The Hawai‘i
State Foundation on Culture and the
Art (HSFCA) was established by
the Hawai‘i State Legislature in 1965,
in large part through the vision and
effort of Hawai‘i leaders such as
architect and State Planning Coordinator
Alfred Preis, HSFCA Founding Chairperson
Masaru "Pundy" Yokouchi, State Senator
Nadao Yoshinaga, and Governor John
Burns.
The mission of the HSFCA is to promote,
perpetuate, preserve, and encourage
culture and the arts, history and the
humanities as central to the quality of
life of the people of Hawai‘i.
The creation of a state arts agency
made Hawai‘i eligible to receive federal
grants from the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA), newly established as
part of the National Foundation on the
Arts and Humanities on September 29,
1965.
The first HSFCA member and Chairperson
was Pundy Yokouchi, appointed by
Governor John Burns on January 14, 1966.
The first HSFCA Executive Director was
Alfred Preis, who served as Acting
Executive Director until he was formally
appointed to the position on July 1,
1966.
Initially, the HSFCA was placed within
the Office of the Governor and was
located in the Princess Victoria
Kamamalu Building at 250 South King
Street in Honolulu. One of the original
programs was the HSFCA Biennium Grants
Program. This vital program has provided
millions of dollars to nurture and
invigorate arts and cultural programming
statewide.
Important Milestones
In 1967, the State Legislature enacted
the Art in State Buildings Law that
established the Art
in Public Places Program within
the HSFCA, the first such program in the
nation. A separate method of funding for
this program was created through
accessing one percent of the
construction cost of new state
buildings, making Hawai‘i the first
state in the nation to establish a
percent-for-art law.
In 1970, the HSFCA and the state
Department of Education established the
Artists in the Schools Program to
provide opportunities for students from
kindergarten through 12th grade to work
with professional artists. Hawai‘i was
the first state to establish a direct
instructional statewide program between
students and professional artists in the
schools.
In 1980, the existing Hawai‘i State
Foundation on History and the
Humanities, which similarly was created
in part to qualify to receive federal
funds through the newly established
National Endowment for the Humanities
(NEH), was dissolved by the State
Legislature. Consequently, the History
and Humanities Program was created
within the HSFCA to incorporate some of
the duties of the former state
humanities agency. The HSFCA moved to
the United States Post Office, Custom
House, and Court House at 335 Merchant
Street in Honolulu.
In 1983, the Folk
Arts Program was initiated through
a grant from the National Endowment for
the Arts. This program helps to promote
and perpetuate traditional folk arts
throughout the state of Hawai‘i.
To expand and improve upon the
provisions made in the Art for State
Buildings Law, the State Legislature in
1989 established the Works of Art
Special Fund, which among other features
created a non-lapsing fund allowing for
the long-term planning and completion of
public art projects.
In 1993, the State Legislature
established the Individual Artist
Fellowship Program within the HSFCA to
recognize and honor Hawai‘i's
exceptionall talented visual and
performing artists.
In 1994, the HSFCA office relocated
from the Old Federal Courthouse to the
newly renovated historic Kamehameha V
Post Office Building at 44 Merchant
Street in Honolulu.
In 2001, the HSFCA moved into the
second floor of the historic Armed
Forces YMCA Building, since renamed the
No. 1 Capitol District Building, at 250
South Hotel Street in downtown Honolulu,
just Ewa of the Capitol Building.
The Hawai‘i State Art Museum opened in
the fall of 2002. The museum is located
on the second floor of the No. 1 Capitol
District Building. The museum houses
three galleries featuring artworks from
the Art in Public Places Collection.
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