The Hawaiʻi State Art Museum has rebranded itself to Capitol Modern, a move the museum's executive director says reflects the building as a "contemporary art space."
The rebrand comes with a refreshed website that showcases various art forms from local artists and new events, according to Karen Ewald of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, an agency that runs the museum.
The revamped brand was announced last month on social media and has drawn mixed reactions from the public, who have known the museum as HiSAM for over two decades.
But Ewald said HiSAM's name was confusing and often compared with the Honolulu Museum of Art, or HoMA. She added that the museum's programs needed more diversity and inclusion.
"This state museum could do more for the public," Ewald said. "The public deserves more than what we were giving them as a free state art museum with public funds. I say that because that collateral was mismatched or confusing. The messaging was not existent in terms of who the museum was and what it serves."
Then-Gov. Ben Cayetano, who envisioned expanding the state art museum during his term, said he wasn't a fan of the new name, noting that a state building should be renamed for a purpose or impart history.
"I disagree with it because it sounds like something you would call or brand a hotel, a restaurant, or a business plaza," Cayetano said.
But local artists like Solomon Robert Nui Enos said the rebrand was essential. He said he's interested in the museum incorporating more community-based artwork and mural projects.
"It's been a bit limiting for the museum to be able to approach or take on those kinds of roles," Enos said. "It's strange, but a name change can have a big, big impact, and I think it's really positive."
Is Capitol Modern still HiSAM?
The Spanish-style building was originally a hotel for guests of royalty in 1872. Then, the museum was rebuilt in 1928, called the Armed Services YMCA and eventually became a museum in 2002. The Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, created in the 1960s, is the museum's agency responsible for promoting and supporting arts and culture in the state.
HiSAM is still its legal name, according to Sen. Chris Lee, who chairs a committee on transportation, culture and the arts. He said state buildings can rebrand themselves, but the state Legislature would need to approve an official name change.
"Like any institution, it has the ability to brand itself really however it wants and makes the most sense for people that it's trying to attract and serve," Lee said. "So now that it's expanding on its name, I think there's opportunities that really redefine what it is."
Lee said many visitors thought HiSAM was an archive or history museum.
Museums rebranding themselves isn't unique. Several museums nationwide and in other countries have rebranded to fit their vision of art, attract more visitors and various other reasons.
Some museums that revamp their branding can range from drastic or subtle. The Minneapolis Institute of Art rebranded itself by dropping the "s" in arts, according to twincities.com.
The Honolulu Museum of Art also rebranded its name in 2012. The Oʻahu museum on South Beretania Street was initially called the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
Ewald said the point of HiSAM's rebrand was to move away from the acronym. However, he said there were many discussions about keeping the word "museum" or "art" in the new name and inserting "Hawai'i" or "Hawaiian" in the title.
She emphasized that Capital Modern reflects the Hotel Street building is in the No. 1 Capitol District.
"Some people can argue that the name still sounds stuffy, which I understand," Ewald said. "But people get afraid of the word museum and don't feel comfortable coming to them. We want to hit that audience, that group of people that feel like it's a museum and they don't belong because it's too scary or stuffy."
The road to rebranding
The conversations to rebrand have been happening for a few years.
The rebrand cost a total of $156,260. Wall-to-Wall Studios, which has offices in Pittsburgh and Honolulu, was given a contract about three years ago to develop the museum's website, signage brochures and logo.
The marketing company has done rebranding work for Bishop Museum, Zippy's and more.
Bernard Uy, a cofounder of the agency, said the process is more than just changing the name or logo.
Like Capitol Modern, Uy said clients often want to refresh their websites. He added that the new website has a more straightforward message, vibrant visuals and is easy to use.
"We're all very proud of the work that we've put into this," Uy said. "I know that change of any brand can come as a shock to people. But we always like to think of branding as a long game, where it's difficult to judge the success of a brand refresh or redesign hours or days after its launch."
Ewald hopes the rebrand will attract diverse visitors and increase visitor counts.
In 2019, the state art museum's annual visitor count peaked at more than 82,600. That number dropped to about 12,500 in 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic. As of August, the museum had more than 27,600 visitors.
Ewald said the museum is working with the Friends of the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum to get a new cafe vendor in the coming months. And next year, she said there would be events like Pasifika Night, outdoor movie nights and soul nights.
The public can expect Capitol Modern to host several events in the coming weeks, starting with First Friday on Oct. 6.
