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 10, 2026, the project features the work of over 20 artists and unfolds across four venues in Honolulu: Honolulu Hale, Aupuni Space, and Native Books at Arts & Letters Nuʻuanu. 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 healing. 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 an enduring knowing that begins with ʻāina aloha – to be loved by land – and seeds aloha ʻāina, the expression of that love. 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 Kō 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.
Weekly Tours
Weekly walking tours will be offered throughout the exhibition, led by artist 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 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.
Public Programming
Kahoʻolawe Aloha ʻĀina
Thursday, September 17, 6–9pm
1269 S Beretania St, Honolulu
A film program bringing together four videos about Kahoʻolawe, including the non-narrative short Ordnance Ordinance (2012) by local multimedia artist Jennifer Goya-Smith, the feature-length documentary Kahoʻolawe Aloha ʻĀina (1992) by independent video production team Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina (Joan Lander and Puhipau [1937–2016]), the narrative short Hawaiian Soul (2024) by Native Hawaiian director ʻĀina Paikai, and the experimental short Nāulu (2026) by grassroots film initiative kekahi wahi.
Noke Nō i Ka Ho‘ōla ‘Ana i Nā Iwi.
Persist in the Healing of the Bones.
Friday, September 18, 6–7:30pm
729 Auahi St, Kakaʻako
Join us for a special evening of poetry and performance at Aupuni Space. Artist Brigitte “Gigi” Leilani Axelrode responds through embodied movement to the words of poet Brandy Nālani McDougall’s poem Kealaikahiki and the arrangement of culture bearer Marques Hanalei Marzan’s installation ʻUpena Mau. Performance will begin promptly at 6:30 pm.
The Historic Roles of Kanaloa Kahoʻolawe
Hawaiian History Month Panel
Tuesday, September 22, 6–8pm
550 S King St, Honolulu
A place of refuge, a training ground for open ocean navigation, a royal refuge, a forest, a penal colony, a cattle ranch, and a live-fire weapons training arena. Hear the many roles the island Kanaloa Kahoʻolawe has played throughout Hawaiʻi's history. Panelists include Davianna Pōmaika‘i McGregor, Michael Nāho‘opi‘i, Hardy Spoehr. Moderated by Kim Ku‘ulei Birnie. This panel is organized by Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition for Hawaiian History Month.
Closing Reception
Saturday, October 10, 5–8pm
550 S King St, Honolulu
An evening of amplified sounds and projected visuals by Hoʻomau Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina, poet, independent filmmaker, and producer Richard Hamasaki, artist, architect, and cartographer Sean Connelly, sound and video artist Alec Yasunori Singer. The program weaves an eclectic mix of materials together—archival photographs, digital models, field recordings, spoken word, and graphics—to explore Kahoʻolawe’s pasts, presents, and futures.
Venue Information, Hours, and Participating Artists
Honolulu Hale
530 S King Street, Honolulu 96813.
Hours: M–F 7:45am – 4:30pm
Metered parking on Punchbowl and S. King Streets and within the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Lot.
honolulumoca.org
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
Metered parking on Nuʻuanu Avenue and nearby at the Smith-Beretania Municipal Parking Lot.
Artists: Noa Emmett Auwae Aluli, M.D., Hoʻomau Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina, Wayne Kaumualii Westlake, Craig Neff, D. Kauwila Mahi, Malia Osorio.
Aupuni Space
729 Auahi Street, Honolulu 96813.
Hours: Wed 3–7pm; Fri 3–7pm; Sat 11–3pm
Metered parking on Auahi, Cooke, and Coral Streets.
Artists: Marques Hanalei Marzan and Brandy Nālani McDougall
Additional Materials
Exhibition Guide (Updated 9/2)
Public Programming (Updated 9/15)
Press Release (Updated 7/31)
