Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, will have a busy October with extended exhibitions, exquisite installations and educational public programs.
“Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” is a recently extended exhibition that will be part of October’s Museum After Hours. Artists will be participating in a talk moderated by the exhibition co-curator.
October will also see the continuation of a series of programs presented in partnership with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the landing of the Kahoʻolawe Nine in 1976.
The current exhibitions include:
Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice in the J.M. Long Gallery
- Featuring the works of a Hilo-based family of artists whose creative practices are deeply rooted in hula ʻaihaʻa along with botanical specimens and cultural treasures from Bishop Museum’s collections.
- Features the art direction and choreography of Nālani Kanakaʻole (1946-2026), photography and textile design of Sig Zane, and graphic design and immersive installations of Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane
- Weaves together themes of migration, community resilience, and environmental stewardship.
Wayfinders: He Waʻa He Moku, He Moku He Waʻa, We Are One and the Same in the Jabulka Pavilion Rotunda (J. Watumull Planetarium lobby)
- Celebrates the resurgence of wayfinding across Hawaiʻi and the wider Moananuiākea by showing the growing family of voyaging canoes and crew members, reflecting on environmental and cultural stewardship for future generations.
- Ability to meet inspirational leaders in the Hall of Teachers interactive by Arizona State University, and practice using kūkuluokalani, the Hawaiian star compass, and nā lālani hōkū, the four Hawaiian star lines, to navigate.
- Reflects on environmental and cultural stewardship for future generations.
Kanaloa ka Laʻa o Kohemālamalama: Unconquerable is the Divinity of Kohemālamalama in the Hawaiian Hall (Third floor treasure case)
- Commemorates 50 years of ceremonial practice by the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana on Kohemālamalama o Kanaloa, the island of Kahoʻolawe.
- Draws from the island’s long history as a place of religious and ceremonial practice, bringing together historical objects and archival materials from Bishop Museum’s collections with contemporary ceremonial objects and photographs.
- Reflects on the importance of ceremony as part of the ongoing care and restoration of Kahoʻolawe, connecting generations of practitioners and reaffirming relationships between people, place, and the sacred.
Lele o Nā Manu: The Splendor and Loss of Hawaiʻi’s Birds in the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center
- Features 47 exquisite carvings of endemic manu nahele by master craftsman, Haruo Uchiyama.
- Complete set of historically known Hawaiian honeycreepers are displayed atop an original mural painted by local artist, Patrick Ching.
- Mural by Dr. Julian Hume depicting prehistoric Kīpahulu Valley, Maui; fossils of extinct Hawaiian bird species; and an interactive game.
- Outdoor murals that provide an immersive art experience that bridges traditional culture, creative expression, and indigenous perspectives. I
- Initial round of murals was completed in 2021 in conjunction with the special exhibit POW! WOW! The First Decade: From Hawaiʻi to the World, and was expanded in May 2023 during the Hawaiʻi Walls Mural Festival in Kalihi.
- The additional murals were inspired by the Kalihi community, local histories, and Bishop Museum’s cultural and scientific collections and resources.
The Bishop Museum is also has special programming that offer a diverse range of activities designed to engage visitors of all ages and interests.
Upcoming programs include:
Lā Kūleʻa: ʻAuana in Hawaiian Hall and Pākī 2 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 20
- Multi-faceted experience at the Museum. Open to all Japanese-language speakers and includes a hula ʻauana (contemporary hula) experience, a private guided tour of Hawaiian Hall with an Asia Pacific Educator, as well as a hands-on ti leaf lei-making workshop
- Program is coordinated and presented in Japanese. There is limited capacity, so pre-registration two days prior is required. General admission is $120 and museum members receive a 10% discount
Maʻa: Establishing our Pilina to Kanaloa in Hawaiian Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 22
- Second installment of series that commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the landing of the Kahoʻolawe Nine
- Through reflections on Kahoʻolawe and the legacy of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, this talk story session explores how pilina to Kanaloa and to the ʻāina is cultivated over time through commitment, ʻike, and action.
- Free with admission
Saturdays at the Seed Bank: Behind the Scenes Native Garden Tour in Seed Bank Lānai from 3 to 4 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 24
- Expert botanist Miles Thomas will lead a guided walk through the garden and will identify native and canoe plant species. After the walk, participants will be gifted a native Hawaiian plant to take home, can stay to talk story, and try Hawaiian-grown ʻawa.
- Event will be outdoors with limited shade access, so water and sunscreen are necessary.
- Free with admission
The J. Watumull Planetarium is open for $3 with general admission for shows Thursdays to Tuesdays. Themes explore the with the environment and people of the Pacific region, the expanse of our universe, and the stories we pass on from generation to generation.
Current shows include:
- “The Hawaiian Sky Tonight”
- “Wayfinders: Waves, Winds, and Stars”
- “Ocean Paradise”
- “T. Rex”
- “5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI”
A full and continually updated listing of exhibitions, installations, programs and planetarium showings can be found on the Bishop Museum website.
