Image: Daniel Moe, Tattooed Makau, Glass, Hawaiʻi Island 

Prospectus

Held annually since 1967, the Hawai‘i Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibition features the finest traditional and contemporary craft from across the state of Hawai‘i. Our juror visits each island to make public presentations and select the very best work to be included in the exhibition. 

EXHIBITION 2023

Downtown Art Center, Second Floor Exhibition Hall
1141 Nuʻuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96817

Saturday, September 30 - Saturday, October 28

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 30, 6 pm - 8pm

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 11 am - 6 pm


KEY DATES

Online Registration: August 1 - 31

Intake and Jurying: September 6 - 10 (see below for details)

Notification of Acceptance: September 14

Delivery of Accepted Artwork: O‘ahu September 24, Neighbor island work must arrive at DAC by September 25

Juror

Beth C. McLaughlin, Artistic Director and Chief Curator at Fuller Craft Museum

“In my role as craft curator, I look for artworks with a strong point of view, those that demonstrate clarity of expression, both conceptually and technically. I also connect with objects that are thought-provoking, and ones that contribute to the ongoing conversation of contemporary craft. Risk-taking, innovation of concept, and mastery of technique are additional key elements that resonate with me.” 


Beth C. McLaughlin
is Artistic Director and Chief Curator at Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts. Beth has held leadership and curatorial roles in the arts and museum fields for nearly 30 years at institutions across the U.S., including Fuller Craft Museum, Oakland Museum of California, and DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. She has curated and organized over 50 exhibitions and has served as a juror for a number of cultural organizations, including American Craft Council, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Fiber Art Now. Beth has been published in several books and periodicals, such as American Craft Magazine, Crafting Democracy: Fiber Arts and Activism, and the Decorative Arts Society Newsletter. She was a nominee for 2021 Boston Design Week’s Social Impact Award and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Craft for Social Change book series. Beth is passionate about expanding awareness of the craft field, promoting the makers, and exploring the transformative powers of handmade objects.

Awards

We expect over $11,000 in awards to be designated by our juror. Specific awards will be posted here as they are confirmed.

Catalog

Accepted work will be photographed and featured in a full color catalog available in print and electronic versions. To see examples and for a free download from past years, go here.


Eligibility To Enter

Artists residing in Hawai‘i are invited to enter traditional or non-traditional crafts. The exhibition is open to residents of Hawai‘i for artworks in the categories of clay, fiber, glass, wood, metal, stone, and mixed media. Unless they have a strong 3 dimensional quality, or directly relate to the practice of craft, painting and photography are not eligible. Entries must be of original design and created within the last two years. Artworks previously exhibited at the Downtown Art Center, or in any juried exhibition on O‘ahu are ineligible.

Registration

Registration opens August 1 at 9am and closes August 31 at midnight. Registration of artworks will only be accepted online. Mail-in registrations and walk in entries are ineligible. If you would like help entering your work, please contact the exhibition chair at ASEchair@hawaiicraftsmen.org or your island chair. New or altered entries will not be accepted after the registration closing deadline.

A link will be provided here prior to registration opening.

Intake And Jurying

After registering online, all artists must bring their work to their islandʻs jury location, and pick up their artwork after jurying (with the exception of Lānaʻi which is juried online). Accepted artwork notification will be on Thursday September 14, at www.HawaiiCraftsmen.org and by email.

Jurying will take place from September 6 - 10. Detailed schedule and locations will be announced as soon as possible.  

