Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 6, 1 June 1986 — Thousands Crowd Hawaii Exhibit [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Thousands Crowd Hawaii Exhibit

Hawaiian Quilts Focal Point of NY Festival

Hawaii's quilts were so well-received and attracted thousands of people that they have now drawn the attention of other organizations to have them on display at their shows. This was the report brought back by Elaine Zinn of the Arts Council of Hawaii and Mrs. Gussie Bento, secretary to the president of The Kamehameha Schools and a master quilter from Windward Oahu. The two ladies and about 33 others from Hawaii participated in the Great American Quilt Festival and the Great American Quilt Contest Apr. 24-27 at the New York Exhibition Pier 92 as a 50th state salute to the Statue of Liberty. Hawaii was spotlighted during the festival and the massive turnout was not disappointed. Hawaii's celebration of its rich cultural heritage, display of Hawaiian quilts, demonstrations and lectures of Hawaiian quilting and the showing of the 56-minute documentary film, "the Hawaiian Quilt — a Cherished Tradition," were coordinated by Hawaii Craftsmen, a loeal organization with a dedicated volunteer committee of community leaders. Details of the funding whieh made it possible for Hawaii to put on its attractive display were made possible through a Hawaiian Tclephone Co. grant of $45,000 from the General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) Foundation of Hawaii;

$26,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts; $10,000 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and small donations from several other loeal foundations and organizations. Friday night Apr. 25 was proclaimed Hawaiian Night and entertainment was provided by outstanding musicians and eight halaus, including the award-winning male halau, "Na Wai O Puna," with Kumu Hula Thaddeus Wilson and 0'Brien Eselu among others. Former Miss Hawaii Cathy Foy, who currently entertains in New York, joined the Hawaii contingent and sang a few songs. While the entertainment was a smashing hit with the large crowds, it was the quilts that were obviously the focal point of the festival. "They presented an imposing figure hung high from the ceiling in the exhibition hall and you could easily sense the people knew Hawaiian quilts were different," Mrs. Bento reported.

"In fact, they were very thrilled to see our quilts. It just blew their minds to see Hawaiian quilts with large appliques. Americans do little applique work with their quilts. Their work is mostly geometric while ours is free and flowing. Many of them also couldn't get over our bold colors," she added. Mrs. Bento went on to say that many people sat for two showings of the documentary film whieh was produced by Richard J. Tibbetts Jr. and Mrs. Zinn. "It is an excellent film and gives one a philosophical approach to Hawaiian quilting," she said. Mrs. Zinn said the city of Houston, Tex., expressed interest in having Hawaiian quilts at their annual festival in Octoer and that the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition (SITES) also has requested them. Hawaii had 17 quilts in the New York exhibition and none were for sale, causing disappointment among some of the festival goers. Hawaii First Lady Mrs. Jean Ariyoshi untied the maile lei to officially open the evening celebration marking Hawaii night and appeared earlier that day on one of the network's early morning shows. Jimmy Kaina, the Hawaii Visitor's Bureau man in New York, and Kulani Purdy, who maintains a Hawaiian registry of transplanted island folks, joined the Hawaii contingent by

getting an estimated 35 New York Hawaiians to assist with decorating the hall, manning booths, passing out programs and monitoring the quilts. Mealii Kalama and Elizabeth Akana, two other master quilters, lectured and demonstrated the art of Hawaiian quilting and they, too, were very well received. Other master quilters who participated in the festivafwere Deborah Kakalia and Hannah Apo. Cultural activities also included lei-making, feather work, lauhala weaving, hula and floral decorations. A chant especially written for the Statue of Liberty by Wendell Silva, executive director of the Kalihi-Palama Culture and Arts Society ine., was given by Silva himself after Kumu Hula Kau'i Zuttermeister, the scheduled chanter, eame down with a serious ear infection. One of the most touching scenes of the Hawaiian night program eame at the closing when the New York Hawaiians joined their Hawaii brothers and sisters on stage. With the traditional holding of hands, they sang "Hawaii Aloha" and there was not one dry eye among them. "It was a beautiful ending to a most enjoyable trip — one that involved a lot of work and a hectic schedule. It certainly was a very ohana experience whieh I'm sure will not be easily forgotten," Mrs. Zinn noted.

Deborah Kakalia explains, demonstrates quilting.

Large crowds such as this one viewed the premiere showing of the 56-minute documentary film, "The Hawaiian Quilt — a Cherished Tradition," during Hawaii's salute to the Statue of Liberty at the Great American Quilt Festival and the Great American Quilt Contest Apr. 24-27 at the New York Exhibition Pier 92. Some of the 17 quilts exhibited by the Hawaii group ean be seen hanging high from the ceiling.