Sponsored By:

In the heart of Chinatown’s lively arts district, Downtown Art Center (DAC) stands as a testament to the transformative power of art and community. Established in 2001 as the Honolulu Culture and Arts District, DAC has emerged as a beacon of positive change and a hub for the arts in the heart of Honolulu.

In 2018, the City and County of Honolulu opened a significant milestone for the arts by leasing 11,404 square feet in the Chinatown Gateway Plaza, in a space left vacant for nine years. With a $75,000 grant from the State of Hawai‘i, volunteers for DAC commenced renovations, transforming vacant spaces into a haven for artistic expression. Work began in September 2020, and the first exhibition in the second-floor gallery – the Hawai‘i Craftsmen Statewide Juried Exhibition – opened that October.

DAC is a world-class art center created and paid for in large part by the arts community. Earnings from art and donations from private, government and corporate sources meet current expenses. However, sweat equity is the mainstay of DAC. A handful of paid part-time posts and a few consultants hired for their depth of knowledge of arts and management experience complete the DAC team. They all believe that DAC is key to revitalizing central Honolulu.

DAC succeeds in making creative arts experiences accessible to all. Its mission enhances the quality of life for individuals, families, and all ages and skill levels. Through art exhibitions, public community events like the HEART of Honolulu art-focused street festival, and a diverse array of classes and workshops, DAC fosters inclusivity and empowers underserved populations to explore their creative potential.

From the Artists of Hawaiʻi juried exhibition, open to all artists in the state of Hawaiʻi, to its active participation in Chinatown’s free, public, monthly First Friday Art Walk, to Saturday make & take art workshops for students of all skill levels, DAC has become a sanctuary for artists and arts enthusiasts.

DAC collaborates with nine arts nonprofits (Six charter members: Glass Fusion Collective, Hawai‘i Craftsmen, Hawai‘i Potters Guild, Hawai‘i Handweavers Hui, Hawai‘i Watercolor Society, and the Pastel Association of Hawai‘i, in addition to the Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance, Creative Arts Experience and Pacific New Media). Their efforts have revitalized our city’s neglected spaces and provided a beautiful platform for local artists to showcase their talents and connect with larger audiences.

Nourishing and healing the human spirit are another outcome of DAC’s creative community hub. From workshops aimed at transforming grief through the positive power of art, to live music events, the arts bring people together in a positive social environment and can help them see things from a different perspective.

Creating art or simply enjoying it as a listener or observer has social, psychological, and physiological benefits. As participants experience positive change, so do their families and communities, underscoring the importance of DAC’s benefit to its surrounding neighborhood. One example of this is DAC’s project to transform obsolete telephone kiosks in Fort Street Mall into works of art designed and painted by local artists.

As DAC embarks on its journey to expand within the Chinatown Gateway Plaza and designate 16 blocks of Chinatown as the Heritage, Entertainment, Art, Restaurants, and Theater (HEART) district, it leads the way for a vibrant and culturally rich future for Hawaiʻi’s creative communities. DAC’s plans reaffirm its commitment to fostering a thriving, inclusive, and resilient community, through the transformative power of the arts.

Follow Downtown Art Center on Facebook and Instagram, visit downtownarthi.org, or email info@downtownarthi.org.

Discover the HEART of Honolulu