Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 4, 1 April 2018 — Hawaiian artists win prestigious fellowships [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian artists win prestigious fellowships

, MO'OMEHEU ^ CULTURE

By Ka Wai Ola Staff rive Native Hawaiians have been selected as fellows by the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, whieh will allow them to develon

I new works or complete projects I already in progress. The foundation named a total of 20 Artist Fellows for 2018. Only 0.2 percent of all national arts funding reaches Native artists eaeh year, according to the foundation, whieh created the fellowship initiative to provide hnaneial support for artists and increase their recognition and visibility in nahonal and international arenas. The fellowships include unrestricted monetary awards of $20,000 to work on identihed projects for one year. The fellows will also work with the community and share their culture through a variety of means. "We are so pleased to honor so many Native artists in both the contemporary

and traditional art forms this year. This is the most that we have offered in awards. The increase exemplifies a farther reach for us into new states and tribes, as we are always trying to reach as many artists and tribes as we ean for this Nahonal award," Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Director of Programs Francene Blythe, Dine/Sisseton-Wahpeton/Eastern Band Cherokee said in a release, The 2018 fellows from Hawai'i are master weaver Pōhaku Kaho'ohanohano, filmmaker Ciara Leina'ala Lacy, fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan, singer/ songwriter Kalani Pe'a and slack key guitarist Jeff Peterson. ARTISTIC INN0VATI0N Ciara Leina'ala Lacy's directorial debut "Out of State," shines a light on Hawaiians incarcerated in a private Arizona prison. The documentary has been screened at film festivals and will be broadcast on

PBS's "Independent Lens" this year. Lacy's next project, "The Ninth Land," examines eeonomie inequities that force Native Hawaiians

to leave their homeland.

Ciara Leina'ala Lacy

Pōhaku Kaho'ohanohano

Morques i Hanolei Morzon

Kalani Pe'o

Jeff Peterson

TRADITIONAL ARTS Master weaver Pōhaku Kaho'ohanohano of Makawao began weaving after discovering his 'ohana's weaving lineage, and learned the art form from seven masters. Committed to preserving the traditional Hawaiian practice, Kaho'ohanohano works and teaches out of his studio in Kahakuloa. Fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan is dedicated to revitalizing kōkō pu'upu'u, the art of rope and cordage vessels. Through public presentations, demonstrations and workshops, Marzan passes the lessons from noted experts, including master weavers Julia Minerva Ka'awa and Esther Kakalia Westmoreland, as he bridges traditional knowledge and modern innovation.

David Kahalewai works to reconnect wilh his doughter over prayer, from the documentory film "Oul of Stote." ■ Photo: Chopin Hall

MUSIC Singer-songwriter Kalani Pe'a of Wailuku, whose debut album "E Walea" won both a Nā Hōkū Hanohano award and a Grammy award, was awarded a fellowship for his work celebrating 'ōlelo Hawai'i and his Hawaiian heritage through music and visual arts. Pe'a, agraduate of Ke Kula 'oNāwahīokalani'ōpu'u, uses millennial innovation to share his traditional roots. Slack key guitarist and composer Jeff Peterson, winner of eight Nā Hōkū awards and two Grammys, was recognized for his commitment to documenting the kī ho'alu tradition for future generations. As an educator, the solo artist works with fellow musicians and regularly visits schools and libraries to train guitarists and inspire youth. Visit http://www.nativeartsandcultures.org for more information. ■