by VICTORIA HENLEY
CTFashonMag.com
The premiere destination for art enthusiasts to enjoy works from world-renowned artists to visionary modern contemporary works, the Honolulu Museum of Art has been inspiring, uplifting, and educating people from around the world since its opening in 1927.
Upon entry to the breathtaking museum grounds, you’ll take in views of a stunning open garden with various towering sculptures, leading to numerous wings of the museum, where each house an electrifying array of world class pieces in nearly every genre imaginable.
Remarkably well-curated and highly engaging, the museum’s carefully selected pieces each tell their own stories, enriching the lives and minds of the droves of people who flock to the museum to get up close and personal vantage point of one-of-a-kind pieces by the likes of Modigliani, Picasso, Pissarro and Degas.
The museum, which features both permanent and revolving collections, offers new and exciting experiences each visit for the myriad of returning fans and museum members.
During our visit, we thoroughly explored the grounds, taking in the staggeringly diverse collection the museum has to offer.
In Human Terms, which featuring contemporary, abstract, modern, and impressionist artworks centered around the human experience.
Treasures of Devotion
Portraiture, a vast array of intriguing works, including portraits of political and other influential figures, religious icons and artist self-portraits.
Rococo to Revolution. This portion of the museum showcases an enthralling journey from the Rococo period of art, known for an exceptionally ornamental style of art, architecture and decoration, combining asymmetry and trompe-l’oeil frescoes to revolutionary works, produced in an Impressionist style created with the raw fabrics of intellectual and emotional endeavor.
Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, many captivating and internationally recognized works are featured in this exhibition including Degas’ “ Woman Sponging Her Back” as well as exquisite works by Claude Monet (the initiator, leader and unswerving advocate of the Impressionist style) and Cezanne (a French artist of the Post-Impressionist era, also known for his work in the areas of Impressionism, Cubism, and Modern Art).
Cubism to Abstraction, a strikingly arranged gallery displaying the revolutionary works of Diego Rivera-a leading Mexican muralist known equally for his famous relationship with the iconic Frieda Kahlo and his murals exploring the issues of social inequality, humans’ relationship with nature, industr and technology; Matisse- part of the Fauvism art movement, with abstract figures and delightfully wild color palettes; and Picasso, the pioneer of Cubism and arguably one of the world’s most widely imitated and recognized artists.
The John Venizelos Levas Gallery, this gallery features an elegant variety of collections, displayed in memory of the beloved John Venizelos Levas, a longtime patron of the museum.
Abstraction in Contemporary Art, this gallery offers a thought-provoking exploration of the integral role abstraction plays within the genre of contemporary art.)
Arts of Hawaii Exhibit, this dynamic gallery spotlights the wildly talented and keenly innovative burgeoning and established artists and creatives within the Hawaiian community.
Maurice J Sullivan Family Gallery, this gallery is named for Maurice J. “Sully” Sullivan, an immigrant from Ireland who moved to Hawaii and was the co-founder, with See Goo Lau, of Foodland Super Markets, the largest and only locally owned supermarket chain in Hawaii. )
Buddhist Art, which features striking and bold collections of statues, idols and beautifully sculpted figures, Buddhist art was characterized from the start by a realistic idealism, combining realistic human features, proportions, attitudes and attributes, together with a sense of perfection and serenity reaching to the divine.
Chinese Art, widely acclaimed, yet highly underrated, the various genres of Chinese art have acquired different characteristic after many generations of development. Pieces range from pottery to statuettes to paintings, featuring Gong Bi (fine strokes), that is, drawing details with fine strokes and rich colors, and Yi Bi (rough strokes), drawing with rough strokes and light color, are on display in this gallery celebrating the fine art of Asia.
Philippine Art, which holds the impressive distinction of being the only Philippine Art gallery in the US. The pieces on display in this stunning gallery encompass folk architecture, maritime transport, weaving, carving, folk art, ornament, textile, forms of fiber art, pottery and other artistic expressions of traditional Philippine culture.)
Special thanks to the extremely courteous, knowledgeable, and helpful, Maggie, for her facilitation of our visit to the Honolulu Museum of Art.
WEBSITE: honolulumuseum.org
PHONE NUMBER: (808) 532-8700
INSTAGRAM: @honolulumuseum
Victoria Henley writes Backstage Pass for iHeart Radio and CTFashionMag.com