Artwork Subject Eligibility

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.

Native Species Definitions & Resources

Both indigenous and endemic refer to native species (which arrived naturally to Hawaiʻi without the help of humans via one of the 3Ws - wind, waves, or wings). 

• Indigenous is a species that is naturally found in Hawaiʻi, but also naturally found in other locations. A great example is naupaka kahakai - native to Hawaiʻi and also native to other Pacific islands. Most likely travelled around using ocean currents.

• Endemic is a native species that arrived to Hawaiʻi (via 3Ws), evolved over time, and is now found nowhere else in the world. Example - ʻōhia, its ancestor most likely came from New Zealand. It arrived here naturally then over millions of years evolved into a completely and genetically different species that's only found in Hawaiʻi.

Both endemic and indigenous species are acceptable for Hawaiʻi Nei. However, when a species is specifically endemic to another island then it is not eligible. For example, the Puaiohi, or Kauaʻi Thrush (Myadestes palmeri), is exclusively found in the Alakaʻi Swamp on Kaua‘i. We have been a little lenient on this when it comes to the youth artwork because this can be a really tricky concept to grasp. 
 

We put together this short video (4 min) that might be helpful to watch if you are a more visual learner:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ2cZ_r0CSo

Hawaiʻi Nei Resource Page

• https://www.hawaiineiartexhibition.org/resources.html

Artwork Selection

All artwork will be processed online using the entry image. We ask the jurying team when selecting work to consider uniqueness of the native species, quality, craftsmanship, and overall presentation of the piece. 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 7th if your artwork has been selected for the exhibition. PLEASE UNDERSTAND that your artwork may still be juried out despite adhering to all the guidelines.

Important Dates

Submission window closes: October 4, 2024 (5:00 PM HST)
Artist notification: October 7, 2024 (4:00 PM HST)

Accepted Artwork Drop-off:

• Wailoa Center: Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 10:00am-2:00pm
• Kona pick-up at Akamai Arts parking lot: Friday, September 25, 2024 at 10:00am (artwork dimensions for transport cannot exceed 40"x40" including packaging)

The exhibition opens: November 1, 2024
Opening Reception: November 1, 2024, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
The exhibition closes: December 12, 2024

Artwork Pick-up:

• Wailoa: Thursday Dec 12 from 4:00pm-5:00pm or Friday Dec 13 from 10:00am-1:00pm
• Akamai Art parking lot: Friday, December 13, 10:00am

Submitting Artwork 

To enter, participants must have or create a Café account. All images to be uploaded to their portfolio in Café. The maximum file size that will be accepted is 5 MB. Please see the links below for more info on submitting your best quality images. 

Image Requirements: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/uploading-media/

Preparing Images for Download: https://www.callforentry.org/preparing-your-image-files-for-upload/

Photographing your work: https://www.callforentry.org/photographing-artwork/

Entry Fees 

$15 non-refundable entry fee per each submission. Maximum of five entries per artist. All images or videos must be submitted digitally and will be judged by jurors based upon files submitted. If you have additional photos of a piece, please email them to hawaii.nei.art@gmail.com.

 

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. 

 

Juror Information 

Carl Pao: 

Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu in 1971, Carl graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1989. He earned a BFA at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa in 1994, with an emphasis in Ceramics (Outstanding Senior Ceramic Student Award). Carl received his MFA with first-class honors in 1999 from Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa. He returned to Hawai'i in 2000 to take his current full-time teaching position at the Kamehameha Schools High School in the Visual Arts. In January 2018, Carl transferred to the Keaʻau campus. Outside of his teaching schedule, Carl continues to create his own art. He initiated a series of growing exhibits based on the Hawaiian concept of Maka with the most recent, Makahā 2016, successfully showing at the Arts at Marks Garage. Carl was the inaugural Artist in Residence at the Australian National University (ANU) College of Asia and the Pacific in July 2012; concluded a successful group exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in July 2011; was co-owner/operator of the lodestar collective gallery in Kailua; the volunteer Arts Editor for The Contemporary Pacific journal (TCP) from 2008-2011; host and co-producer of the educational art series Art Hunter: and is currently exhibiting in shows both locally and abroad. Carl also works on various commercial and private art commissions. Carl lives with his wife and daughter in ‘Olaʻa on the island of Hawaiʻi.