Hawaiʻi Island
Date and location: September 9, Donkey Mill Art Center
Chair: Jake Boggs, jp80665@gmail.com

Kauaʻi
Date and location: September 8, Kauaʻi Society of Artists
Chair: Shannon Hiramoto, shannonmachine@gmail.com

Lānaʻi
Date and location: Online only

Maui
Date and location: September 7, location TBD
Chair: Jennifer Owen, jowen@haswaii.edu,  ‭(808) 575-2523

Molokai
Date and location: September 6, Kualapuʻu Park & Community Center
Chair: Paula Scott, pmondoy@gmail.com, (808) 567-9604

Oʻahu 
Date and location: Intake September 9, jurying and artwork pickup September 10. Location TBD
Chair: Christopher Edwards. christopheredwards@hawaiicraftsmen.org

Shipping And Delivery Procedures

Detailed delivery instructions and shipping labels will be provided to artists upon notification of acceptance by email and on our website. 

Accepted artworks from the neighbor islands must be shipped to arrive at the Downtown Art Center no later than Monday, September 25. If you need to ship your artwork with a carrier other than USPS, UPS, or FedEx, please contact Christopher Edwards at christopheredwards@hawaiicraftsmen.org.

Accepted artworks from O’ahu must be delivered to the Downtown Art Center on Sunday, September 24, 10am-2pm. 

Hawai‘i Craftsmen will be responsible for the cost of return shipping, including standard insurance damage protection up to $50 liability per piece. Artists are encouraged to request supplemental insurance by indicating that on their return documents, and will be invoiced by Hawai‘i Craftsmen for the actual cost of the insurance. Return shipping carriers, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, or Young Brothers, will be chosen at the discretion of Hawai‘i Craftsmen.

Entry Fees

Registration fees for Hawai‘i Craftsmen members are $25 for the first entry, and $10 for each additional entry up to 6. Registration fees for non-members are $75 for the first entry, and $10 for each additional entry up to 6. Hawai‘i Craftsmen membership must be active through October 28, 2023 to receive the discounted registration. 

Visit http://www.hawaiicraftsmen.org/membership to create or renew your Hawai‘i Craftsmen membership prior to registering. 

Display Conditions And Regulations

The installation committee will install all accepted artworks. Entries that pose an unusual installation challenge may be rejected or require the artist’s assistance. Artists with extremely delicate or unwieldy entries should make special arrangements for delivery, handling, and pick-up of their artwork. 

We love challenges, but if your entry exceeds 6’ on any side, weighs more than 150 lbs. or requires more than 2 people to handle please check in with your exhibition chair before you register your work. 

Extreme care will be taken in handling all artwork; however, Hawai‘i Craftsmen and the Downtown Art Center assume no responsibility for loss or damage to artworks on display or in transit no matter how such damage may have been sustained. All accepted entries will be displayed at the owner’s risk.

Accepted entries must remain in the exhibition for the show’s duration, and are subject to photographic reproduction for educational and publicity purposes. Artists are encouraged to offer their entries for sale. Hawai‘i Craftsmen will retain a sales commission of 40%.

Oʻahu artists are required to sit one shift per accepted piece during the show, find a substitute, or pay a $30/shift sitter’s fee. Artists failing to show up for their designated shift must pay a $50 no show fee. 

Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?

Online registration is open from August 1-31. If you are new to this, give yourself a little extra time to work through any issues. We can’t accept any registrations after midnight on August 31, and unregistered walk-ins will not be accepted at intake.

Step 1: Update your membershipIf you are already a Hawai‘i Craftsmen member, log in to your Hawaiʻi Craftsmen account and check your membership status to make sure you are current through September 2023. If you are not a member then you can either join Hawai‘i Craftsmen to receive the discounted registration price ($25), or register as a guest and pay the non-member price ($75).

Step 2: Register your entries online Submit up to six pieces online through our event registration form. You will need your: contact information, artwork titles, artwork dimensions, artwork prices, and 1 image of each piece.

Step 3: Bring your registered artwork to intake We jury all work in person (with the exception of Lānaʻi). The intake and jurying schedule is different for each island, so be sure to check the schedule carefully. 

Step 4. Pick up your artworkAll artists must pick up your artwork immediately after the jurying. 

