000 pieces a year. The City and County of Honolulu is the only organization in Hawaii to participate.

“The creativity displayed in these works is amazing,” said Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts Executive Director Kaleve Iosefa.  “I thank the National Arts Program Foundation for partnering with the City. The program brings out the artistic talents of our City ohana.”

Exhibit hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Exhibit viewing is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts at 768-6622 or visit www.honolulu.gov/moca. Information on the National Arts Program can be found at www.nationalartsprogram.org.