Alumni News - Abigail Romanchak

BFA and MFA alumni Abigail Romanchak is currently the Printmaking Chair for PIKO, Gathering of Indigenous Visual Artists and an elementary art teacher at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. She has also held workshops for children at The Contemporary Museum and Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center. Romanchak was among the artists featured in the Degrees of Distinction Alumni Invitational Exhibition.

She writes, "I see my prints as a way to empower and assert a Hawaiian sense of identity and to perpetuate Hawaiian culture through art. I believe that native cultures are jeopardized once they stop speaking to people in present day. As an artist I seek to perpetuate traditional cultures not through traditional means, but contemporary ones, so that it may endure for generations to come."

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BFA & MFA students awarded John Young Scholarships

MFA students Lauren Adelman, Brian Chih-Chiang Lo, James Reed, Boz Schurr, and Allison Uttley were awarded 5 out of the 8 graduate John Young Scholarships in the Arts. BFA students Sarah Adams and Allison Hanabusa were awarded 2 of the 4 undergraduate John Young Scholarships in the Arts.
The purpose of the John Young Scholarship in the Arts is to provide assistance to students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences and pursuing a degree in any field related to the arts. These awards are made possible by the John Young Foundation to honor the late renowned artist, John Young, and to fulfill his wish to support students of the arts at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Gordon Sasaki

BFA and MFA Alumni Gordon Sasaki advocates inclusion through the arts and has spent the last 20 years working with special needs populations. Since 1982 when his spine was injured in an automobile accident he has used a manual wheelchair. This incident and subsequent life experience underscores the importance of creativity in individual and broader societal contexts. Gordon understands the role art plays in the development of observational, analytical and language skills, as well as self esteem and confidence building. "The arts are absolutely essential and fundamental to children with different learning abilities" In both his personal work and teaching he strives to include broader voices and audiences. " My work in Hawai'i and now in New York has sought to make visible that which is unseen". Sasaki is currently a Teaching Artist Educator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Gordon's work has been exhibited internationally in Belgium, Germany, Japan, Spain, and throughout the United States. Gordon has also been a recipient of awards and grants from the Pollock Krasner Foundation, The Puffin Foundation, The New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and Arts, PX3 de la Photographia in Paris, and the Joan Mitchell Foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Gordon Sasaki's artwork is currently on display at the UH Manoa Art Gallery as a part of the Degrees of Distinction: Alumni Invitational Exhibition.

Jason Minami

BFA Alumni Jason Minami has work currently exhibited in the Degrees Of Distinction: Alumni Invitational Exhibition.
Jason states: " Whether it is casting, blowing, welding, forging or fusing my artwork revolves around the process of transforming a solid material into a liquid state and yet back into a solid. When creating my work I hope to retain a sense of this energy movement, through form, line, and light."
While attending UH Jason discovered his passion for working with glass and his commitment to share his knowledge. Post BFA he studied at the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington and the Corning Museum of Glass studio in New York. In 2006 he received his MFA from Alfred University in New York. Jason is currently the studio manager and instructor at GlassRoots a non profit organization in Newark NJ.
GlassRoots was founded in January 2001 with the belief that communities can be transformed and elevated through the arts. GlassRoots provides the youth of Newark, NJ with a unique opportunity to develop their minds and confidence through the creation of glass art.
"I am very thankful for those who have taken time and energy to help me develop my passion and I hope to pass it on to others." says Jason Minami.

Malcolm Wong

In 2006 [MFA Alum] Malcolm Wong's screen play Dog Eaters won 3 Awards at the Screenwriters Expo 5 in L.A. One of the awards was to have The Dabel Brothers adapt Malcolm's screenplay into a comic book and graphic novel mini series.Issue 1 was released in the fall of 2008, and since then Issues 2 and 3 [out of 6] have followed .The storyline is:

" Mankind failed in its first attempt to transcend the Petroleum Age. The Die Off killed nine out of ten people worldwide. One hundred and seventy five years later, civilization consists of scattered nomadic tribes, isolated casino-cities, and roving bands of predatory bandits.This is the world of the Black Dog Clan."

New to the Dog Eaters Website is a music-animatic version of Issue #1 and a trailer narrated by Malcolm Wong. Dog Eaters is available in your friendly neighborhood comic book store and online! You can also find information about Dog Eaters on Myspace.

Maya Portner Opening at Contemporary Museum Cafe

“+/- Selected Works with Paper,” by Maya Lea Portner (MFA alum)
The exhibition of two-dimensional work includes drawings, paper-cuts, and sewn constructions. Through the use of patterns, Portner investigates the tension between the superficiality of decoration and the meanings of underlying motifs.
Opening Reception November 21, 1:30-3:30pm

November 17 to December 13, 2009
2411 Makiki Heights Drive in Honolulu
gallery hours: Tuesday – Sunday from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm.

MFA & BFA Students featured in Hawaiian Craftsman Exhibition

BFA student Rui Ann K. Apaka and MFA students Dustin Hart and Kumi Nakajima had work featured in the 2009 42nd Hawaiian Craftsman Annual Juried Statewide Exhibition. Pictured top left is the piece Women's Voices by: Rui Ann K. Apaka. This piece was awarded The Carol & Malcom Koga Emerging Artist Award [for concept].

"The woman's sized cape is created from a copy of the names and ages of female petitioners for the Anti-annexation petition presented to Congress in 1897. There were over 21,000 Hawaiians that signed the petition, approximately half were female signatures; the feather like shreds emphasize the number of people who petitioned the annexation. The cape is a reflection of my heritage as a Hawaiian woman, concerned with the future of the culture and growth of Hawaii and its place in the world." Rui Apaka (Women's Voices was purchased by the juror, Helen Drutt and is being sent to President Barack Obama)

Kumi Nakajima's four hand blown glass piece's Zen Garden Stones are pictured top right and Dustin Hart's two clay pieces Meeting in the End and Melting Pot are pictured bottom left.

