Jonathan Swanz is bringing Vibrant Matter to the Public

 Since graduating with his MFA at UH, Jonathan Swanz has taken his glass art on an impressive global stage.  He has worked in various locations across the U.S. with permanent collections in the Headly-Whittney Museum in Lexington, KY and Jewish Hospital and Hilliard Lyons in Louisville, KY.  

After graduation from UH and before taking permanent residence in Louisville, Swanz traveled throughout Europe as an apprentice for esteemed artists Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisburg.  Since 2005 Swanz has been working independently with his own studio in Louisville while doing installments around the nation.  

The most recent installment is soon to take place in Eugene Oregon.  Lane Community College will be featuring one of Swanz latest glass sculptures titled Right of Passage as part of his Vibrant Matter: Sculptures in glass.  The installation will be open from March 31st- April 24th and will include a lecture on April 2nd and special dance performances.  Stop by Lane Community College if you're in the area and check out Jonathan Swanz incredible craftsmanship!

Lawrence Seward Sets a new Standard for Hawaiian Artists

Lecturer Lawrence Seward was recently featured at SPF Project in Kakaako for his exhibition titled The End of the Rainbow.  Seward's exhibit featured photography, sculpture, and painting to bring humor and serious issues to light in the Hawaiian community.  Liz Miller wrote a complimentary article for The Offsetter in which she said:

"Seward delivers social commentary by interweaving a labyrinth of materials and methodologies. His witty discourse between form, content, and context is both thought-provoking and unpredicted. The End of The Rainbow is an intellectually stimulating show, and it fills a void in Honolulu’s much-too-often homogeneous contemporary art scene. Can the local art market expand enough to support more challenging exhibitions like Seward’s? I certainly hope so."

Click here for the full article.

Alum Spotlight: Kayleen Roberts

Shangri La poolside view

Since spring of 2013 Kayleen Roberts received her BA in art history, gave birth to a son, and began an internship at Shangri La in preparation for applying to a graduate art conservation program.   Shangri La: Center for Islamic Arts and Cultures is a product of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.  Built in 1936-1938 Doris Duke worked closely with contractors and decorators to design and construct a gorgeous home overlooking the Pacific near Diamond Head.  Duke spent 60 years collecting various Islamic art.  When she passed away in 1993 she left multiple properties behind.  In 1998 the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art was established to help preserve, educate, and share Islamic culture with the local community, which included opening Doris Duke's home, Shangri La, to the public.

Conservation interns Kat Harada and Kayleen Roberts.
Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Honolulu, Hawai’i, 2013

In her time interning at Shangri La, Roberts has been busy with multiple tasks, however her tedious work restoring a wooden mirror within the Syria room has been exceptionally demanding.  Roberts recently wrote a post detailing the intricate restoration process which was featured on the Shangri La blog.  Click here to read her post describing the process to restore an ancient Islamic artifact.

Alum Spotlight: Jeff Kurosaki

BFA alulm Jeff Kurosaki has found his place within the New York art scene. After leaving the University of Hawai'i Jeff attained his MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art. It was at Cranbrook that Jeff met Tara Pelletier which lead to collaborations in many fronts. Their creative duo, the Friendly Falcons, has exhibited and performed at various events around New York as well as a European tour. Jeff and Tara also has a thriving artisanal business called Meow Meow Tweet (named after their bird and 2 cats), a natural apothecary. Based in Brooklyn, they support their work by producing small-batch, natural, vegan apothecary items like soaps, personal care and soy candles, all made by hand with whole ingredients.

Jeff took a minute from his busy schedule to give us a sneak peek into what he's up to now and how his time and UH helped him find his niche.  

What are you doing at the moment professionally?
I'm currently participating in the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace program with Tara. Concurrently, we are preparing for the opening of our show, Urban Heat Island, at Real Art Ways in Hartford, Connecticut, as well as a group show, Art into Music, at BRIC House in Brooklyn. All the while Tara and I do our best to keep up with Meow Meow Tweet.

How has majoring in Art/Art History helped you the most?
In the studio and the business, I am constantly negotiating how best to represent an experience. My art degree enables me with the technical skills and strategies to explore processes for communicating these ephemeral ideas though object based and/or conceptual projects.

If applicable, what internships or extra-curricular activities have you pursued while in college have been the most valuable to you personally and professionally?  Why? Toward the end of my undergraduate experience, I started working as an artist assistant.  It was an amazing opportunity which influenced my perspective on becoming a professional artist in a positive and "unidealized" way. It reinforced the importance of having a good work ethic while remaining true to one's vision.


Are there any “optional” elements of the undergraduate experience that you recommend students explore? I recommend that students take advantage of all the resources the department has to offer. Some of the best dialogue and challenges I encountered came from professors and peers outside of my area of specialization, which was in sculpture. 

Sewing Seams from Korea to Hawaii

Shin Hyo-Lee. Rose and Flying Skull

   Since graduating from UH, Jeeun Kim has been having an impact on Korean art as a professor at Kyungsung University in Busan, Korea.  Kim has recently come back to UH for a brief visit to showcase her students' art at the Hawaii Quilt to Busan Quilt exhibit.  The exhibit features artwork from students in the World Textile course at the Craft Design Department at Kyungsun University.

In preparation for the show, students studied Hawaiian quilts and then applied the artwork to create quilts reflecting personal backgrounds.  As assistant professor of the textile design, Kim has set up an exhibit at the Center for Korean Studies on the UH Manoa campus.

The opening reception was February 4th but the exhibit will continue to run until February 11th in the lobby of the Korean Studies building located on Maile Way.

Janell Nakahara Uses Her Talent to Boost Hawaii's Youth

      From a young age Janell Nakahara found an interest for art and anthropology.  Since discovering her love for art in the third grade, Nakahara found a way to follow her passion to UH Manoa where she graduated with a degree in Art History.  Now Nakahara is sharing her love of art and history with Hawaii's youth through the Honolulu Museum of Art's Art to Go outreach program.

The program titled "Philosophy and Art" is a new project in conjunction with Ala Wai Elementary School.  Kids have the chance to build self confidence and explore their creativity during the 12 week course that runs after school.  In a recent interview featured on the Honolulu Museum of Art's blog Nakahara explains how art helped her emerge from her shy childhood.  Her personal experience helps drive her to spark art interest in Hawaii's youth.  Click here for the full interview about Nakahara and the positive impact she is having on our community!

What Is Chance Carpenter Doing Now?

In 2010 Chance Carpenter left UH with his BA and has become a well-known and sought-after graphic design artist in Hawaii for the past three years.  He has jump-started his own business, Silhouette, which specializes in branding, advertising, and video production.  In the past year, Silhouette has taken off with it's new physical location on Hotel St. in Chinatown.  Along with the new location, Carpenter has added three employees.  Despite the growing demand for his creative talents, Carpenter says he plans on keeping the business small in order to have a more personal relationship with clients and boutique type of feel.  Carpenter's talent extends beyond his entrepreneurship, he is currently the creative director of Nude, a premier surf magazine for Hawaii. Check out the links to his websites for additional information.

Chance's work for Silhouette

Nude Surf Magazine