Aargon Collection Agency

The Honolulu Academy of Arts was founded in 1922 and opened to the public on April 8, 1927. It was the vision of Anna Rice Cooke, a woman born into a prominent missionary family on O‘ahu in 1853. Growing up in a home that appreciated the arts, she went on to marry Charles Montague Cooke, also of a prominent missionary family, and the two settled in Honolulu. In 1882, they built a home on Beretania Street, on the site that would become home to the museum. In 1961, Thurston Twigg-Smith opened an art gallery—the Contemporary Art Center—within the Honolulu Advertiser building, which he owned. The gallery featured work from Twigg-Smith's collection and work by local artists. In 1988, the Twigg-Smith family donated Spalding House, which was built by Honolulu Academy of Arts founder Anna Rice Cooke, to create The Contemporary Museum, a private, nonprofit museum for contemporary art in Honolulu. In 2011, The Contemporary Museum gifted its assets and collection to the Honolulu Academy of Arts and in 2012, the combined museum changed its name to the Honolulu Museum of Art.

All of the romance and intrigue of the ranching lifestyle is embodied in the history of the Anna Ranch Heritage Center. The ranch dates back to the early 20th century and is fully restored for visitors to tour and enjoy.

Maui Arts & Cultural Center opened in 1994 as the culmination of a long-standing dream of Maui’s residents to build a world-class gathering place for the arts. Now familiarly known as "The MACC," this center has been described by The Maui News as “the artistic and educational heart of an entire community” and “Maui’s entertainment and arts crown jewel.” The MACC is the most comprehensive multi-disciplinary arts facility in Hawai‘i, and a gathering place where people can celebrate creativity through personal and shared experiences of the arts. It is a world-class facility where popular and innovative performing artists can be enjoyed, connecting our community to the world.