Submission window closes: Friday, October 6, at 5:59 PM (HST).

Artist notification: Monday, October 9

Accepted artwork drop off:

Kona Side: Akamai Arts parking lot, Friday, October 27 at 10:00 AM (Please note, Akamai Arts cannot be responsible for your artwork and dropping off in advance is not allowed. Artwork dimensions for transport cannot exceed 40" including packaging).

Hilo Side: Wailoa Center, Saturday, October 28 between 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

Residents of the Island of Hawai‘i are eligible to participate. All works must be original, have been created in the last two years and must not have been previously shown in any other exhibition, gallery, or website. Artwork in any medium or combination of media is welcome. 

Subject:

The main subject(s) of your piece(s) must be a species native to Hawai‘i Island. The definition used to define a native species is an organism that naturally arrived to Hawaiʻi without the help of humans via the 3Ws (wind, waves, or wings). It can be either endemic (found only in Hawaiʻi) or indigenous (native to Hawaiʻi and elsewhere). Artwork highlighting non-native species, including Polynesian introductions, as well as native species exclusively endemic to other Hawaiian islands will not be accepted. Artwork made of materials from an endangered native species will not be accepted. If a native species is used as a medium in an art piece, we strongly suggest to consider the purpose of using the native species or consider if there is a possible alternative. Please consider the place from which the species will be gathered from - is there a healthy population from which to gather? We also encourage to request permission - from the land owner and species itself. When you are picking, be sure not to introduce invasive species into the area, only to take what is needed, minimize damage to surrounding species, and show gratitude. If you have questions about your subject and whether it fits these parameters, please email Hawaii.Nei.Art@gmail.com.

Selection:

All artwork will be processed through an initial online screening and jurying. We ask the jurying team when selecting work to consider uniqueness of the native species, quality, craftsmanship, and overall presentation. We encourage artists to look beyond the well-known native species and explore the incredible diversity of our Hawaiʻi ecosystems including aquatic and marine. You will be notified by October 9th if your artwork has been selected for the exhibition. Final jurying and selection for awards will occur on November 1st. Artwork may not be selected for exhibition despite adherence to rules. PLEASE UNDERSTAND that your artwork may still be juried out despite adhering to all the guidelines.

The exhibition opens: Friday, Nov. 3

Opening Reception: Friday, Nov. 3 from 4:00pm - 7:00pm

The exhibition closes: Thursday Dec. 14 

Artists must pick-up work: 

Hilo Side: Wailoa Center Friday, Dec. 15, between 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Kona Side: Akamai Arts parking lot Friday, Dec. 15, at 10:00 AM 

Note: Maximum of five entries per artist, with $15 non-refundable entry fee for each submittal. 

Prizes: Monetary prizes will be awarded for 1st Place, 2nd Place and Jurors' Choice.

Sales: All selected adult entries are required to be for sale; youth entries are not. If artwork is sold during the exhibition, 60% goes to the artist and 40% will go to the Hawai‘i Island Art Alliance and the Three Mountain Alliance Foundation, which will help support fine arts in the community as well as native species protection and environmental education. Minimum sale price for artwork is $20. Artists may also donate their portion of the sale as a tax-deductible gift.

Adult Division Jurors: 

Andrea Pro

Statement: I make my home on the slope of Hualālai Mountain on a lovely five-acre coffee and macadamia nut farm in Kahaluʻu, Kona on the island of Hawaiʻi. My primary inspiration and focus is expressing the essence of Hawaiʻi nei through my art. I volunteer with conservation organizations planting native trees and collecting seeds. By hiking and working in the forests I learn about native birds, insects, plants and ecosystems. The generosity of botanists and conservation leaders helps me convey the essence of our beloved species and their relationships within their native habitats. My primary medium is woodcut printmaking. I create original art by hand-printing multiple carved blocks for each image, using traditional Japanese woodcut printmaking techniques.

Nainoa Rosehill

Nainoa Rosehill is an interdisciplinary artist and ethnographer, born and raised in the district of Puna on Hawaiʻi Island, who uses the terminal knowledge systems of Hawaiʻi to share stories of place based community, nation building, and the interweaving of peoples and histories to inspire deeper relationships with, and understandings of, regional land-based community. His work blends charged materials, ritual, and written and oral histories; superimposing them together in a matrix of becoming, reflecting the ever evolving, rhizomatic, natures of the contemporary indigenous nation in a post colonial world.

Application Requirements

Application Requirements:

The main subject(s) of your piece(s) must be a species native to Hawai‘i Island which can include both indigenous (naturally occurs in other places) and endemic (specific to one place) species. Native species found exclusively on other islands will not be accepted. All species found from ridge to reef on the island are acceptable. Artwork highlighting non-native species, including Polynesian introductions, will not be accepted.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility:

Only residents of the Island of Hawai‘i (Big Island) are eligible to participate. All works must be original (no prints or giclèe unless photography or digital work), have been created in the last two years and must not have been previously shown in any other exhibition, gallery, or website. Artwork in any medium or combination of media is welcome.