From Isolation to Art: The Downtown Art Center

Right in the heart of Chinatown lies a quaint art exhibit known as the Downtown Art Center. This exhibit is less of a museum, and more of a showcase for local artists to display and sell their work. The art comes from the minds of Hawai’i residence and heavily reflects the mana of the islands.

The Downtown Art Center first opened in October 2020 during the pandemic. Executive director, Sandy Pohl, felt that opening the space was especially important as many other art houses were closed during the time.

Pohl envisioned the Center to be a multi-purpose area, where artists of all kinds could share their work. Pohl not only wanted to cater to visual artists, but also musicians as well.

“It’s unbelievable timing,” said Pohl in an interview with Star Advertiser. “We need a home for the arts, not just two- and three-dimensional art, but for music.”

The Hawai’i State Legislature eventually offered a $75,000 grant in order to help the Downtown Art Center off the ground. Now, the 3,700 square foot facility frequently circulates a plethora of varying themed exhibits, and offers classrooms and art vending.

Get Involved

As art classes can typically cost a pretty penny, the Downtown Art Center is perfect for those who wish to expand their creative knowledge on a budget. Their weekly Monday drawing sessions and Tuesday portrait classes run for $15 per class. However, if you’re looking for a little more variety, their Saturday mixed media sessions are only $20. Each week, the mixed media class is taught by an artist specializing in a certain field, all the way from watercolor to pyrography (wood burning).

They also host weekly portrait & figure drawing sessions weekly with live models. No instruction is included during these sessions, artists can bring any medium they like and exercise their skills. The cost is $15/session and reservations can be made online.

If you’re interested in submitting your work, the Center is currently accepting applicants for the Artists of Hawai’i 2023 Juried Exhibition. This event gives contemporary artists the chance to win up to $10,000 and will be judged by the Honolulu Museum of Art’s senior curator, Tyler Cann.

Although there are many art facilities across O’ahu, the Downtown Art Center offers a more intimate perspective in comparison to state official museums. You are able to see Hawai’i through the eyes of local artists, as well as experience a side of the islands that could not be captured anywhere else.

If you want to learn more, check out there website here: https://www.downtownarthi.org/

by Vanessa Hathaway

As a writing intern for Honolulu Vibes, Vanessa Hathaway is passionate about creating quality content that allows audiences across oceans to collectively share her zest for adventure. Raised in Washington D.C and Las Vegas, Vanessa moved to O’ahu to pursue a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in English at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She spends her free time playing gigs with her band, Blue Tuesday, and surfing at the local longboard spots in Honolulu.

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