Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 1987 — Increased Support Seen by Arts Chief [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Increased Support Seen by Arts Chief

Frank Hodsoll, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C., says he looks forward to increased financial support from his agency for Hawaii's traditional folk arts. During a recent Hawaii visit, Hodsoll met with Office of Hawaiian Affairs T rustees and staff members. He was introduced by OHA Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III who served as administrator of the Artists in Education Program of the National Endowment for the Arts. As a special ho'okupu to Hodsoll, noted entertainer Marlene Sai sang several Hawaiian songs, including Queen Lili'uokalani's "Kuu Pua I Paoakalani." Hodsoll told Ka Wai Ola O OHA that the National Endowment dispenses about $165 million a year in grants throughout the United States with just under $1 million in Hawaii. He said the grants to artists and art institutions in Hawaii are very mueh in the national interest and the grantees more than live up to the agency's expectations.

The largest single grant here of about $350,000 is to the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Other institutional grants go to a wide variety of organizations, including the Bishop Museum, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu Symphony and the Waianae Coast Culture and Art Society ine. Hodsol! also said a number of grants are given for traditional Hawaiian arts such as hula, quilt making, Hawaiian singing and slack key guitar. His staff is particularly taken with Hawaii's folk arts and Hodsoll says he expects additional support for the preservation of these arts from the National Endowment. "Hawaii," Hodsoll stated, "has an extraordinary abundance and variety of excellence (in art) unsurpassed by any other state." He noted that in the four years of the National Heritage Awards, Hawaii is unique in having two of its artists receive that honor — master quilt-maker Meali'i Kalama and kumu hula Kau'i Zuttermeister.

Frank Hodsoll, far left, listens to beautiful singing of Marlene Sai. Also enjoying the performance are OHA Administrator Kamaki A Kanahele III, OHA Board of TrusteesChairman Moses K.Keale Sr., and Oahu Trustee Clarence F.T. Ching.