‘OAKA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Project Lead, Vibrant Hawai’i2024-2025
Support from the National Endowment for the Arts
On the invitation of Vibrant Hawai’i, I served as Project Lead for the ‘OAKA Artist Fellowship, designing and leading a curriculum for a cohort of 12 emerging artists, selected from an applicant pool open to all Hawai’i Island-based creatives age 18-28.
Fellows participated in Monthly Gatherings, which included workshops with 12 instructors sharing skills in business and wellness, supplemented by talk stories and enriching activities with local artists.
Fellows developed Creative Projects of their choice, and were invited to engage with the theme of Hōkūpa’a (unmoving star), to reflect on the grounding principles that will guide their creative careers. Fellows represented a variety of creative mediums, including screen acting, choreography, dance, digital illustration, environmental art, filmmaking, kapa & papermaking, native plant dyes, muralmaking, photography, screenprinting, theatre, and more. Fellows presented their creative projects at a Closing Celebration at Wailoa Art Center in Hilo on May 31, 2025.
Mahalo nui loa to Vibrant Hawai’i, the Application Review Panel, the instructors, artists,and host venues that made this Fellowship possible.
