Family Sunday and Community Day, two monthly community events at the Honolulu Museum of Art, offer a unique blend of art, culture, and family-friendly fun.
The entrance fee for Kamaʻāina and kids and teenagers under 18 is free. The museum also offers two places to get food: a restaurant and a coffee bar, with drinks and quick snacks. Next to the restaurant is a shop with jewelry, books, art materials, bags, posters, and more.
The main difference between the two events is that Family Sunday has a lot of families with kids visiting, while Community Day is almost a normal day at the museum but with art activities.
Families can come and spend time together on Family Sunday. Since there are a lot of kids, the museum seems busier than usual. One of the performances presented at Family Sundays is “Storytelling,” which is obviously for kids to listen to and, at some moments, dance or sing along. Overall, during Family Sunday, a lot of kids are running around, having fun, dancing, singing, and doing art. Their parents are also enjoying the performances and art making.
Community Day is a more chill event. There are not as many families walking around the museum, and it is almost like a normal peaceful museum day. However, it also has performances, but not every Community Day. Yet, when there is a performance, it is usually related to different cultural dances or songs. Sometimes there can be bands or orchestras coming from schools and performing their music. All performances are happening at the Central Courtyard, which is right in front of the entrance to the museum.
The reason why employees created Community Day was because people coming individually on Family Sundays didn’t feel part of the event or museum, so the museum had to make sure that everyone from the community felt part of the museum and felt their importance.
Amy Endres, a Public Program Manager at the Honolulu Museum of Art, is responsible for gallery talks, interpretive experiences, and organizing events. She shares some history about the two events. Family Sunday has been part of HoMA’s events for over 15 years; it is an opportunity for families to not think about what to do on a Sunday morning and afternoon.
During the two events, Endres always walks around the museum, making sure everything is following the plan and checking on activities that are presented. In her opinion, any activities that are performed during Family Sundays and Community Days are great for sharing each individual experience in art. It can be a different age and different generation, but “art connects us,” mentioned Endres.
Endres loves the Honolulu Museum of Art; she has worked in other museums on the mainland, but HoMA is where she can collaborate with the community and be in harmony hidden in paintings and artworks around her.
One of the similarities the two events have in common is art activities. They are located in two courtyards; one is at the Mediterranean Courtyard, and the other one is at the Kina’u Courtyard. The Kina’u Courtyard is usually busier than the Mediterranean Courtyard.
Each month, the art activities feature a new theme, keeping the offerings fresh and exciting. Janet Tran, a Community Program Teacher and Educator Resource, oversees these engaging activities. Though art wasn’t her initial career path, Tran discovered a passion for teaching and creating art while working at the museum.
Here’s the rewritten version of the provided text, aiming for a more concise and engaging style suitable for a news article:
Museum Offers Creative Outlets for All Ages
The Honolulu Museum of Art offers two recurring events – Community Days and Family Sundays – both featuring engaging art activities. These events, held in the Mediterranean and Kina’u Courtyards respectively, provide a creative outlet for visitors of all ages. While the Kina’u Courtyard typically sees higher attendance, both locations offer unique experiences.
Each month, the art activities feature a new theme, keeping the offerings fresh and exciting. Janet Tran, a Community Program Teacher and Educator Resource, oversees these engaging activities. Though art wasn’t her initial career path, Tran discovered a passion for teaching and creating art while working at the museum.
“Art should be in the heart,” says Tran, emphasizing the importance of self-expression. She enjoys observing the diverse approaches individuals take to art-making, from seasoned artists to complete beginners. “Art is for everyone,” she adds, highlighting the non-judgmental and inclusive environment fostered at both events.
Tran relishes creating art and teaching it; she gets intrigued by ways people use different techniques to make art and notices different perspectives people see art, “art should be in heart.” Every time she teaches something, she gets to answer different questions and meet with new people, sometimes it is someone who is an expert in art, and other times it is someone who is just starting.
Community Days require less organization compared to Family Sundays, allowing for a more relaxed and casual atmosphere. However, both events provide valuable opportunities for visitors to explore their creativity, learn new techniques, and connect with the museum community.
To Tran, the two events’ activities are an opportunity for people to create art without any judgment and inspire them to create it the way they feel it. “Art is for everyone,” mentioned Tran. On Family Sundays, she sees familiar people coming back, which makes her happy since it means she and other members of the museum are creating a comfortable environment for visitors.
It takes Tran a lot of effort to create, get all the supplies needed, and make the theme for the art activity entertaining and amusing. When passing the art activities section, Tran is usually busy helping people and making sure nothing gets out of control. Some advice Tran shared was, “if you are interested in art, find your people, because at the end of the day, they will be the ones who will help and lead you to your goals.” So some helpers Tran has at the museum are volunteers.
Volunteering at HoMA is a usual thing. In fact, the Honolulu Museum of Art offers different types of participating in helping and learning a new experience. A bigger percentage of volunteers at HoMA are adults, even seniors. They help with creating a comfortable atmosphere and helping people out, and it additionally helps the museum be more organized during the two busy events.
Kaitlyn Victorino is a HR Coordinator Volunteers and Interns, she spends lots of time communicating with people who are volunteering to help and organize events. She wanted to be part of the museum since her high school years and enjoyed art from a young age.
Victorino is very passionate about art, and she loves seeing different art cultures; it makes her feel connected to her own culture. That is how she feels when walking around the galleries that are rich with paintings.
Volunteers help the museum a lot with their willingness to help people guide them and share with new visitors some information and things to explore at the museum. Of course, everyone has their own reason to be part of volunteering. For some, it is the connection with art; for some, it is communication; for younger people, it is useful for college applications. But in the end, they all are positive and enthusiastic about coming to the museum and assisting the community.
The Honolulu Museum of Art is not just a museum presenting to people cultural artworks and famous paintings; it is a museum that cares about its people and community, and it wants to give them the best opportunity to get closer to art as much as possible. Family Sunday and Community Day help the museum to give people that opportunity.
