Ia manawa nō (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi meaning “At this time”) is a series of gatherings, collaborative art sessions, workshops and screenings to connect and uplift artworks from artists in the Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Polynesian and Pacific Islander diaspora. Artists from these backgrounds will come together to create multimedia artworks based on connective themes of heritage and healing over 2022, resulting in an exhibition and series of public programs in the summer/fall of 2023.

Kanaka Maoli and Pacific Islander communities are brought together to create a sense of belonging for those of us who often feel isolated from our indigenous island heritages on the continent and are unable to access our culture except when amongst each other. 

The aim will be to collectively heal, strengthen and empower both artists and participants with a focus on intimate gatherings, to create a space for shared healing from trauma, intergenerational or otherwise, and to deepen a sense of place and connection to our chosen geography.

Projects to date have involved: plant based / woven materials, visual and audio interpretations of shared stories, photography, videos including documentation of performance and movement based work, digital renders, maps that connect the geographies of migration to Oakland and California to the Pacific Islands, and more.

Artists selected will be showcased in a public exhibition of multimedia artworks from these sessions that have been collaboratively developed responding to the connective themes of these gatherings and workshops.

Exhibition + Public Programs Tentative Dates: August - November 2023