Juror Statement:

The Hawai'i Nei Exhibition historically brings a diverse representation, of not just our dynamic ecosystem, but also our artistic community. As a juror for this yearʻs exhibition, I will be looking for a mixture of realism and abstraction. More importantly, I want to see that connection that the artist has with their subject. These subjects are much more than objects for our creative endeavors, they are our kūpuna.

Danya Weber:

Danya Weber is a conservation biologist and artist focused on the preservation of native Hawaiian biodiversity. Danya is the founder of Laulima, a conservation-oriented brand. She is also the director of Laulima Nature Center, a community hub centered around native species outreach and education.

Juror Statement: 

For this year's entries, I am looking for artworks that highlight Hawaiʻi's lesser-known endemic species as well as artworks that showcase the remarkable symbiotic relationships shared between native species. Additionally, I hope to see pieces that utilize mixed media. 
 

Awards

NEW! This year we are steering away from acknowledging only a few individuals with awards and moving towards celebrating everyone participating in Hawaiʻi Nei who are creating incredible artwork inspired by our native species. There will still be an initial round of jurying for accepted artwork, but all artists featured in the exhibition will receive recognition and a makana (gift). We hope this will help refocus the purpose of this event which is education, awareness, and community celebration.  
 

About Hawaiʻi Nei 

Millennium ago, a few hearty seeds and animals made it to Hawaiʻi and over time, they evolved into many different species, especially suited to the unique environment of our islands. Hawaiʻi Nei was created with the intent to celebrate these kamaʻāina while educating the public about these same organisms. Artists of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to learn more about the plants, animals, and habitats native to Hawaiʻi Island and depict these species in the media of their choosing. As a result, the exhibition features works from elementary students to renowned local artists; photography to sculpture: all focusing on the unique flora and fauna that makes our home distinctively Hawaiʻi.

Since 2009, Hawai‘i Nei has been a collaboration among the Three Mountain Alliance, a watershed partnership working across private, state, and federal lands to sustainably manage over one million acres for natural and cultural resources; the Hawaiʻi Island Art Alliance (HIAA), the Hawai‘i State Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and Hawaiʻi State Parks Wailoa Center, serving East Hawai‘i for over 30 years as a center of culture, arts, and information.

About Wailoa Center

Located in Piʻopiʻo and the Wailoa River State Recreation Area, Wailoa Center is Hawai’i Island’s largest venue for showcasing the work of local and international artists. With exhibits that change monthly, the two galleries within Wailoa Center offer opportunities that provide inspiration and exposure to artists and community members alike. The Wailoa Center is free and open to the public.

Application Requirements

• Completed Portfolio on CAFE with 1 - 5 artwork samples
• Submission fee: $15 per entry (non-refundable)
• Optional Artist or Artwork Statement

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to Hawaiʻi Island artists only.
• Open to any media (2D, 3D, video, etc).
• No reproductions or AI generated or assisted art will be accepted.
• 2D works must be no larger than 7’ tall x 9’ wide’; 3D works must not be taller than 10ʻ.
• Artwork must have been created in the past two years.
• Artwork can NOT have been previously exhibited at Wailoa Center.
• This exhibit will be displayed in a State Parks facility, thus artwork with sensitive subject matter (i.e. nudity, offensive religious or political statements, and or violence) may be juried out.
• If accepted, all work MUST be gallery quality installation ready to hang or be easily installed. If you have questions about the installation of your work, please contact Wailoa Center, (808) 933-0416 or dlnr.sp.wailoacenter@hawaii.gov