Thank goodness for folks like Lisa Shi­roma. Not unlike other art students in the isles, Shi­roma attended the University of Hawaii and went on to work in the field — she’s an instructor at the Hono­lulu Museum of Art School and its Art to Go outreach program. But Shi­roma is among the few who are compelled to take their focus to a broader level, adding a bit more fuel to our community’s arts engine, by organizing local art exhibitions.

"It’s important to have our works on display so the whole community can enjoy them," she said.

The latest opportunity presented itself at Bishop Square’s Pau­ahi Tower in downtown Hono­lulu, where a spacious lobby serves as a gallery for presenting "Emergence 2015," a collection of works by 10 emerging artists. The show runs through July 17. Works include ceramics, glass, sculptures, cast bronze, prints and paintings.

Shiroma, 38, says the artists are folks she met at art school at Kapiolani Community College and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. They’re a bunch who have continued to develop their art after graduating and have stayed connected to the art scene in Hawaii.

Along with Shiroma, they are Brady Evans, Blaine Hong, Ashley Huang, Calvin Lac, Erin Marquez, Tonia Moreno, Lauren Trangmar, Travis Sasaki and Andrew Yama­uchi.

Though she’s been presenting art shows for just three years, "Emergence" is Shi­roma’s eighth show.

She is motivated by a passion that stems from witnessing the passion of others, she said.

After transferring from KCC to UH, Shiroma said, she met an exceptional group of dedicated students who spent countless hours at school, sometimes working through the night to create their pieces.

"Their work ethic blew me away," she said.

She was influenced as well by sculpture students, who had developed a culture of camaraderie because the medium often requires the help of others. They created a club that held fundraisers and helped members network in the art community. Shi­roma said Lac and Huang were part of that club.

"The other artists I was able to meet through mutual artist friends, and I discovered how immensely talented they were," she said via email. "When I saw the kind of artwork they created, a voice inside me said, ‘The world needs to see their work!’"

As for future exhibits, Shi­roma remains open and ready.

"If an opportunity comes up, I’ll go ahead and get started," she said.