Step 5. Find out if your work was acceptedWe will post accepted entries on our website by September 14. Shipping and packing instructions will be provided by email for accepted work. Accepted artwork from the neighbor islands must be shipped to arrive at the Downtown Art Center no later than September 25. 

DO I HAVE TO APPLY ONLINE?

Yes, although there are many ways to get help with this and we are happy to do it! No shame! Contact your island chairperson. 

ARE THE IMAGES USED TO JUDGE THE ARTWORK?

No. All artwork is seen in person by our juror (with the exception of Lāna‘i). HOWEVER, we do require 1 representative image of each of your submissions to be uploaded when you register. We do this because of our unique situation where work is juried on different islands. Before the juror begins, we send them a document that has the image of your work, the title, the media description, and your statement. This helps the juror become familiar with your work, and gives them a sense of the submissions from across the entire state.

We suggest JPEG or JPG images, under 5MB and at least 1200 pixels or larger on the longest side. Here are a couple of videos that can help you photograph your 3D Art with a smartphone:

This video gives a good overview of the process. It references a free app called Snapsee‪d, but most phones have similar editing capabilities built in already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMaUhKJgQv0And here’s a tutorial that goes into more detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G6FHgWLlkI


WHAT WILL I NEED TO REGISTER?

For each entry you will need its title, media, price, dimensions, artwork statement, and one image.

Typically, titles have each word capitalized (My Entry Title), media has the first material capitalized with additional materials separated by commas (Ceramic, gold leaf, steel), price should be in whole dollar amounts ($3,250), and dimensions are given as height x width x depth in inches (13” x 10” x 2”). Please don’t use ALL CAPS unless you intend to shout.

Each piece can have a short artwork description. This will be shown to the juror, so please do not include identifying information. This typically includes information about your inspiration, intent, or process for the work you are submitting.

You will be asked if you are an emerging artist (you have NOT been in a group exhibition with 3 or less people, AND you have been working in your medium less than 5 years), if an entry was created when you were a full time student, if an entry used the Raku ceramic process, and if you collaborated with another artist. These indicate your eligibility for specific awards.

We will also ask you to provide the names of any collaborators, as well as any social media accounts you use (so we can help promote your work).


CAN I START MY REGISTRATION AND THEN COMPLETE IT LATER?

If you are logged in to your account at Hawai’i Craftsmen you can do this as long as you don’t hit submit and pay for your entry. However, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the entry requirements and then complete your registration in one sitting. It’s just less prone to mistakes that way.


HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The registration fee for Hawaiʻi Craftsmen members is $25 for the first entry and $10 for each additional entry up to 6. Registration fee for non-members is $75 and $10 for each additional entry up to 6.

Hawai‘i Craftsmen Membership fees are: Individual Membership $50, Senior-65 and older $30, Student-full time, proof of status needed $25, Family-one household, 2 individuals $75, Corporate/Business Membership $250, and Individual Lifetime $2,500.


CAN I SELL MY WORK?

Absolutely! This is a great opportunity to sell your work, and we have scheduled acquisition visits from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, as well as the Honolulu Museum of Art. Sales are split 60% to the artist and 40% to Hawai‘i Craftsmen. Work can be purchased at the gallery and online.


Was your question not answered? Contact the exhibition chair Chris Edwards: christopheredwards@hawaiicraftsmen.org



HAWAII CRAFTSMEN IS SUPPORTED BY THE HAWAI’I STATE FOUNDATION ON CULTURE AND THE ARTS,  THE HAWAII COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE ATHERTON FAMILY FOUNDATION, THE COOKE FOUNDATION, THE MCINERNY FOUNDATION, THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, THE LAILA TWIGG-SMITH ART FUND, SEVERAL PRIVATE FAMILY FOUNDATIONS AND OUR MEMBERS

HAWAI‘I CRAFTSMEN 1110 NUUANU AVE, HONOLULU, HI 96817info@hawaiicraftsmen.org • 808-521-3282

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