About Us
History
Molokai Arts Center opened its doors on February 29, 2012, at the Coffees of Hawaii Plantation in Kualapu’u, Molokai.
Planning for the center began over a year earlier as the vision of a group of artists and art teachers who saw the need for a place dedicated to the arts community on Molokai where:
- art instructors could teach and hold workshops;
- equipment could be safely housed and maintained;
- artists could share their skills, knowledge and dreams with young and old, residents and visitors;
- Molokai youth and adults could experience freedom and discipline in a nurturing environment.
Many Molokai organizations and individuals contributed to the project by donating money, labor, materials, equipment, publicity, and aloha to realize the vision and the Molokai Arts Center was born.
The Molokai Arts Center offers classes to youth and adults in drawing, painting, jewelry design, ceramics and pottery along with hosting special events featuring cultural arts, poetry, literature and music.
Mission
Our mission is to provide art classes, youth programs, studio and gallery space for adults, children, residents and visitors to our island.
Vision
We believe that the artistic spirit is inherent in everyone, from the youth to the novice; the professional artist to the novice, that everyone in the community should have the opportunities to develop their creative gift to the extent possible. Artists can be the consciousness of a culture but if we do not allow people the opportunities to develop their creativity then we as a culture, a society, lose out on our greatest resource: human potential.
The Molokai arts Center will grow into a regionally acclaimed state of the art performing and visual arts center able to provide outstanding educational opportunities to the community. MAC will bring in regionally and nationally recognized artists to participate in the artist in residency program providing workshops, lectures, one on one mentorship and inspiration to the community at large. By creating rich and diverse classes in the arts we hope to stimulate the mind and heart of the individual, broadening the artistic experience, and growing an even more vibrant arts community. MAC sees it focus and the core of the program to create an outstanding arts youth education program with the following as our cornerstone. We will educate and grow the young artist; we will nurture future artists allowing for a lifetime of artistic growth, learning and fulfillment.
- Arts classes for children and youth ages 5-18
- Apprenticeship and entrepreneurial programs for youth 14- 22 that help to create career pathways and educational opportunities in the arts
- Business development classes for new and mid career artists to foster the entrepreneurial spirit as well as the artistic.
- Adult art classes that grow skills and create life long learners for all talent and skill levels
- Artist in residency program to encourage inspiration and broadening of ideas through the arts
- Kupuna classes at the MAC and at specific accessible sites for those that are not so mobile.
- Create a program in partnership with the community health center to help foster the creativity and health of those who can benefit from art therapy
The long-term success of the MAC is dependent on a small rural community and helping to create an economically viable organization that will be financially sustainable, and create opportunities for generations of artists to come.
Strategic Plan
Interested in Becoming a Board Member?
If you are interested in becoming a board member, please read the ‘job’ description and fill out and send in the board member application to the Molokai Arts Center email address (email address is located on the application form).
The Molokai Arts Center Bylaws can be found here.