Hoʻokupu, A collection of Pastels by Kathy Long
October 2nd – November 7th
At VAC Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Volcano Art Center will soon be displaying a new collection of pastel paintings by Hawaiʻi’s Island revered portrait artist Kathy Long. The exhibit titled Hoʻokupu features thirteen pastel paintings, nine of which have never been seen before. The exhibition, opening to the public on Saturday, October 2nd will continue through Sunday, November 7th daily from 9am – 5pm at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The exhibit can also be viewed online at www.volcanoartcenter.org
The collection on display for the Hoʻokupu exhibition is a tribute, “my gift to the beauty that is Kīlauea, Mauna Loa and the people who cherish it”, states Kathy. “In the middle of the ocean lies a treasure of unique beauty. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park runs from the mountains to the sea, an ever changing environment, an evolving tapestry of forest, barren rock desert and restless shores. It was here, in October of 1982, that I first experienced hula kahiko, or ancient hula, down on the floor of the Kīlauea caldera, by the fire pit, Halemaʻumaʻu. The combination of the artistry that I witnessed and the environment of Kīlauea itself left an indelible mark on my spirit and I have painted paintings of the Hawaiian culture and the park, for 39 years.”
Since 1982, Kathy Long has called the Big Island “home” once again. Daughter of the well-known artist Mary Koski, she lived in Hilo until she was eight. Her family then moved to the U.S. Mainland and later to Europe, where she graduated from one of the oldest schools in Scandinavia, and made her debut at the highly respected Waino Aaltonen Museum in Finland. That exhibit was the first of thirteen one-woman shows in Europe, followed by many more in the U.S. mainland and Hawai`i, including two past shows at the Volcano Art Center.
In 1979, Kathy and her art historian husband Bertil moved to Houston, Texas to open a highly successful fine arts gallery. In 1982 they moved to Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island where Bertil was curator of Richard Smart’s fabulous art collection at Parker Ranch until 2000.
Nearly everyone living in Hawai`i has seen at least one of Kathy’s masterfully executed drawings reproduced in countless publications as well as on the 2001 and 2002 Merrie Monarch Festival posters. She works from images she has photographed and then painstakingly and patiently imbues them with her love and respect for her subjects to create sensitive and exquisitely beautiful drawings.
Kathy explains “Volcano is a place of great energy and fuels peoples creativity. The Volcano Art Center has given people a place to showcase their artwork and a place for the world to view them. I have named this show Hoʻokupu (To Pay Tribute). I pay tribute to this beautiful and amazing place, and to the people and the culture who nurture and tend it. May this show be my blessing, my gift.”
Kathy Long will be present at VAC gallery on Sunday, October 3rd and 24th. Those wishing to meet the artist are welcome to VAC gallery for the special opportunity to talk story with the artist from 11am -1pm.
Mandatory mask wearing and social distancing protocol observed within VAC Gallery at this time.
View Hoʻopuku by Kathy Long HERE
Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth
Friday, October 8th – November 8th 2021
The Volcano Art Center is Happy to Announce our First Virtual Only Exhibit beginning online October 8th!
Studio Art Quilt Associates is pleased to announce Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth, Friday, October 8th to November 8th virtually at at VAC. Created as a group exhibit to shine a light on the issues facing the Pacific Ocean today, Shifting Tides is a collection of work by 45 artists chosen from the seven Pacific-facing regions of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). An international organization that promotes the quilt as an art form, SAQA has a history of inviting artists to explore topical, sometimes controversial topics. With this latest show, the organization’s west-coast members explore the earth’s largest ecosystem.
From their strikingly different vantage points—from Southern California northward to Western Canada and Alaska, plus Hawaiʻi—artists from a range of backgrounds were asked to express their concerns and feelings about the Pacific. “Merely because we live in this part of the world, we as individuals are part of the Pacific ecosystem. On a daily basis we may not recognize the changes that are happening, but they are of vital importance to our world,” write Georgia French and Sonja Campbell, co-chairs of the exhibit planning committee. “We were stunned with the variety and emotional intensity of their responses, as well as with the beauty and graphic impact of their work.”
The 45 works range widely in content and technique, drawing on realism, abstract, and non- representational depictions. The pieces on display were chosen from more than 160 submissions for SAQA artists. Curated by renowned textile artist, Ann Johnston, the exhibit offers a variation of style and context about the plight of oceans and the communities they support. “The topic demands a passion we all feel, and the quilts dealt with the subject and the passion in many different ways; all of them hit me as having merit and value,” explains Johnson. “The intention of the exhibit was not only to choose good pieces but also to include a representative range of habitats and issues in reference to our Pacific ecosystem. I also wanted to include a range of design approaches and construction techniques. I think the resulting exhibit is a showcase of art that will enlighten the viewers about quilts and encourage exploration of solutions to one of our most anguishing ecological problems.”
Whether you want to learn more about the issues plaguing the Pacific Ocean, crave a forum that amplifies your concerns, or just want to immerse yourself in images of its beauty, Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth promises to deliver.
SAQA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt as, mainly textile based fine art, creative visual work that is layered and stitched .Over the past 30 years, SAQA has grown into a dynamic and active community of nearly 4,000 artists, curators, collectors, and art professionals located around the world. Providing exhibitions, artist and collector resources, publications, and membership opportunities, the organization seeks to increase the public’s appreciation for the art quilt and to support members in their artistic and professional growth.
The Hawai’i SAQA region includes artists from the entire state who’s work is presented in person at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in conjunction with the virtual 7 region show. One of the pieces in the Shifting Tides virtual exhibit, by Hawai’i SAQA representative Phyllis Cullen, references Hawai’i Island’s active volcano. She includes a companion piece in the Hawai’i exhibit as well. In fact, much of the work in the local artists’ show references Hawaiian legends, flora and fauna, including abstract work influenced by Hawaiian culture, scenery and spirit. Diversity of style and subject, form and technique echo the huge variety and scope evident in this wonderful art form worldwide.
View the Virtual Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth Exhibit HERE
Please visit VAC’s Niaulani Campus at 19-4074 Old Volcano Rd in Volcano Village between 10am -4pm, Monday -Friday to view the Hawai’i regional SAQA quilts on display or view them online HERE.
