Announcements
Bishop Museum Expresses Deep Appreciation to Herb Kāne ʻOhana for Gift of Intellectual Property Rights - Bishop Museum
Bishop Museum receives the intellectual property rights to artist-historian Herb Kāne's art through a generous gift from his ʻohana, facilitated by his widow Deon Kāne and supported by his children.
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi — Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, expresses its deep appreciation to the Herb Kāne ʻOhana for their generous gift: as facilitated by Mr. Kāne's widow, Deon Kāne, and supported by his children Susan Kāne and Douglas Kāne, the Museum has received the intellectual property rights to Mr. Kāne's art.
"We are incredibly moved by the meaningfulness and generosity of this gift," said Dee Jay Mailer, Bishop Museum president and CEO. "Herb Kāne has touched so many people in so many different ways, and his connections with Bishop Museum and our Mission run deep. It is our intent to help preserve and perpetuate his legacy through our work in Hawaiʻi and Pacific cultures, as well as our engagement with these communities."
Known as an artist-historian and author, Herbert "Herb" Kawainui Kāne had a special interest in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and throughout Oceania. Raised in Waipiʻo Valley and Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island, he studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, who awarded him with an honorary doctorate degree, and at the University of Chicago after serving in the Navy.
Mr. Kāne's illustrious career has spanned advertising, publishing, architectural design, printing, writing, and sculpture work, and his clients have included everything from government agencies to major publishers and private collectors. His art has appeared on United States and international postage stamps, and he authored several books on Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
Mr. Kāne's interest in and research of Polynesian canoes and voyaging led to his participation as general designer and builder of the sailing canoe Hōkūleʻa, on which he served as its first captain in 1975. He was also one of the founders of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
He is globally known for paintings that expertly depict the many types of Polynesian and Micronesian sailing canoes that were used on historic voyages across the Pacific, as well as his artwork illustrating the history and culture of the Hawaiian and Polynesian islands.
"We know Herb's legacy will be kept alive and vibrant through Bishop Museum's strength of public programming and educational outreach," said Deon Kāne. "Herb's research and drawings, together with Bishop Museum's Pacific collections and research, provided the inspiration for Pacific Island nations to review their voyaging traditions, and he played a key role in rediscovering the art of celestial navigation in the Museum's Planetarium. Herb also had a long professional relationship and friendship with Dr. Yosihiko Sinoto, a Bishop Museum archaeologist."
"Herb has many connections with the Museum, and we know his art and legacy will live on through this gift," said Kāne.
About Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Bishop Museum’s mission is to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a royal descendant of King Kamehameha I. Today, the Museum thrives as an educational center for the community and is widely regarded as the world’s premier institution for Hawaiian and Pacific content.
Bishop Museum’s vast collections of more than 25 million objects and specimens represent nine disciplines and include more than 22 million biological specimens, over 2 million cultural objects, 115,000 historical publications, and 1 million photographs, films, works of art, audio recordings, and manuscripts. These collections tell the stories of the cultures and biodiversity of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific as well as the proud legacy of scholarly research spanning 130 years.
Bishop Museum proudly serves more than 200,000 visitors each year, including 20,000 children on school visits. Guests are encouraged to pre-plan their trip to #HawaiisMuseum with its free digital guide, available through Bloomberg Connects.
To learn more about the Museum’s research, collections, exhibits, and programs, visit BishopMuseum.org, follow @BishopMuseum on Facebook and Instagram, visit Bishop Museum’s YouTube channel, or call (808) 847-3511. Bishop Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Bishop Museum is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and welcomes applicants from the military, veterans, and those with disabilities. Learn about careers at Bishop Museum at BishopMuseum.org/Careers and on its LinkedIn page.
Bishop Museum Press is Hawaiʻi’s oldest book publisher and one of the first scholarly publishers in the Western Hemisphere, and has published over 1,200 titles and distributed over 1 million books in 72 countries worldwide. Bishop Museum hosts a restaurant and gift shop on campus, Tūtū’s Place by Highway Inn and Shop Pacifica by Nā Mea Hawaiʻi.