Over the next few minutes we will be breaking down everything we know about art in Honolulu in full detail and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.
After that we will get into a variety of other topics like art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, local sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.
Contents
You can jump straight to any section that interests you most by using the table of contents on the left and we are also including a Honolulu art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it.
If you are traveling around Hawaii we have also written about Maui at that link.
Best Art Galleries & Museums In Honolulu
When you are ready to check out the best art galleries and museums in Honolulu try these:
- The Honolulu Museum of Art at 900 S Beretania St
- Hawaii State Art Museum at 250 S Hotel St
- Tabora Gallery at 2005 Kalia Rd
- The Arts at Marks Garage at 1159 Nuuanu Ave
- Cedar Street Galleries at 817 Cedar St
- Nohea Gallery at 4211 Waialae Ave
- Art on the Zoo Fence at 2760 Monsarrat Ave
- John Young Museum Of Art at 2500 Dole St
- Downtown Art Center at 1041 Nuuanu Ave, 2nd Fl
A museum, an art school, the HoMA Café and Coffee Bar, and the HoMA Shop are all part of the Honolulu Museum of Art which opens at 10am Thursday through Sunday. Through the study, preservation, presentation, and production of art Hawai‘i’s culture center aims to provide relevant and transformational experiences.
The Hawaii State Art Museum is open from 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday located on the second floor of the No. 1 Capitol District Building and is run by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. There are three galleries in the museum including a permanent display of Hawaiian art in addition to changing temporary shows. It features 132 works of art by 105 artists that reflect Hawaii’s ethnic and cultural heritage with exhibitions that depict the diverse cultural influences that inspire the creativity of local artists via a wide range of artistic styles, movements, and media.
Original paintings, limited editions, and open edition artwork, metal art, glass, ceramic and lucite sculptures, wood bowls, and jewelry by a number of local and international artists can be found at Tabora Gallery from 11am to 7pm daily.
The ARTS at Marks Garage has been a nonprofit community facility managed by artists since 2001 attracting over 45,000 yearly visitors to twelve major interdisciplinary exhibits and more than 150 performances, talks, screenings, and workshops. Head over from noon to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday to see all that they have to offer.
Over 350 artists in your area are represented at Cedar Street Galleries from noon to 5m Monday through Friday and until 4pm on Saturday where you will see more than 3,500 unique works both contemporary and historical.
The Nohea Gallery is open from 10am to 7pm most days and until 6pm on Sunday as a community resource that connects artists and craftsmen near you with individuals who value authentically produced Hawaiian arts and crafts. Original paintings by some of Hawaii’s most well-known artists, koa bowls, boxes, frames, and furniture made with great care along with locally blown glass, ceramics, and a wonderful assortment of jewelry ranging from island girl chic to classic wedding rings can all be found at Nohea.
Art on the Zoo Fence is a non-profit organization founded in 1953 by a group of local painters that is classified as an Art Mart by the City and County of Honolulu which means they exclusively sell and show two-dimensional (2D) artwork, typically paintings in oils, acrylics, or watercolor, and photography. Original paintings and prints are frequently sold by artists and you can see all they have to offer from 9am to 3pm Saturday and Sunday.
The John Young Museum of Art is now a 2,000+ square foot complex that includes galleries, workshops, a small research library, an office, and an outdoor courtyard that are open to the public from noon to 4pm Wednesday through Sunday.
If you want to visit a really nice non-profit gallery that puts on great exhibitions and fundraisers while doing incredible work promoting local creators head to the Downtown Art Center. You can also buy some supplies at their shop or take classes in a variety of media and the doors are open from 11am to 6pm Tuesday through Sunday.
Materials & Supplies Near You
New materials or supplies can be purchased at art stores in your area like:
- Hawaiian Graphics at 1923 S Beretania St
- House Mart Ben Franklin Crafts at 2810 Paa St
- Hcc Art Supply at 874 Dillingham Blvd
- Deco Clay at 1016 Kapahulu Ave D280
Creators may browse Hawaiian Graphics’ large range of high-quality art supplies to complete their projects without breaking the budget as it is Honolulu’s one-stop store for all of its art supply requirements.
