Contemporary and traditional artwork by artists of Micronesian ancestry who live in Hawaiʻi are now on view at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hamilton Library’s Bridge Gallery. “7 Degrees North—The Arts of Micronesia” features works of art that draw upon both traditional Micronesian motifs along with the multi-cultural environment of Hawaiʻi.
The exhibit, believed to be the first in Honolulu to highlight the works from Micronesian artists who reside in the state, will be on display through November 24, 2023. It debuted at the Downtown Art Center in June 2023.
The curators of “7 Degrees North” are Floyd K. Takeuchi, a writer-photographer who was born and raised in the Marshall Islands, and Margo Vitarelli, a teaching artist and museum educator who grew up in Palau.
Among the artists include those creating traditional and modern elements of Micronesian art and cultural displays (Read more).
‘The Micronesians’ photo exhibit
Also on display on the 5th floor in Hamilton Library’s Hawaiʻi Pacific Reading Room is “The Micronesians,” a photography exhibit that features nine women of Micronesian ancestry who are leaders in their respective fields. The photographs are by Takeuchi. The portraits feature nine women who all wear the distinctive “Micronesian skirt” that’s common in the Central Caroline Islands. Takeuchi asked the women to wear the skirt to challenge Hawaiʻi residents’ attitudes toward Micronesians.
“Micronesia” is a cultural and geographic term referring to independent island nations and two U.S. territories in the northwestern Pacific. The countries include the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (which encompasses four states–Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae–and about 607 islands), Palau, Nauru, Kiribati, the U.S. territory of Guam and the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Artwork in this exhibit comes primarily from the Marshall Islands, FSM and Palau.
7 Degrees North will travel to Micronesia in spring 2024 with the support of the Rotary Clubs of Hawaiʻi.
Viewing hours and directions
The exhibits are free and open to the public during Hamilton Library’s building hours. The Hawaiʻi & Pacific Reading is only open Monday–Friday. The library is located at 2550 The Mall on the Mānoa campus, with street access and a bus stop (#13) on Maile Way. Parking on the UH campus is free on Sundays, noon to 10 p.m.
