Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Na Hulu Ali'i Exhibition Opening Day

From August 29, 2015 12:00 pm until August 29, 2015 4:00 pm

From August 29, 2015 until February 28, 2016

Explore the distinctive art, culture, and history of Hawai'i with the first exhibition of Hawaiian featherwork on the U.S. mainland, developed in partnership with the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu. Presented in San Francisco, which is considered to be the gateway to the Pacific, the exhibition will feature approximately 75 rare and stunning examples of the finest featherwork capes and cloaks in existence, as well as royal staffs of feathers (kāhili), feather lei (lei hulu manu), helmets (mahiole), feathered god images (akua hulu manu), and related eighteenth- and nineteenth-century paintings and works on paper.

Handcrafted of plant fiber and rare feathers from endemic birds of the islands, the cloaks ('ahu'ula) and capes provided spiritual protection to Hawaiian chiefs, proclaiming their identity and status. The abstract patterns and compositions of royal feathers (nā hulu ali'i) are both beautiful and full of cultural meaning. While the arrangements of their forms—crescents, triangles, circles, quadrilaterals, and lines—and fields of color appear contemporary, they are ancient. Symbols of the power and status of Hawai'i's monarchs at home and abroad, these vibrantly colored treasures of the Hawaiian people endure today as masterpieces of unparalleled artistry, technical skill, and cultural pride.

Opening Day August 29

Noon Front Entrance
Ohlone Welcome: Ohlone leaders, descendants, and a representative of the FAMSF Native American Advisory Committee welcome Bishop staff and exhibition artworks.

12:30 pm Front Entrance
Hula performance by Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu, under the direction of kumu hula Patrick Makuakāne

1:30–2:15 pm Koret Auditorium
Guest Lecture: "Nā Hulu Hiwahiwa o kō Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina: The Cherished Ones of Hawaiʻi" by Marques Hanalei Marzan

Marques Hanalei Marzan is a cultural resource specialist from the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, and is joined for questions after the lecture by Leah Pualaha'ole Caldeira, collections manager at the Bishop Museum.

1–4 pm Buchanan Court
Create your own flowers and hair adornments from feathers, inspired by Herman Tachera, artist and kumu (teacher) of Hawaiian feather art.

2:15–3 pm Wilsey Court
Musical performance by Owana Ka'ōhelelani Mahaelani-rose Salazar. This dynamic program will include historical and classic songs composed by and for the ali'i and mō'ī (Hawaiian chiefs) and celebrated Hawaiian manu (birds). Owana will be accompanied by her brother La'anui on piano and her brother Kalani who composed a special chant for the occasion and will also hula during the performance.

Owana Kaʻōhelelani Mahaelani-rose Salazar is a vocalist, kīhō'alu (slack key) artist and steel guitarist. Her profound interpretations of Hawaiian classics,
traditional and contemporary music, and jazz standards reflect her ancestry and upbringing in Hawaiian culture.

3:15–4 pm Front Entrance
Hula performance by students of the Academy of Hawaiian Arts, under the direction of kumu hula Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu

4 pm Front Entrance
Closing chant by Loeahula Naomi Leina'ala Kalama immediately following Hula dance performance

Ticket Information

Opening day events, admission to the permanent collection galleries, and admission to Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Na Hulu Ali'i are free of charge to the public. A discounted $15 ticket is required to visit J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free.

Sponsor

Support for education and public programs presented in conjunction with Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Nā Hulu Ali'i is provided by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.