Every three years, the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s gallery holds one of the most fascinating exhibits on island. The Schaefer Portrait Challenge is a juried exhibition that gives viewers a moving glimpse into the many unique people here in Hawaii. Since 2003, artists throughout the state have been challenged to create works that truly capture the inner spirit of their friends, family, neighbors, mentors, and even themselves through portraiture. This year’s show features fifty-seven talented artists from five islands.
Gallery visitors can get a real feeling of connection with the community by taking the time to explore each portrait and reading the artists’ statements about what inspired them.
Edd Tokarz Harnas’ “What Grande Could Mean” is an oil painting of Roland, a man who “embraces a stylish and tasteful lifestyle that is overlooked today” by enjoying his corporate coffee in a vintage porcelain teacup with coordinated china, teapot, and linens.
“The Ancient Reptilian Man” by Patrizia Arroyo paints the story of her neighbor, kahuna Ed Kaiwi’s travels into the spirit world. Kaiwi is caretaker of the sacred birthing temple, Anahola Heiau, on Kauai.
Amanda C. Scott’s “Lady of the Forgotten Forest” is a beautiful painting of a longtime friend of the artist. “I dreamed of how to interpose her in the world I imagined she truly belonged in,” Scott describes.
In the center of one gallery area is Ingrid Fregeau’s earthware ceramic piece “Long Live Love, Portrait of Rainbow.” The artist explains that her friend, Rainbow, embodies unconditional love that “shines through him, and bathes all around him with joy and warmth.”
Lynette Pradiga chose her husband as the subject of her piece titled “My Power Washer of Love,” describing him as her “favorite person in the world.” Sadly, it is also noted that he passed away just weeks prior to the exhibit opening.
Several self-portraits can be seen throughout the gallery. Bon Moore’s “The Song That I Hear” is an intriguing combination of clay, coconut fiber, and the artist’s own hair. “When I am working with these materials,” she says, “I feel connected to nature.”
“From the Ground Up” is a mixed media self-portrait by Jennifer J. Stephens that conveys her challenges through life. She says, “I chose this medium to connect these physical elements from my surroundings and my youth, while portraying the continual process of my own growth.”
Penny Nichols’ “Self Portrait with Too Much Information” is a collage of raw emotion that communicates the artist’s personal experience with parental alienation and the transformative power of art in her life. “The creative process has helped me heal from something that appeared a hopeless tragedy,” she says.
The 2018 Schaefer Portrait Challenge runs from January 16th through March 18th at the MACC’s Schaefer International Gallery. The exhibit is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am-5pm (closed on Sunday, March 4th). Viewers can vote for their favorite piece now through March 7th, and the winning artist will receive the Marian Freeman People’s Choice Award of $5,000. For more information about the show, visit the MACC website.