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Bishop Museum October 2023 Exhibitions, Public Programs, and Events

Bishop Museum shares its October 2023 exhibitions, public programs, and events, including the opening of Playing With Light exhibit, Living Culture workshops, and Halloween-themed activities.

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum shares its October 2023 exhibitions, public programs, and events. A full and continually updated listing can be found on the Museum's website, BishopMuseum.org. For more information on any of the items listed herein, please contact Lance Aquino with Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations, Inc.

October sees the opening of the Museum's new exhibit, Playing With Light, on Oct. 7, 2023 in the Castle Memorial Building. Guests can continue to enjoy Living Culture workshops that are part of the Ola Ka Noʻeau: Excellence in Hawaiian Artistry public programming, as well as special Halloween-themed activities for ʻohana!

October 2023

  • Continuing through Oct. 15, 2023 | ExhibitionOla Ka Noʻeau: Excellence in Hawaiian ArtistryJ. M. Long GalleryIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Ola Ka Noʻeau: Excellence in Hawaiian Artistry, presented in partnership with the PAʻI Foundation's Maoli Arts Movement (MAMo) initiative, explores genealogies of Hawaiian artistry. The exhibition spotlights 13 cultural stewards across six disciplines represented by a senior and junior practitioner pairing, each having devoted their lives to the preservation and vitality of their respective art forms.
  • Starting Oct. 7, 2023 | ExhibitPlaying With LightCastle Memorial BuildingIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Playing With Light, created by Scitech in Perth, Australia and produced by Imagine Exhibitions, combines LIGHT, a fundamental element in our everyday lives, and PLAY, a means to ignite the imagination, in this fun exploration into light technology.*Media Preview Opportunity on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, 1-4 p.m.*Bishop Museum invites members of the media to attend an exclusive pre-opening, closed-door Media Preview of Playing With Light. Please RSVP with Lance Aquino via the contact information above.
  • Ongoing | ExhibitLalo: Science and Conservation in the Northwestern Hawaiian IslandsScience Adventure CenterIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Lalo: Science and Conservation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands tells the cultural and scientific significance of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) as the kūpuna islands of Hawaiʻi. The exhibit features "The Ongoing Legacy of Coral Reef Exploration," "The Lalo Plastic Story," as well as 2D and 3D digital experiences that allow visitors to view terrestrial and underwater scenes and experience them as a series of immersive storylines about PMNM.
  • Ongoing | DisplayTwo Hawaiian Olympic Champions. The First and the Latest.Gulab and Indru Watumull AtriumIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Two Hawaiian Olympic Champions. The First and the Latest juxtaposes Duke Paoa Kahanamoku and Carissa Kainani Moore, celebrating two individuals living 100 years apart yet sharing the same story — one of respect and aloha for Hawaiʻi and the world. The installation honors the two Native Hawaiian Olympic Gold Medalists.
  • Ongoing | InstallationFifty Years of Life: ʻUmeke from King Kalākaua's JubileeHawaiian HallIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Fifty Years of Life: ʻUmeke from King Kalākaua's Jubilee introduces three ʻumeke (bowls) that were gifted to King David Kalākaua for his 50th birthday on November 16, 1886. The case also features a bust of Kalākaua made by sculptor Allen Hutchinson.
  • Ongoing | InstallationsCampus MuralsThroughout the Museum campus.Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Bishop Museum's outdoor murals provide an immersive art experience that bridges traditional culture, creative expression, and indigenous perspectives. The initial round of murals was completed in 2021 in conjunction with the special exhibit POW! WOW! The First Decade: From Hawaiʻi to the World, and was expanded in May 2023 during the Hawaiʻi Walls Mural Festival in Kalihi. The additional murals were inspired by the Kalihi community, local histories, and Bishop Museum's cultural and scientific collections and resources.
  • Ongoing | Community Partner InstallationParley AIR Station HawaiʻiGreat LawnFree. General Admission rates apply for access to all gallery spaces.Bishop Museum hosts Parley for the Oceans' installation, Parley AIR Station Hawaiʻi, a collaborative community hub dedicated to inspiring and empowering a new generation of ocean ambassadors. This concept is realized in three key pillars of action — Avoid, Intercept, and Redesign. The Parley AIR Station Hawaiʻi is an invitation to take a role in the movement for ocean solutions.
  • Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, 5:30-8 p.m. | EventPlaying With Light Member PreviewCastle Memorial Building & Gallery LawnsFree event, exclusive to Bishop Museum Members and their guests.Bishop Museum Members can experience the new Playing With Light exhibit before it opens to the public! The evening will be hosted by Justin Cruz of KHON2 and include family friendly activities such as stargazing and sky explorations with the Hawaiian Astronomical Society; crafting a souvenir to take home; face-painting; and food trucks.Pre-registration through Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.Bishop Museum Members can register as walk-in registrants from Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, at 5:30 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7-8, 2023, 10 a.m. - noon | Public ProgramKāhili Paʻa Lima Workshop with Kawika Lum-NelmidaGulab & Indru Watumull Atrium of Hawaiian HallCapacity is limited, and registration is required. $60 registration fee includes two workshops and materials.Create a kāhili paʻa lima, a handheld feather standard, in this two-session workshop led by featured artist and hulu practitioner Kawika Lum-Nelmida. No prior experience is necessary.This is a two-session workshop. Participants are committed to attending both sessions, on Oct. 7 and 8.This Living Culture workshop is part of the Ola Ka Noʻeau: Excellence in Hawaiian Artistry public programming.
  • Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, 5-9 p.m. | Public ProgramBishop Museum After HoursGreat Lawn$5 pre-sale, $10 at the door for General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Join us for a festive Friday the 13th screening of Tim Burton's classic film "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on our Great Lawn! Enjoy an evening of access to Hawaiʻi's Museum, paired with good eats, refreshing beverages, and programming perfect for Play Night with the keiki, or Date Night with that someone special. Come in your Halloween or Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired costumes and take part in our costume contest! Details to come!"The Nightmare Before Christmas" movie screening starts at 7 p.m.!
  • Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 14-15, 2023, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Public ProgramPaepoʻo Wood Inlay Workshop with Kunāne WootonFlanders LawnCapacity is limited, and registration is required. $120 registration fee includes two workshops and materials. $100 for Bishop Museum Members.Learn how to make your own 3-4 ft. board. In this paepoʻo wood inlay workshop, featured artist Kunāne Wooton will share insight on his woodworking process and techniques as he guides you in making your own board.This is a two-session workshop. Participants are committed to attending both sessions, Oct. 14 and 15.This Living Culture workshop is part of the Ola Ka Noʻeau: Excellence in Hawaiian Artistry public programming.
  • Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, 9:30 a.m.-Noon | Public ProgramNā Lei Hala with Ipolani VaughanHale IkehuCapacity is limited, and registration is required. $120 registration fee includes four workshops and materials.Learn the basic skills of lau hala weaving with Kumu Ipolani Vaughan and create a flask sleeve for a 32 oz. water bottle using natural and colored lau.This is part four of a four-session workshop. Participants are committed to attending all four sessions: June 25, July 30, Aug. 20, and Oct. 22, 2023.This Living Culture workshop is part of the Ola Ka Noʻeau: Excellence in Hawaiian Artistry public programming.
  • Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Public ProgramMakau Workshop with ʻUmi KaiHale IkehuCapacity is limited, and registration is required. $40 registration fee includes materials.Learn to make makau (Hawaiian fishhooks)! In this workshop with ʻŌlohe ʻUmi Kai, learn basic designs and types, and the traditional practice of lashing the makau. No experience necessary.This Living Culture workshop is part of the Ola Ka Noʻeau: Excellence in Hawaiian Artistry public programming.

Bishop Museum also holds Daily Programs for all guests, as well as in-person J. Watumull Planetarium shows. Its Signature Galleries include its Hawaiian Hall, Pacific Hall, Picture Gallery, Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kāhili Room, Nā Ulu Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian Garden, Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center, and Campus Murals. For more information, please visit BishopMuseum.org.

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.