FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     June 28, 2007

Release No. M-69-07

WINNERS NAMED FOR NATIONAL ARTS PROGRAM® IN HONOLULU

            Mayor Mufi Hannemann will present awards today (Thursday, June 28) to the winners of the second annual exhibit and contest of The National Arts Program® in Honolulu at a 6:30 p.m. reception at Honolulu Hale.

Mayor Hannemann said, “The courtyard of Honolulu Hale has been decorated by a wonderful collection of original paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and crafts.  The artistic talents of City employees and their families are exemplified in this exhibit.  I congratulate the award winners and extend a big mahalo to everyone who participated in the second annual art exhibit and contest of The National Arts Program® in Honolulu.”

Bryson Espression's drawing, entitled “The Morning Journey,” was named the overall best-in-show in the second annual exhibit and contest of the program.  Espression is the recipient of the $300 grand prize.

            Espression's drawing was selected from 116 works submitted by 75 City employees and family members. It depicts the melancholy mood of a student walking up the stairs to face the day ahead.  Other winning entries in the exhibit’s various categories include:

Adult Professional

1st Place - Jordan Souza, bronze sculpture, “Vessels”

2nd Place - Yasuko Abeshima, watercolor, “Croton”

3rd Place - Sandra Clark, glass sculpture, “Ocean Splash”

Honorable Mention - Yasuko Abeshima, watercolor, “Aloha Bento”

Honorable Mention - Terry Hildebrand, print, “Signs & Symbols”

Adult Intermediate

1st Place - Robert H. Bannister, painting, “Koolaus - Early Morning Light”

2nd Place - Wai Hung Pang, print, “Sung Wu Kung/Monkey”

3rd Place - William Luat, painting, “Halona Beach”

Honorable Mention - Jayne R. Kawakami, stone sculpture, “Pohaku Puka Ku‘i Poi”

Honorable Mention - William Luat, painting, “Leeward Coast”

Adult Amateur

1st Place - Elaine Merry Kam, painting, “Guess What?”

2nd Place - Antone Perreira, photograph, “Jade Portal”

3rd Place - Erika Flormata, drawing, “Games on the Line”

Honorable Mention - Amy Kam, painting, “Praying Asian”

Honorable Mention - Mark Scalzone, metal sculpture, untitled

Youth, 12-18 Years

1st Place - Christine Koizumi, drawing, “Kimono of Dreams”

2nd Place - Jefferson Young, drawing, “Patterns of Mega-Me”

3rd Place - Emi K. Omori, photograph, “Letting Go”

Honorable Mention - Jennifer Au, mosaic, “Ready for Battle”

Honorable Mention - Christine Koizumi, drawing, “My Anime Self”

Youth, Under 12 Years

1st Place - Camelia Lai, painting, “Into the Moon”

2nd Place - Jacob Bee, watercolor, “Mother's Day”

3rd Place - Ben Shiroma, drawing, “My Backyard”

Honorable Mention - Nicholas Siu-Li, drawing, “Hawaii the Beautiful”

Honorable Mention - Sarai Uesato, photograph, “Flower 1”

Judges' Choice Scholarship Award Recipients

Christine Koizumi

Nicholas Siu-Li

From April 2 to May 31, the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts and The National Arts Program Foundation invited City employees and their families to express their artistic talents by submitting works for public display. All entries were judged by professional arts practitioners.

The artwork will be on display through July 12 at City Hall. Exhibit hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  The exhibit is free and open to the public.  For more information, call 523-4674 or visit www.honolulu.gov/moca.

The National Arts Program® was established in 1983 by The National Arts Program Foundation to identify the artistic talents of our nation.  The program sponsors 78 annual programs, in more than 400 cities and counties in 43 states and the District of Columbia, involving employees and family members of municipal and county governments and businesses.  According to the foundation, “It is intended to provide an uninhibited opportunity for all people to present their talents, at any level, in a public exhibition, free to artists and the public.”

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Contact:

Tory Laitila, 523-4105

Dymian Racoma, 527-5288