Downtown Art Center - Call to Artist - Artists of Hawaii Biennial 2026: Call for Entries is Now Live!

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Downtown Art Center - Call to Artist - Artists of Hawaii Biennial 2026: Call for Entries is Now Live!
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Downtown Art Center - Call to Artist - Artists of Hawaii Biennial 2026: Call for Entries is Now Live!

Aloha Hawaiʻi artists,
It's time to submit your work to Artists of Hawaiʻi Biennial 2026!   Submission Period: August 15 (Sat) - September 15 (Tues), 2026 Deadline for Online Artwork Submission: Tuesday, September 15 at 11:59 p.m. HST Exhibition Dates: Friday, November 6 to Saturday, December 19 Number of Works Per Artist Accepted: 3 Cost per entry: $25  Downtown Art Center is proud to present the Artists of Hawai'i Biennial 2026. This exhibition, held in DAC’s Main Gallery from November 6 through December 19, 2026, is dedicated to showcasing the best of Hawai'i’s contemporary art. Works will be juried by Trisha Lagaso Goldberg, Director of Programming & Engagement for Anderson Collection at Stanford University and former public art project manager for the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

Artists of all ages and experience levels, working in any medium, who reside in the state of Hawai'i are encouraged to apply. Submission guidelines, deadlines, juror information and the latest updates are at downtownarthi.org/artistsofhawaii.

The Artists of Hawaiʻi exhibition is Hawaiʻi’s longest-running, all-media juried exhibition of contemporary art by Hawaiʻi-based artists, established in 1951 to recognize and document the evolving visual arts of the islands. Originally hosted by the Honolulu Academy of Arts (now the Honolulu Museum of Art), it became one of the most significant platforms for local artists, helping to define and elevate Hawaiʻi’s modern and contemporary art scene. In 2023, Sharon Twigg-Smith, a HoMA trustee and longtime supporter of Hawaii’s art scene, led the exhibition’s move to Downtown Art Center, along with a return to its format of an inclusive, all-media, all-island juried exhibition.

Read the Prospectus
Submit Your Work Now!

Artists of Hawaiʻi Biennial 2024, presented by Downtown Art Center.
Questions? If, after reading the Prospectus, you still have artwork-specific questions or need help with the submission process, please
email us at artistsofhawaii@downtownarthi.org.

PRESS RELEASE
Call to Artists for the Artists of Hawaiʻi Biennial 2026, Presented by Downtown Art Center, is Now Open!
 Honolulu (August 2026) – The Call to Artists for Downtown Art Center’s much-anticipated Artists of Hawaiʻi Biennial 2026 is now open! Artists of all ages and experience levels, working in any medium, who reside in the state of Hawai'i are encouraged to apply to the state's longest-running, all-media juried exhibition of contemporary art by locally-based artists. Submission guidelines, deadlines, and more can be found at downtownarthi.org/artistsofhawaii.
Works will be juried by Trisha Lagaso Goldberg, Director of Programming & Engagement for Anderson Collection at Stanford University and former public art project manager for the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.
The Call to Artists runs from Saturday, August 15 through Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. HST. Submissions may be made online at downtownarthi.org/artistsofhawaii. Each artist may submit up to three (3) pieces, at a cost of $25 per piece.
The Artists of Hawaiʻi exhibition was established in 1951 to recognize and document the evolving visual arts of the islands. Originally hosted by the Honolulu Academy of Arts (now the Honolulu Museum of Art), it became one of the most significant platforms for local artists, helping to define and elevate Hawaiʻi’s modern and contemporary art scene. In 2023, Sharon Twigg-Smith, a HoMA trustee and longtime supporter of Hawaii’s art scene, led the exhibition’s move to Downtown Art Center, along with a return to its format of an inclusive, all-media, all-island juried exhibition.
Artists of Hawaiʻi attracted nearly 2,000 entries in 2024, from 576 artists living across the state of Hawaiʻi. Of those entries, 202 works by 159 artists were juried into the final exhibition, which took place in two galleries at Downtown Art Center.
Adding to the prestige of Artists of Hawaiʻi is the prize money. In 2026, the Best in Show award for this exhibition is $10,000, with several more awards provided by Downtown Art Center, and the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) offering additional awards from its Artists of Hawaiʻi-related endowed funds.
The exhibition will be held from November 6 through December 19, 2026 at Downtown Art Center, 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave, in the second floor Main Gallery. Visitors may see the exhibition, which is free and open to the public, during regular gallery hours, Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The exhibition will open with a First Friday reception on Friday, November 6 from 5-8 p.m.
An Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 7, from 5-8 p.m. Free valet parking will be available for attendees.

To submit artwork to the Artists of Hawaiʻi Call to Artists, or to find out more about this exhibition, visit downtownarthi.org/artistsofhawaii.  
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 Oʻahu's arts scene. DAC is a thriving center for the arts, providing display space to showcase local artists and art 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 across the street at the Pickles at Forté building) 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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Downtown Art Center - Call to Artist - Artists of Hawaii Biennial 2026: Call for Entries is Now Live!

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