Roen Hufford, Kapa Maker from Waimea, Hawaiʻi, has been announced as one of the 2023 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellows. Hufford carries on the labor-intensive traditional art of ka hana kapa (making barkcloth) with designs inspired by the richness of her Hawaiian environment and is a leading figure in the reclaiming of this nearly lost art. Read more about the fellowship on the NEA website: arts.gov/honors/heritage/roen-hufford.
Three kapa pieces by Roen Hufford (“Alaea”, “Ka Papa Honua (strata of earth)”, and “Piʻi Ka Mauna”) are on display in the “Accession: recent additions to the Art in Public Places Collection” exhibit at the State Art Museum through the end of this year. Admission is free. Learn more about the exhibit on the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/accession-recent-additions-to-the-art-in-public-places-collection-exhibit-opens-february-10-2023-at-the-state-art-museum/. The SFCA Art in Public Places Collection currently has six kapa pieces made by Hufford.