Matasha Roessler Drucker Launches book on John Melvelle Kelly

Matasha Roessler Drucker [ MA Alum] has authored a new book Hawaiian Idyll: The Prints of John Melvelle Kelly (published by Honolulu Academy of Art, 2009.) Matasha will also hold a book signing on November 14th from 1-4 pm at the Honolulu Academy of Art.

Hawaiian Idyll is also available for purchase at the the Pegge Hopper Gallery where an exhibition of John Melvelle Kelly's work is currently being shown [the exhibition will run until November 14th]. For more information on the book and more: Honolulu Weekly and Star Bulletin.

John Szostak lectures at the Honolulu Academy

Image: Gerhard Richter, "Paper Fuji," 1996

MOUNT FUJI IN ART: FREE LECTURE AT THE HONOLULU ACADEMY OF ARTS
4:00PM Nov. 12 (Thurs) Sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu

In honor of the recent exhibition "Hokusai's Summit: 36 Views of Mount Fuji," John Szostak (Asst. Professor of Japanese Art History) will present a lecture entitled "Mount Fuji in Art," considering the various ways artists inside and outside of Japan have reflected and commented on this iconic mountain. The lecture is free of charge, and made possible by the auspices of the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu.

comPRESS, curated by Erika Johnston Molyneux reviewed

Marcia Morse reviews comPRESS, exhibition curated by Erika Johnson Molyneux (BFA alum) at ARTS at Marks Garage.
Mentioned in the article are all department affiliates; Gaye Chan (faculty), Lian Lederman (soon to be MFA alum) and Matt Ortiz (BFA alum), Deb Nehmad (MFA alum), Scott Groeniger (faculty), etc.

Design Program - AIGA Hawaii's 5-O Winners

Congratulations to the AIGA Hawaii's 5-O Winners from our Design Program!!

Awards of Excellence:
1) 2008 Environmental Council Annual Report
Designed by Design Workshop, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
Designers: Alban Cooper, Anna Fujishige, Etsuko Ono, & Megan Wong
Art Director: Anne Bush
Printed by Electric Pencil

2) Manoa Alcohol Project Student Planner
Designed by Design Workshop, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
Designers: Sakino Hikichi, Angelica Rabang, Michelle Saoit, & Aki Takebayashi
Art Director: Anne Bush
Printed by Hagadone Printing Company

Top 3 Students Awards:

deaf to Deaf
Designed by Jonathan Chinen

BOOM: The New Deal
Designed by Angelica Rabang & Michelle Saoit
Printed by Edward Enterprises, Inc.

Liliha: Draw/Withdraw
Designed by Jonathan Chinen

Top 5 Print Award:

Jonathan Chinen's "deaf to Deaf" book was also awarded one of the Top 5 Print category prizes. This was the first time a student project was included in this category.

Gary Liu Curatorial Project Opening at HAA

Gary Liu [MA Alum] has recently curated the exhibition Tumultuous Traditions: Chinese Ink Painting in the 2oth Century at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The show will be up from November 5th to February 21st 2010. Gary Liu also currently teaches art history at BYU-Hawaii.

Corinne Kamiya's New York City Debut

Corinne Kamiya (BFA alum) shows with Tracey Moffatt and Janet Nolan.
Nov 12 - Dec 1, 2009 at nolongerempty
Opening reception on Nov 12 - 6-9pm
223 East Broadway

Yongsheng Yang Solo Exhibition at TCM

MFA student Yongsheng Yang's solo exhibition Eternal Insects- Printmaking Exhibition is up at The Contemporary Museum Cafe Gallery. The exhibition is up from October 12th to November 12th. The exhibition includes several, insect themed, series of prints Yongsheng made between 1991 and 2006. Some of these prints have been included in international exhibitions, national printmaking exhibitions in China, or collected by the National Art Museum of China

There is an opening reception for Eternal Insects on Saturday November 7th from 1:30- 3:30 at TCM cafe gallery [ 2411 Makiki Heights Drive].

Junko Wong: Behind Blythe Artist Lecture

Junko Wong [BFA Alum] is one of the 24 featured artist in the current exhibition Degrees of Distinction up at the University of Hawai'i Art Gallery. Junko is the founder and president of Cross World Connections International, a firm that represents international artists and illustrators. In 2002 CWC along with Gina Garan and Takara spearheaded the revival of the Blythe Doll [Blythe was manufactured for one year in 1972]. Since the revival of Blythe, CWC has designed 50 Neo-Blythe's and 60 Petite Blythe's, along with various Blythe merchandise and apparel.

Star Bulletin interview

Junko will be giving an artists lecture Behind Blythe: Creative Direction Behind a Pop Cult Icon, on November 17th 6 pm at the UH Art Building Auditorium. Coinciding with this lecture will also be a book signing.

Degrees of Distinction Exhibition

Last Sunday October 25th marked the opening of the Degrees of Distinction Exhibition.  24 Alumni were invited to participate in this exhibition which commemorates 85 years of Art Department Alums varied success's. Celebrated in this exhibition are artists, art historians, educators, and curators - both local, and global. Last Wednesday October 28th there was also an artist lecture by two of the featured Alums : Jason Minami and Gordon Sasaki, both are artists and educators.

The show which will be up until December 11, 2009 has recently been featured in the Star Bulletin.