Up to $1 million will be awarded to the City and County of Honolulu to support the installation of temporary art projects at a dozen cultural destinations on Oʻahu.
Bloomberg Philanthropies has recognized Honolulu as one of eight winning cities in its Public Art Challenge, a contest launched in 2014 to address local civic issues with the presence of art. Bloomberg announced the winners Thursday, stating that they received more than 150 project proposals from across the nation.
“The City and County of Honolulu is most honored and thrilled to accept this prestigious award from Bloomberg Philanthropies,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi in a press release.
“This ambitious, creative and transformative project will help to mitigate the impacts of over-tourism, including environmental degradation and cultural insensitivity. These installations will encourage reflection and inspire positive change in how we approach the future of tourism," he said.
Commissioned Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-based artists will be tasked with creating historically significant installations to "shift the mindset of visitors and residents alike and encourage everyone to engage with heightened cultural awareness."
The project will be led by members of the Mayor’s Office of Culture and Arts, who will partner with local businesses, cultural practitioners, art agencies and more to promote the installations once completed.
“Our MOCA team is excited to collaborate with our culture and arts community to bring these stories to life through our Hawaii-based artists’ vision and creativity,” said Ka‘ili Trask O’Connell, Executive Director of MOCA.
The "Wahi Pana" project will last through the next two years.
