The Volcano Art Center (VAC) proudly announces a new exhibition of sculptural works titled the Worth Of Water at the Niaulani Sculpture Garden, located at VAC’ s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. The outdoor exhibition will be on display through January of 2026. Artists with works selected for this juried exhibition include Rachel Lyra Hospodar, Owen Fritts, Renata Jaworska, Ingrid Fregeau, and Henri Bianchini.
The Niaulani Sculpture Garden provides a space for Hawai`i’s talented sculptors to share their works. The dynamic interplay of sunlight, mist, and rain that is Volcano’s variable weather, against a backdrop of old-growth ‘ohi‘a – koa rainforest, provides the ideal setting for outdoor sculpture. Inspired by the unique nature of Kīlauea, artists’ creations are enhanced not only with with a sense of place, but also by the thoughtful design of landscape architect David Tamura within the Sculpture Garden.
The Worth of Water outdoor exhibition features works of art chosen by mixed-media sculptors Elizabeth Miller and Jonathan Sudler. The five sculptures curated for the exhibition delve into water’s diverse forms, exploring its sound, shape, and interaction with other environmental elements. A key part of the exhibit offers inviting visitors to reflect on how water remains central not only to physical life but also to cultural narratives worldwide. This theme is echoed by the Hawaiian Living Treasure, Mary Kawena Pukui, who spoke of water’s deep cultural significance in an interview with Kepā Maly in 1975, explaining, “The Hawaiian word for water is wai. The Hawaiian word for wealth is waiwai; wai is doubled, or said twice. When you have wai you have life, the ability to sustain yourself upon the land. Water is believed to be from the god Kāne i ka wai ola, Kāne the giver of the water of life.”
VAC hopes to honor the life giving waters of the Hawaiian rain forest with this collection of outdoor sculptures.
View the sculptures online HERE