The Hawai'i State Capitol building is still closed, so the annual Art at the Capitol tour is heading online. It’s a chance to see Hawai’i’s public art collection and get a different perspective on lawmakers.
Hawai'i has a law setting aside 1% of new state building construction costs for art. That has allowed the state to acquire some of the finest works of art ever made here, in addition to works by off-island artists.
The question is, "What's on your wall?" and the answers can surprise you.
State lawmakers are allowed to tap the State Foundation on Culture and Arts' Art in Public Places inventory to furnish their Capitol offices. Constituents stand to learn a lot from what their lawmakers have chosen.
Normally, Art at the Capitol is an in-person event with small receptions and live music.
"The members like it because they get to be more human than just a politician," said Art at the Capitol founder and state Senator Brian Taniguchi.
Taniguchi said 43 members are on board for the new digital event this year. Short video tours of the artwork, some filmed by lawmakers themselves and some by a professional, are all posted online.
"I told Doug Young because I got his two pieces in my office, I told him you come and we'll talk about this together. So we talked about his photorealistic stuff," Taniguchi said. The piece featured in the online video is a watercolor painting called Colleen's Po‘opa‘a.
Taniguchi has key pieces by Hawai'i masters in his office. The online tour debuts April 14 to 16 with more offices added each day.
Click here to meet Hawai'i artists and lawmakers on Art at the Capitol's Facebook page. Videos are also posted on their YouTube page.
