HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0879.001 2020-2022 Cow. Vq
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August 2,2022 } .
ilia email counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov
Honorable Maile David, Chair
Hawaii County Council
Re: Res. 464-22: Inaba CRF, $4K to Holualoa Foundation Arts&Culture
for Donkey Mill Art Center Exhibition program
Dear Chair David and Council Members,
Thank you for this opportunity to submit testimony regarding Res. 464-22.My name is Maja Grajski and
I serve as the Executive Director of the Donkey Mill Art Center. I am writing in support of Council
Member Holeka Gor Inaba's proposed$4,000 allocation of County contingency funds for the Donkey
Mill Exhibition program.
The arts are integral to the well being of communities. The impact of COVID-19 has made this all the
more starkly clear. Art is a bridge that connects all ages and abilities, fosters intergenerational connection
and opens hearts and minds.Art teaches essential survival skills particularly needed in these changing
times, including critical thinking, collaboration,empathy and creative problem solving.
The Donkey Mill Art Center's Exhibition and Artist Residency Program features contemporary visual
arts, crafts, and culture as an entry point to explore diverse perspectives,tell stories and to encourage
meaningful dialogue and reflection. The Mill's gallery is a dynamic space to experience contemporary art
through thought-provoking original exhibitions and collaborations with guest curators and artists from
Hawai'i and abroad. Our artist residencies promote the exchange of ideas and skills between visiting and
Hawaii-based artists,and invite community members and visitors alike to connect through the arts on a
global scale.
The Mill is a regional economic engine supporting artists through teaching and professional development
opportunities; gallery,gift shop sales,jobs and contract teaching opportunities.The annual exhibition plan
consists of five themed exhibits designed to both showcase and further fuel the talent and diversity of
Hawaii artists of all ages and abilities. Our exhibits draw guests daily, and are regularly visited by local
keiki and families,student groups,non-profit community groups, and kupuna as well as a steady stream
of drop-in visitors. Our gallery is accessible free of charge.
As the only venue in West Hawaii offering museum quality exhibitions year round,the Mill's gallery is a
vehicle for the exploration of individual and collective identity of Hawai`i's diverse cultures and complex
histories. The program is informed by Native Hawaiian cultural values and aims to amplify indigenous
curatorial processes and community perspectives in the contemporary arts arena.
The Donkey Mill Art Center.home of the Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture,is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.The Donkey Mill Art Center is a place of convergence for
the exploration of arts and culture to inform.inspire and strengthen individual and collective well-being.
78-0870 Mamalahoa Highway,Holualoa,Hawal'i 99725-Telephones t808)322-3362�Emailinfo,@donkeymillaricenter org•VVebsltew,,vw.�.yvfYiW t`N*,.0rg
Ref.To: CUUU1161
Ref. pate AUG ® 3 2022
Honorable Maile David,Chair
Hawaii County Council
August 2,2022
Page 2
The exhibition calendar for the 2022-2023 fiscal year includes the following exhibitions for each of which
planning is extensively underway:
Print Exhibition-Sisters
August 27-October 15,2022
International print exchange featuring works by 16 Native and non-Native artists who have created works
addressing Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women(MMIW). The print exchange was organized by
Catherin Prose and Melanie Yazzie,professor of Arts Practice and head of Printmaking at the University
of Colorado in Boulder.
Kona Coffee Cultural Festival/COMPOSTING Exhibition
October 29-Dec 17,2022
This annual exhibition, a highlight of KCCF programming,explores historical themes and contemporary
issues relevant to our region from the perspective of the diverse voices of our farmers, artists and
community members.
DMAC Annual Art Auction Exhibition
February 4-25,2023
The annual art auction showcases the talent of the Mill's community of artists committed to the mission
of the Mill as a place of convergence to build community resilience.Previously held off-campus as a gala
event,the auction is now both a gala event and a month-long installation in our Gallery to offer free
access for our wider community.
Mai Ka Pouli: (Re)presentations of Moananuiakea
March 18 -July 8,2023
In collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art(LACMA),the exhibition Mai Ka Pouli:
(Re)presentations of Moananuiakea invites a select group of artists from Hawa"i and beyond to create
works responding to historic photographs of Hawaii and Oceania found in the Mark and Carolyn
Blackburn Collection of Photography which LACMA acquired in 2015.
Summer Art Experience Student Art Exhibition
July 15 -August 12,2023
Featuring the artwork of our Youth Education summer program students,this annual exhibit is curated
and installed by teens to gain workforce development experience in the arts.
Thank you for your hard work and commitment to represent and serve the people of Hawai`i County; and
for your support of the arts for greater impact on individual and community wellbeing.
Sincerely,
Maja Graj ski
Executive Director