Cordes Hoffman - Honolulu Academy of Art

Cordes Hoffman (current MA student) has been an intern in the Asian Art department at the Honolulu Academy of Art. She is responsible for the selection of artwork featured in the current rotation of Chinese paintings in HAA's Gallery 16. Hoffman also wrote the explanatory text that accompanies the exhibition.

Grace Moon, The L Word, and Velvetpark

After completing her BFA at UHM in 1991, Grace Moon (formerly Loftus) went on to attain a MFA at Pratt Institute. She has been in LGBT media since 2002. First operating her own lesbian print magazine, followed by being The L Word website's managing editor. In 2004 Moon founded a lesbian arts and culture publication called Velvetpark.

Meanwhile she continues to make art and show her work in New York City and elsewhere. Moon's personal website.

Deb Aoki at eBay

Deb Aoki (BFA 1989) is currently working at eBay in the "user experience design" group. She is mostly a writer but also often use the design training she received at UHM to create visual diagrams of user flows (assisting users in finding relevant information). Aoki writes,

"Compared to some of the other 'content strategists' in my team -- my fluency in "design-speak" allows me to work with user interface designers and graphic designers much more seamlessly, and much more collaboratively, than just writing words to fill a space on a page. I do a lot of sketching, and in this world, it's a rare and useful skill."

Aoki has also worked at Microsoft / MSN, Citysearch, KaiserPermanente.com and Art.com. She has found that her art training has served her well to THINK differently than the average MBA, and come up with new customer-centric solutions.

Meanwhile, or all the while, Aoki continues to work in comics.

Culminating MA lecture by Gary Liu

THE MAKING OF UNOFFICIAL SPACE: Negotiating Controlled Spaces in Contemporary Chinese Art
The culminating MA lecture by Gary Liu (current MA student)

Thursday, May 7 @ 3pm, Art Building Room 101

Cassandra Jackson (formerly Locke) with The Joinery

Cassandra Jackson (formerly Locke) - BFA alum, is currently in Portland working with The Joinery, a company known for its handmade green home furniture. Cassandra wears many hats there - as a furniture design consultant in addition to contributing to The Joinery's graphic design, PR & community education.

Maika'i Tubbs at Town, Chinatown Boardroom, and elsewhere

VIGNETTE Maika‘i Tubbs (BFA 2002) transforms plastic utensils
into whimsical creations
now showing at Town Restaurant, 3435 Wai‘alae Avenue (on the corner of 9th and Wai‘alae Avenues) through June 6.

Maika‘i Tubbs’ Vignette series provides commentary on the overgrowth of plastic in our environment. Inspired by the Woodrose vine, he uses ordinary plastic forks, spoons and knives to create playful sculptures of foliage. His new work also features paintings that mimic the vine’s lethal beauty.

Maika‘i Tubbs is from Kapahulu on the island of O‘ahu. A 1996 graduate of Kamehameha Schools, he received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2002. Though drawing and painting were his first loves, he eventually developed an interest in repurposing everyday objects to expose their undiscovered potential. His penchant for collecting obsolete items has helped him focus on making the irrelevant relevant by telling new stories with objects rich in their own histories. From toy soldiers and syringes to packing tape and glue, Tubbs continues to find new ways to explore different materials by breaking down their original intent.

Upcoming shows include HUA at Chinatown Boardroom, 1160 Nu‘uanu Avenue, from May 5 - 30 and Visual Stories: Contemporary Native Hawaiian Art and Craft at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Schaefer International Gallery, on the island of Maui from September 13 - October 24.

BOOM: The New Deal - BFA Graphic Design Portfolio Show

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa senior BFA design students invite you to
BOOM: The New Deal
BFA Graphic Design Portfolio Show, a risk-free, high-reward experience for all.
Be there to see their best design work and give them feedback and advice.

Thursday, May 7, 2009 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Art Building Auditorium, Room 132

DESIGNERS: Ricky Chan • Joshua Dyogi • Resha Hanson • Sakino Hikichi • Takuya Kamibayashi • Annie Nguyen • Bao Nguyen • Angelica Rabang • Gary Saito • Michelle Saoit • Aki Takebayashi • Hiromi Zimmerman

For more information on this event, visit http://www.hawaii.edu/art/portfolio/ or email aigauhm@gmail.com.