Hawaiʻi's state arts agency is poised to get more money to support performing arts. But the agency will also be limited in how it can use the Works of Art Special Fund.
House and Senate lawmakers have agreed on House Bill 1378, which would give the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts $300,000 annually for the next two years to create a performing arts grant program.
Hawaiʻi was the first state in the U.S. to create the Percent for Art law. It transfers 1% of the construction and renovation funds for state buildings into the foundation's special fund.
The current language limits the use of the foundation's special fund to only acquiring art. It cannot pay for operations like staff salaries and upkeep of state-owned art.
Rep. Jeanné Kapela chairs the House Culture and Arts Committee and introduced the measure.
"I think that we've reached a point with this measure where we will be able to support the state foundation and put them in a really good financial position, as well as addressing some of the major issues that we've seen with the use of the special fund, or the improper use of special funds. So I'm hoping that as we move this measure forward, we'll be able to also uplift state foundation and continue the good work to uplift arts across our state," Kapela said.
The conference committee report still needs to be published for full details on the amendments. The measure also has to get the green light from the full House and Senate before it goes to the governor’s office.
