The East Hawaii Cultural Center is an important force that promotes Hawaiian arts, culture and creative traditions. Since Hawaii is a multi-ethnic state, the council was founded in 1967 with six charter organizations that reflect the diversity of the Pacific islands. The cultural center is home to an effective alliance of arts organizations, including the Big Island Dance Council, Hawaii Concert Society, Bunka No Izumi, Kin Ryosho Dance Academy, and the Philippine Women's Circle.
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.
Aloha! Enjoy the beauty of paradise in any of the State Parks of Hawaii. Choose to relax on the beautiful beaches, listening to the calmin ocean waves, or jump into the water and have fun sailing, swimming, or surfing. Take in gorgeous scenery and get in some exercise while hiking. You won't experience this scenery anywhere else. Your fun doesn't have to end when the sun sets. Spend the night underneath the stars listening to the ocean while camping. Discover hidden treasures one island at a time, Hawai'i, Kaua'k, Maui, Moloka'i, and O'ahu.
Known as the "Pride of the Pacific," the Hawaii Theatre Center began as a classical downtown venue in 1922, where vaudeville, plays, musicals and silent films were the standard of the day. Eventually, the theater fell into disrepair and was abandoned in 1984. But an energetic local group of activists saved the historic venue from the wrecking ball, and the theater reopened its doors in 1996 as a 1400-seat performance center.