The Abstract Only! 10th anniversary exhibit will open with a modified open house from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday at the Wailoa Center in Hilo. There will not be the usual celebratory First Friday reception or awards ceremony.
Hawaii Island Art Alliance is the sponsor of this national juried abstract exhibit and it is hosted by the Wailoa Center. This exhibit generated 394 submissions, out of which, 144 pieces of art were chosen by 120 artists from across the United States and Hawaii.
The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Acquisition Award Committee will be reviewing the Abstract Only! 10th anniversary exhibit virtually for possible awards. After the review, HIAA will post it on the wailoacenter.com website.
During the month-long exhibit, which runs Oct. 2-28, visitors can learn about the artists honored and selected for cash awards. Visitors can also vote for their favorites by casting their ballot for the People’s Choice Award, giving the artist with the most votes a much-appreciated recognition and a cash prize.
This year’s juror of the Abstract Only! 10th Anniversary exhibit is Wailoa Center Director Codie M. King.
“I founded the Abstract Only! exhibit back in 2006 as a biennial juried exhibit. Due to the popularity of the exhibit by both artists and visitors, I scheduled it as a yearly exhibit in 2016,” said King. “It continues to be one of the most popular exhibits in the Wailoa Center’s calendar. Hawaii Island Art Alliance has since been supporting the Abstract Only! exhibit, as well as, all the juried exhibits in Wailoa Center’s calendar. Mahalo to HIAA for their continued support in sponsoring exhibits and offering innovative programs for our community. Two-thousand twenty seemed like a good time for me to jump in as a Juror of the 10th Anniversary Exhibit. Little did we know that 2020 would become such a pivotal year in our history. While most of our Wailoa Center 2020 calendar had to be canceled due to the COVID pandemic, I am grateful to Hawaii State Parks, DLNR for allowing us to reopen with an abundance of caution. Our visitors will be required to follow the mandatory face mask and social distancing requirements. Hand sanitizing stations will also be available.”
King, as the juror, has accepted Wailoa’s Fountain Gallery as a venue to exhibit. King has a background in fine arts which includes B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in ceramics from Boston University and Alfred University. Her career of over 40 years has evolved around art of all genres, but her passion is abstract art.
King will be presenting an installation in the Fountain Gallery titled “Quiet Conversations.” The installation is an exploration of simple three-dimensional forms derived from a simple set of parameters. This exhibit will run concurrently with the Abstract Only! exhibit, Oct. 2-28.
Wailoa Center is a Division of State Parks, Department of Land and Natural Resources. It is free and open to the public 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The Center is closed most Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays. For additional information please call 933-0416.
