Art
Museum shops, galleries offer great gifts by Hawai'i artists
By Virginia Wageman
Advertiser Art Critic
In this time of exhortations to "buy Hawai'i," there is no better place to shop for special holiday gifts than the many museum shops and galleries that feature local artists' work. An added bonus we've noticed is a general softening of prices, with many artists offering their wares at prices considerably lower than before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Bibelot Gallery 1130 Koko Head Ave. (2nd floor) 738-0368
The Contemporary Museum Shop 2411 Makiki Heights Dr.
11th Annual Holiday Sale 641 Paopua Loop, Kailua
Gallery at Ward Centre 597-8034
Gallery 'Iolani Windward Community College
Honolulu Academy of Arts Shop 900 S. Beretania St.
Honolulu Printmakers Sale Academy Art Center, 1111 Victoria St. Today, 1-4 p.m.
Koa Gallery Kapi'olani Community College
Ku'u Home Collection Macy's, Ala Moana
Marks Garage 1159 Nu'uanu Ave.
Nohea Gallery Ward Warehouse
The shop at the Contemporary Museum has the most made-in-Hawai'i items — a tiny space chock full of varied and exciting offerings by artists from all of the islands.
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Where to find holiday gifts
523-3447
Sat., Dec. 8, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
261-8124
235-7346
532-8703
536-5507
734-9375
941-2345
Dec. 6-8, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
596-8128
596-0074
To be found here are Christmas stockings by members of the Handweavers Hui and by an artist who calls herself Tabula Rosa, who also makes fun ladies and angels that would serve well as tree or house decor.
The shop has a good selection of tree ornaments by, among others, Dave Landry, Ira Ono and Janet Killerman, a Kaua'i artist who has made cute reindeer with palm trees for antlers.
The best office gift in town, says shop manager Barbara Rau, is an artist-designed light switch plate, available in a variety of themes.
Wonderfully collaged and painted boxes by Betsy Robertson featuring cats, women, hearts, stars and other whimsical themes are a real find. They can be used to store, among other things, CDs, hats and lunches.
Also delightful are Lynne Schoonejongen Ohtani's papier mache cats, dogs and other creatures, and gaily painted hand-carved animal boxes by Lekkernunu, a local artist originally from South Africa.
No one should be without a ceramic mask festooned with feathers, curly wire and beads by Big Island artist Zeke Israel. From Kaua'i, there are fun wax-on-glass paintings by Sally French and painted wooden angels by Kimberly Blackburn.
For the home, there is wacky painted furniture by Sabra Feldstein. Margo Goodwill's painted mailboxes would improve any rural scene.
Although original framed artworks tend to be pricey, there are smaller pieces at the Contemporary Museum to be had for under $80 (prices go up to the thousands). Among the artists with a fairly large selection of pieces in the shop are Sanit Khewhok, Fabien Blanc, Russell Lowrey, James Kuroda, Kim Chai, Doung Young and Charles Valoroso.
Like all of the museum shops and galleries in town, the Contemporary Museum shop has a large selection of locally-created jewelry in all price ranges. Among the artists are Marta Howell, McKenna Hallett, Sandy Fujii and Gail Karlen Tsuru.
The shop at the Honolulu Academy of Arts seems to have a larger number of works by local artists since its move into the Luce Pavilion. Look for pawehe (decorated gourds) by Kathleen Kam and intricate wooden nene by Bob and Rita Holden.
Ceramics by Ed Higa, Esther Nowell and Meg Graves are reasonably priced, as are original prints by Lynn Cook, Shirley Hasenyager and Dietrich Varez. There are beautiful handblown glass forms in the shape of shells, in delicate translucent colors, by Diane Kelly and Bruce Clark.
The Koa Gallery Miniature Show, on view until Dec. 19, is one of the best places around to purchase artworks that are small in size and price by a roster of Hawai'i's top artists, among them Satoru Abe, Reiko Brandon, Lucille Cooper, Dorothy Faison, Linda Fong, Linda Hess, Alan Leitner, Noreen Naughton, Deborah Nehmad and Fred Roster. More than 100 artists are represented in the show.
At Gallery 'Iolani, original artwork and craft items made by Windward Community College students are being sold to support the gallery's programs. Included are handmade ornaments, note cards, prints, ceramics, photographs, paintings and drawings.
Each year Honolulu Printmakers has an open studio sale of prints made by its members. Prices are very reasonable, with most works about $100 or less. The featured print is Maile Yawata's "Mai Ka Pohaku," printed by David Smith in an edition of 40. Today is the last chance to pick up one of these prints.
The pre-Christmas sale to end all sales is that held by artists Vicky Chock, Beverly Creamer, Kay Mura, Jo Rowley, Donna Shimazu, Esther Shimazu and Cora Yee, now in its 11th year. Ceramics, jewelry, prints, drawings, cards and exotic collectibles will be among the offerings at this year's sale on Dec. 8 (641 Paopua Loop, Kailua).
A new place for holiday shopping is Marks Garage, which promises to have a hot selection of fine arts and crafts provided by members of Hawai'i Craftsmen, the Pacific Handcrafters Guild, the Hawai'i Watercolor Society and other individuals from the local arts community. Sale dates are limited to Dec. 6, 7 and 8.
Among Honolulu galleries, Bibelot, the Gallery at Ward Centre and Nohea have stocked their shelves and lined their walls with original pieces by local artists.
Bibelot has the most eclectic selection of gifts, ranging from lovely ceramic boxes by Janice Brown to colorful mugs by Marie Kodama, graceful turned bowls by Ed Potter, ceramic dishes by Judy Kawabata and, always a favorite, clay animal whistles by Sharon Nishi. Other items include textiles, tree ornaments, cards and Japanese furniture.
At the Gallery at Ward Centre, original watercolors of O'ahu's Windward beaches by Mark Norseth would please a Windward resident (or someone longing for our beaches). Also available are a number of small paintings and prints by Susie Anderson, Cindy Conklin, Chuck Davis, Helen Iaea, Jinja Kim, Jeanne Robertson, Roger Whitlock and George Woollard.
Ward Centre has a particularly good selection of jewelry by Barbara Edelstein, Joel Park, Charlene Tashima and Cynthia Wiig. Gallery artist Michael Lee, who works with koa, has brought in a good selection of elegant turned and carved wood pieces, and Steve Martin's ceramics include an award-winning pit-fired vessel. Colorful glass vases by Bud Spindt would also make fine gifts.
Nohea sells primarily locally-made art, craft and gift items, and many of the artists represented in other collections are also found here. This holiday season the gallery has many pieces made by local woodworkers, including Gerald Ben, Barry Ching, Kelly Dunn, Larry De Luz and Bob Veki.
The Ku'u Home collection, which Macy's has promised to keep, is also a fine resource for handcrafted items by Hawai'i artists, many by Native Hawaiians.
Do your shopping soon. Since artists' works are often one of a kind, you'll have the best selection if you shop early.
Virginia Wageman can be reached at VWageman@aol.com.
