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Honolulu art exhibit honors Hōkūleʻa's half-century of voyaging, wayfinding

Crowds greet Hōkūleʻa on its return to Honolulu in July 1976 from a groundbreaking maiden voyage to Tahiti.
Monte Costa
Crowds greet Hōkūleʻa on its return to Honolulu in July 1976 from a groundbreaking maiden voyage to Tahiti.

A Honolulu exhibit is honoring the 50th anniversary of the legendary voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa.

“E Ola Mau Hōkūleʻa - Half a Century of Voyaging” celebrates the spirit of voyaging and traditional wayfinding.

It will feature the work of a dozen Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-based artists, including Solomon Enos and Herb Kawainui Kāne.

Solomon Robert Nui Enos, Polyfantastica, 2018.
Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Contemporary
Solomon Robert Nui Enos, Polyfantastica, 2018.

The exhibit explores themes of ancestral wisdom, identity, and Indigenous futurity through painting, sculpture, poetry, photography, and other artworks.

Artist and community organizer Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick curated the contemporary exhibit in collaboration with the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

“Just over 50 years ago, my maternal grandmother, Emma Akana Aluli, organized an exhibition of contemporary Hawaiian art in support of the Polynesian Voyaging Society,” Broderick said in a news release.

“It is affirming to know that our collective work to uplift Hawaiʻi is nothing new, simply a continuation of efforts begun long ago by many. Much gratitude to all the participating artists for sharing your creative visions openly in community. May your artwork become a part of Hōkūleʻa’s ongoing story.”

The exhibit is located at the new Inspiration Hawai‘i Museum on the ground floor of the historic Hawaiian Electric Building on Richards Street.

It will open on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will be on display through Jan. 18, 2026.

For more information about the exhibit and gallery hours, click here.

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