Downtown Art Center Announces Leadership Transition and New Executive Director

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Downtown Art Center Announces Leadership Transition and New Executive Director
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Downtown Art Center Announces Leadership Transition and New Executive Director

Sandra Pohl (left) and Carol Khewhok. Photo courtesy Downtown Art Center.

Honolulu (January 2026)—

Downtown Art Center (DAC),

at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave., announced a leadership transition as part of its succession plan, effective Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, marking a new chapter for the Honolulu nonprofit arts organization as it enters the new year.

As part of the transition,

Sandra Pohl, the former Executive Director, will assume the role of Founding Director

. In this advisory capacity, Pohl will support the Executive Director during the transition period, assist with fundraising efforts, and offer guidance informed by her deep institutional knowledge. Pohl has served as DAC’s founding Executive Director for the past five years and played a central role in establishing and growing the organization.

“We are extremely pleased with Sandy's continued role and are forever grateful for what she has done over the past five years to bring DAC to what it is today,” says DAC Board of Directors Chair Sharon Twigg-Smith.

Carol Doran-Khewhok will become DAC’s Executive Director

, effective the same date. In her new role, Khewhok will work alongside Pohl, and take on the responsibility for implementing DAC’s strategic plan, overseeing fundraising and programming, managing staff, and ensuring the organization’s long-term financial sustainability.

With more than 30 years of experience in arts administration and cultural programming, Khewhok brings a strong background in nonprofit leadership to the position. Prior to being named the new Executive Director of Downtown Art Center, she held roles as Head of Fine Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore, Director of the Honolulu Museum of Art School (formerly known as Līnēkona School), and Program Manager at Shangri La Museum.

Khewhok holds a BFA in Painting and Printmaking from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and an MA in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has lived in Hawaiʻi for forty years.

“As we move forward, DAC’s future is bright,” Twigg-Smith says. “While challenges remain, I am confident that through continued collaboration and community support, we will succeed and thrive in the years ahead.”

For more information about upcoming exhibitions and events at Downtown Art Center, visit

downtownarthi.org

About Downtown Art Center (DAC):

Located in the Chinatown Gateway Plaza building at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave., Second Floor, the nonprofit Downtown Art Center is an exhibition gallery and educational space for the Hawaiʻi arts community. DAC is a thriving center for the arts, providing display space to showcase local artists and arts organizations, classrooms for arts instruction, and more. DAC is dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown/Chinatown Honolulu through culture and the arts.

Parking for DAC is located at nearby municipal parking lots (onsite at Chinatown Gateway Plaza, parking entrance off Bethel Street) or at Mark's Garage (entrance at 22 S. Pauahi St.). DAC is easily accessible by public transit as well; get directions, routes and timetables at

www.thebus.org

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First Friday Hawaii News Item

Downtown Art Center Announces Leadership Transition and New Executive Director

First Friday Hawaii
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