March is youth art month – and the Waimea Arts Council invited students to submit works of art to be juried and displayed at the Firehouse Gallery between March 4 and 21. This included students in grades 6 through 12 attending public schools, private schools, or home-schooled, throughout the North and South Kohala and Hamakua districts.
Each student competed at their own grade level, with cash awards and/or certificates of honor going to the top three. Honorable mentions were also awarded for reach grade. These awards were presented at a public reception on March 8.
This year’s show was juried by Kauanoe Chang who taught art at McKinley High School in Honolulu from 1970 to 1985. She has exhibited in many one-man shows and group shows on Oahu and Hawaii Island and is one of the founding members and first director of Hawaiian Ohana for Education in the Arts.
Most recently, she was named a Maoli Arts Month Awardee, which recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of Native Hawaiian visual artists and their influence and commitment in promoting, perpetuating and celebrating Hawaii’s culture and people through the visual arts. An invitational art exhibit at the Wailoa Art Gallery in Hilo will feature her paintings, along with the works of other Native Hawaiian artists, between April 2 and 23.
The following awards were presented at the reception held March 8:
Grade 6:
First – Camille Helmuth, HPA Village, “A Sky Full of Waves,” batik on silk
Second – Kayla Tadaki, HPA Village, “Over the Waimea Hills,” watercolor
Third – Ellie Nakano, Waimea Middle School, “3-D Cylinder,” charcoal
Honorable mention – Grace Bostock and Raquel McMackin
Grade 7:
First – Asuka Frysinger, HPA Village, “Cherry Blossom,” wax batik on silk
Second – Elliot McDonald, Parker, “Tribal Lines,” ceramic/mixed media
Third – Halia Buchal, Parker, “Puffin Spirit,” paper sculpture
Honorable mention – Kawehi Bell Kaopuiki and Jordan Vedelli
Grade 8::
First – Dutchie Ahana, Parker, koa fish hook and braided lashings
Second – Anna Gaglione, Parker, “Octa-flow,” ceramic sculpture
Third – Jadyn Ashcraft, Parker, “Natural Unity,” ceramic/mixed media
Honorable mention – Tyrie Tanaka and Megan Abe
Grade 9:
First – Logan Von Elsner, Honokaa High School, “The Icon,” pencil
Second – Ethan Crawl, Parker, “Reflection I.S.O,” acrylic interpretation
Third- Kiele Carpio, Kohala High School, “Shave Ice,” photography
Grade 10:
First – Romilly Benedict, Honokaa High School, Untitled Montage, graphite pencil
Second – Coco Romano Giordano, Parker, “Self Portrail, Series #21,” photography
Third – Alexy Williams, Parker, “Thoughts and Strands of Thought,” ceramic
Honorable mention – Eric Fetch
Grade 11:
First- Hokuula Pagan, Honokaa High School, “A Glimpse in Time,” papier mache
Second – Audrey Quijano, Honokaa High School, “Kamuela Roads,” digital photography
Third- Sivan Najita, Parker, Untitled Vessel (#13), ceramic
Honorable mention – Angelo Foley and Marlo Mundon,
Grade 12:
First – Allanis Anderson, Parker, “Valkyrie,” acrylic
Second – Breena McAuley, Kohala High School, “Petroglyph,” photography
Third – Sophie Dommer, Parker, “Nature vs. Man,” assemblage
Honorable mention – Armando Realista and Dimitri Zampathas
Waimea Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the arts on Hawaii Island. The Firehouse Gallery, located in the old Waimea firehouse at 67-1202 Mamalahoa Highway at the intersection with the Kawaihae Road, in Waimea, is the council’s most visible project. The gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 887-1052 for information.