In Kahului, Maui, the first Ben Franklin Store opened in 1951 which marked the start of the family-owned and controlled company’s expansion into over 30 retail locations. House Mart Ben Franklin Crafts is the new generation of community craft businesses focusing on items and services that will make any family gathering, school project, or artistic endeavor more enjoyable and exciting.
Hcc Art Supply is serving Honolulu Community College with textbooks, school supplies, and more.
Deco Clay Craft Academy’s certified instructors offer classes to create lifelike flowers, ornaments, accessories, and other art and craft items.
Shows & Events
Some of the top local art shows and events in Hawaii can be found here like:
- Hawaii, POW! WOW! in February
- Pan-Pacific Festival in June
- Aloha Festivals in September
POW! WOW! has evolved into a worldwide network of artists since its founding in 2010 organizing gallery exhibits, lecture series, schools for art and music, mural projects, a huge creative space called Lana Lane Studios, concerts, and live art installations all around the world. The Hawaii event is the longest-running annual POW! WOW! and it takes place in Honolulu’s Kaka’ako area during Valentine’s Day week in February bringing together over a hundred international and local artists to create murals and other kinds of art.
The Pan-Pacific Festival is an annual three-day cultural celebration that takes place in and around Waikiki over a weekend in June offering a diverse range of cultural arts, crafts, food, and stage acts in a variety of venues.
The Aloha Festivals are a free yearly series that is the country’s sole statewide cultural festival. Each year around 30,000 individuals volunteer to help plan, organize, and work at the Aloha Festivals as 1,000,000 individuals from all over the state as well as tourists from all over the world are entertained by their efforts.
Art Dealers & Appraisers
Art dealers and appraisers in your area are where you can encounter new unique works or learn the value of something you already own:
- Wyland Galleries Hawaii at 226 Lewers St
- Fine Art Associates at 3555 Harding Ave #201
Wyland Galleries Hawaii has Wyland classics as well as never-before-seen originals along with pleasant experienced art advisors that can assist you in finding the right piece of art to appreciate for years to come.
Fine Art Associates provides art program planning and implementation to architects, designers, developers, and private people from idea creation to acquisition and installation. As a member of the design team they assist in the selection of artwork that meets the project’s requirements.
Tabora, Zoo Fence, and the Nohea Gallery from some other lists also sell art near you.
Walking Tours
See 23 distinct sights in downtown Honolulu with the mobile-friendly Capital District Walking Tour that starts at 250 S Hotel Street. You may use the interactive map to go to local historic buildings and memorials in the region starting at the State Capitol.
Sculptures & Statues
These statues and sculptures can also be fun to check out:
- Eternal Flame Memorial at 420 S Beretania St #356
- King Kamehameha Statue at 417 S King St
- Sky Gate at 558 S King St
- Public Art Makua & Kila at Kūhiō Beach
- Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue at Kalakaua Ave
- King David Kalākaua Statue at 2050 Kalakaua Ave
The Eternal Flame Memorial burns in perpetuity in commemoration of the assault on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and as a tribute to the men and women of Hawaii who have served in the US military services.
The 18-foot bronze King Kamehameha Statue was sculpted by Thomas Gould in Florence and is one of Oahu’s most photographed sights. This monument is ceremoniously wrapped with flower lei wreaths on the Friday closest to June 11, Kamehameha Day, to honor Hawaii’s greatest king.
Between the Honolulu Municipal Building and the Mission Memorial Auditorium is an expanse of lawn where Sky Gate may be found. The City and County commissioned Isamu Noguchi, who is well known for his Red Cube at 140 Broadway in New York City, in 1977.
The narrative Makua Lives on the Beach by Fred Van Dyke about a little boy’s connection with a Hawaiian monk seal inspired Public Art Makua and Kila.
