HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI – I OLA KANALOA: 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina is a multi-venue exhibition of contemporary art presented in collaboration with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO, the ʻOhana), a grassroots Islands-wide community organization established in 1976 to protect the sacred island of Kanaloa-Kahoʻolawe. In 2026, the ʻOhana celebrates a half-century of unwavering aloha ʻāina for the Island, a legacy that continues to inspire demilitarization movements in Hawaiʻi and across the Moana today.
On view from August 15 through October 12, 2026, the project features the work of over 20 artists and unfolds across four venues in Honolulu: Honolulu Hale, Aupuni Space, Native Books at Arts & Letters Nuʻuanu, and KĪPUKA – Community Makers Space. Presented as part of yearlong celebrations honoring Kahoʻolawe and the ʻOhana across the Hawaiian Islands, the project's various strands address themes of military occupation, ecological restoration, political sovereignty, ea – self-determination, Hawaiian spirituality, and intergenerational resilience. Admission is free and open to all.
In reflecting on the collaboration with the ‘Ohana and the critical histories core to the organization, Executive Director, Puʻuhonua Society, Emma Manu-Broderick, says: “We are here to be of service to enduring knowing that begins as ʻāina aloha – love of land – and seeds aloha ʻāina ʻoiaʻiʻo. The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana has shown us what it looks like to turn shared values into collective action. The need for (k)new, more just futures is no less urgent today than it was fifty years ago.”
Grounded in the words of Noa Emmett Auwae Aluli, M.D. — “The health of the land is the health of the people, is the health of the nation” — the exhibition recognizes the deep interdependence between the natural environment, community, and our collective futures. It honors, celebrates, and gives thanks to the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, past, present, and future, as well as its early warriors, its many leaders and extended communities, for all that has been carried forward on behalf of Kahoʻolawe and Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻāina for over half a century.
Organized by Puʻuhonua Society, a community arts and culture organization committed to Hawaiʻi and its abundant futures, I OLA KANALOA: 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina is curated by artist Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick with support from Puʻuhonua Society’s Director of Curatorial Initiatives, Josh Tengan. The project has been developed in close conversation with representatives from the ʻOhana, including Aunty Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor and Uncle Craig Neff.
I OLA KANALOA: 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina is made possible by Teiger Foundation, with additional support from the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts.
Exhibition Opening – Saturday, August 15, 12:00–8:00pm
For the exhibition opening, guests are invited to participate in a procession across Honolulu on Saturday, August 15, gathering across four venues from 12:00–8:00 pm, for protocol, conversation, and to celebrate the artists in the exhibition. Opening events are free and open to the public.
Honolulu Hale • 12:00–3:30pm
The opening begins at Honolulu Hale with protocol and remarks led by members of the ʻOhana, Puʻuhonua Society, and the Mayor’s Office on Culture and the Arts, followed by food, ʻawa, and music that invite guests to gather in remembrance of PKO’s early warriors and to celebrate the work of artists including Franco Salmoiraghi, Meleanna Aluli Meyer, Carl F.K. Pao, Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum, and Tropic Editions.
Aupuni Space • 4:00–5:00pm
In the late afternoon, the opening continues at Aupuni Space with brief remarks, poetry by Brandy Nālani McDougall, and a performance by Brigitte Leilani Axelrode.
Native Books and KĪPUKA • 5:30–8:00pm
The evening concludes at Native Books and KĪPUKA – Community Makers Space, where late artist Wayne Kaumualii Westlake is celebrated alongside Hawaiian Force founder and designer Craig Neff and Noa Emmett Auwae Aluli, M.D. with food, ʻawa, conversation, and closing remarks by the ʻOhana, Puʻuhonua Society, and community members before the gathering concludes at 8:00 p.m.
Weekly Tours
Weekly walking tours will be offered throughout the exhibition, led by lead curator Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick. Every Friday, beginning August 28, from 1:00–3:00pm, Drew will guide a two-hour walking tour that begins at Honolulu Hale, continues to KĪPUKA – Community Makers Space, and concludes at Native Books at Arts & Letters Nuʻuanu.
Community and school groups are invited to reach out to Josh Tengan (josh@puuhonua-society.org) to schedule a tour of the exhibition.
Venue Information, Hours, and Participating Artists
Honolulu Hale
530 S King Street, Honolulu 96813.
Hours: M–F 7:45am – 4:30pm
Artists: Meleanna Aluli Meyer, Al Kahekiliuila Lagunero, Harinani Orme, Kahi Ching, Kahoʻolawe Moʻolono, Nanea Lum, Carl F.K. Pao, Solomon Robert Nui Enos, Franco Salmoiraghi, Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum, Tropic Editions, D. Kauwila Mahi, Malia Osorio, and friends.
Native Books
1164 Nuʻuanu Avenue, Honolulu 96817.
Tue–Sat 9:30-5:30pm; Sun-Mon 11-4pm
Artists: Noa Emmett Auwae Aluli, M.D., Hoʻomau Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina, Wayne Kaumualii Westlake, Crag Neff
Aupuni Space
729 Auahi Street, Honolulu 96813.
Hours: Wed 3–7pm; Fri 3–7pm; Sat 11–3pm
Artists: Marques Hanalei Marzan and Brandy Nālani McDougall
KĪPUKA – Community Makers Space
Location and Hours: TBC
Artists: Tropic Editions, D. Kauwila Mahi, Malia Osorio, and friends.
For the most up-to-date information on I OLA KANALOA visit:
Participating Artists
“Franco Salmoiraghi, Tortured Metal / Broken Stone—Kahoʻolawe, Hawaiʻi, 1994/1997. Courtesy of the artist.”
“Meleanna Aluli Meyer, Al Kahekiliuila Lagunero, Harinani Orme, Kahi Ching, Carl FK Pao and Solomon Robert Nui Enos, ʻĀina Aloha, 2015. Sharjah Biennial 15: Thinking Historically in the Present, 2023, Khorfakkan Art Centre, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Courtesy the artists and Sharjah Art Foundation. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic”
“Carl F.K. Pao, KANU Kaho‘olawe – Replanting, Rebirth, 2016. Hawaiʻi Triennial 2025: Aloha Nō, Capitol Modern, Honolulu. Courtesy of the artist and Hawaiʻi Contemporary. Photo: Duarte Studios”
Brandy Nālani McDougall, Kealaikahiki – Aloha Ka‘apuni, Revolutionary Aloha, 2025. Hawai’i Triennial 2025: Aloha Nō, Bishop Museum, Honolulu. Courtesy of Bishop Museum.
Noa Emmett Auwae Aluli, M.D, Ka Palupalu o Kanaloa, n.d. Courtesy of Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana.