ART REVIEW
Art bought with public money enriches the Islands

By Victoria Gail-White

A sculpture of a man sits at a bus stop reading a newspaper. Embedded into his aloha shirt are the headlines, "Moon Men Warmest Welcome from Hawaii," "Rapid Transit Streetcar Track in Kapiolani Park," "First Airplane Ride Flight in Hawaii," "Hokulea Sails to Tahiti." All are rendered from the printing plates of the millennium issues of local newspapers, The Advertiser included. Sculptor Jodi Endicott pressed the plates, or rubber stamps made from the plates, into the concrete or onto pieces of clay that were set into the concrete.

Installed by forklift at the bus stop at Bishop and King streets, the sculpture — titled "What Next? Wearing our past and looking to the future" — was commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts in 2000. Said Endicott, "It represents all the ways one might get to Hawai'i: by boat, plane, telecommunications, land, space — or you could be cloned."

This is an example of art that's been purchased with public money — your money — and it's an example of what can happen when people develop a relationship with public art.

What is amazing about this sculpture, besides the detailed execution, is people's reactions to it. Everybody seems to love this guy.

Endicott, too, has a growing affection for her creation based on the many stories she has heard from people's response to the statue. Passers-by put food, lei, newspapers, pennies and cigarettes on or around him. Bus drivers stop, thinking he is a fare, then close the doors in irritation when they realize he's a statue.

Endicott hadn't named Future Man. But that didn't really matter — within minutes, Barbara Watt, a kama'aina senior, appeared and asked who was leaving all this trash next to "Bill." The trash she was referring to was the crate of cleaning supplies Endicott uses to remove graffiti and other contaminants from the surface of the concrete and metal.

Watt has a genuine affection for Bill. "He represents what Hawai'i is all about," she said as she patted the statue on the hat. "He is so beautiful and so well done."

She shared a few stories of her vigilant observations of Bill; she visits often to clean and pick up trash. Watt has taken numerous photographs of him — with tourists from all over the world who come downtown from cruise ships docked at Aloha Tower, as well as office workers from downtown who sit on his lap. Watt, especially, has a blast with Bill; he is her ambassador. Her affection for the statue is heartwarming.

Endicott's second sculpture, "Tubers," is made up of concrete upper torsos of people who appear to be floating in inner tubes. Installed on a grassy hill above Alapai Street, it has had a different public response. One day, someone added lime-green swim goggles to one of the figures.

Whatever we think about art in public places, it does enrich our lives and establishes landmarks.

How did they get there? If they were purchased by the city and county, a panel of 11 established artists of varied art backgrounds, appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council, select an artist from a registry or advertise for proposals from artists. The commission members (all volunteers) review the responses and select a few artists to make miniature renderings. The commission then makes the final decision, selecting both the artwork and the placement of it in the community. This process, it may be noted, is not limited to artists from Hawai'i.

The money comes from the state's "One Percent for Art" law. "One percent of the budget from all construction projects on new buildings (not repairs or renovations of established buildings)," said Peter Radulovic, the executive director of the mayor's art office, "goes to the acquisition of art." The money fluctuates, Radulovic said, depending on the number of city and county buildings (for example, fire and police stations) being built. Despite its limited budget compared to that of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Honolulu has acquired more than 500 works of art, 74 of them public sculptures like Endicott's. This is encouraging for artists.

"The maintenance of these artworks is put into the operating budget," Radulovic said. "The purchase of art is put into the capitol improvement projects budget."

Karen Hong, registrar for the city arts and culture office, inspects the artworks regularly and hires contract workers to maintain the sculptures. "They require routine cleaning, polishing and treatment to prevent damage from the elements, which sometimes include people," she said.

The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts has published two books, with photographs and detailed maps, on "Public Art & Historic Places." These pocket-sized books include a few of the artworks purchased by Honolulu. Both books are walking tours — one of downtown and Chinatown and the second of the capitol district. Call 586-0304 for information on their availability.

Unfortunately, the mayor's office does not have its own pamphlet illustrating commissioned artworks, artists and where art was placed. However, the office will send a list of the sculptures and their locations if you send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Registrar, Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts, 530 South King St., Room 404, Honolulu, HI 96813.

And when you go on your tour, please be sure to say hello to Bill.

Correction: A number of pieces displayed in public spaces are gifts or purchases that were not paid for through the One Percent for Art program administered by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts: The Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikiki, donated by the Waikiki Improvement Association; the Princess Ka'iulani statue in Waikiki, paid for by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts; and Paul Saviskas' "Whooping Cranes" and "Masai Warrior," donated by the artist. A previous version of this story left an incorrect impression.