Jan Gordon Fisher’s Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue is a 9-foot bronze-like statue with surfboard castings, honorary spears, and bronze plaques in his memory.
On February 8th, 1991 the King David Kalākaua Statue was dedicated at Waikiki Gateway Park after being sculpted by the artist Sean K.L. Browne.
Honolulu Art Classes
It doesn’t matter if you want private lessons or group classes for kids, teens, or adults the best art schools in Honolulu are:
- Honolulu Museum Of Art School at 1111 Victoria St
- Zwick Academy of Fine Art at 1109 Maunakea St
- Rainbow Art Studio Hawaii at 4300 Waialae Ave #B 1206
- Oahu Art & Tech at 2334 S King St
Since 2012 the Zwick Academy of Fine Art has worked to provide traditional drawing and painting students with the greatest standard. ZAFA gives students access to conventional approaches and straightforward methodical methods of approaching classic realism through workshops, seminars, private lessons, academic programs, and weekly model sessions.
Rainbow Art Studio offers lessons for all ages in your area with encouragement and support. They have created entertaining and instructive curricula that go above art education requirements and motivate all children to achieve their creative potential.
Oahu Art and Tech offers a broad range of art and crafts, music and dance, immersive language and engineering as well as robotics programs while working with local educational and commercial groups to teach the larger population creative classes.
Art classes are also available at the Honolulu Museum and Downtown Art Center from our initial best galleries in Honolulu list.
Studios For Rent Near You
Those of you who are ready to start a big project can find art studios like:
- Chinatown Artists’ Lofts at 1116 Smith St
- Lana Lane Studios at 327 Lana Ln
- Ola Ka ’Ilima Artspace Lofts at 1025 Waimanu St
The Chinatown Artists’ Lofts can be found in the Mendonca Building which overlooks a tranquil courtyard with tropical vegetation and has been restored and are available for rent.
Lana Lane Studios is a multi-media and genre artist collaborative near you that provides a platform for creatives to work and learn from one another.
Ola Ka ‘Ilima Artspace has about 17,000 square feet of community and greenspace including a playground area and a community room that will be open for rehearsals, exhibits, performances, and events to residents, collaborating non-profit groups, and the surrounding community.
Framing
For art framing services in Honolulu head to:
- The Art Board at 1255 S Beretania St
- Pacific Gallery & Frames at 1113 Artesian St
- Pictures Plus at 670 Auahi St
- Art Attacks at 3389A Campbell Ave
- Art Source & Designs at 212 Mohonua Pl
- HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts at 2810 Paa St
The Art Board creates stunning custom frames in your area for collectors and people all across Oahu’s island and they are proud of their ability to take consumer ideas and turn them into reality.
Pacific Gallery & Frames is family-owned and run and is thrilled to continue doing what it does best which is framing visual art in the finest possible way from posters to exquisite paintings and anything in between.
At the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet in 1986 In 1986 Pictures Plus debuted and from those modest beginnings the company has expanded to include everything from artwork and frames to cabinets, closet systems, and home décor.
Art Attacks was created by owner and artist Larry Foster and is located on Campbell Avenue in Kapahulu, a short walk from Waikiki in the center of town. The frame business opened in October 1997 serving clients in need of bespoke photo frames, frame maintenance, and more recently graphic design.
Art Source & Designs is a custom picture frame company that offers a variety of moulding lines ranging from affordable and simple to a large selection of traditional gold and silver as well as contemporary forms. Beautiful Hawaiian koa, maple, walnut, and cherry types are also available.
Some other cities we have written about are:
Have Fun Enjoying The Honolulu Art Scene
We just covered the best galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers near you.
Anyone that made it this far probably knows a lot about the local art scene in Hawaii. Feel free to share your own tips, or to let us know if you noticed anything incorrect.
Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies, or doing anything that has to do with art in Honolulu!
