The Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) was established by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 1965 as the official arts agency of the State of Hawaiʻi. Since its inception the SFCA has worked to enrich the lives of Hawaiʻi residents and visitors through arts and cultural programming and initiatives.
In 2017, the SFCA engaged in a focused and inclusive planning process to secure broad community input. We contracted with Pacific Policy Research Center (PPRC), a nonpartisan, non-profit research and evaluation group to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and environmental scan, and to additionally work with the SFCA Commissioners and staff to develop a set of needs-responsive strategic priorities and implementation guide.
SFCA Strategic Priorities 2019-2023
Culture
Support, foster and celebrate the artistic expressions of Hawai‘i’s diverse cultures and communities.Engagement
Enhance public engagement in culture and the arts.Education
Strengthen arts education for all learners.The Arts
Enrich the public sphere through the arts.
PPRC gathered feedback from a spectrum of stakeholders, including arts and cultural organizations, independent artists and cultural practitioners, arts educators, SFCA Board of Commissioners and staff, law makers, and the broader community. Approximately 650 stakeholders participated in the data collection process across Hawai‘i Island, Kaua‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, and O‘ahu. Findings from the community suggest broad support for increased funding for arts education, community programming, and individual practitioners; the desire among neighbor island and rural communities to become more self-driven and organized with the help of the SFCA; the desire to see a greater diversity of disciplines/mediums and cultures represented in Hawai‘iʻs arts scene; and support for the SFCA to expand its partnering, communication, and outreach efforts to generate opportunities and build greater public appreciation for culture and the arts.
The priorities set forth are reflective of broad community input and the good thinking of the SFCA Commissioners and staff. In adopting these priorities and accompanying strategies, the SFCA intends to strengthen existing programs and services, pursue new initiatives, embrace a culture of transparency and accountability, and set and meet benchmarks that communicate our intentions clearly to our staff, partners, and the broader community.
The SFCA will measure success against a set of performance metrics put forth in the SFCA Strategic Priorities Implementation and Monitoring Plan. This plan identifies resources, activities, milestones, and measurable outcomes to allow both the SFCA Commissioners and staff to evaluate, report, and act on identified successes and challenges. The SFCA will report on progress at regular commission meetings and in the SFCA Annual Report. The SFCA is thankful for the thoughts, concerns, and recommendations shared and looks forward to strengthening and broadening participation in the arts through strategic engagement, performance management, exhibition, grantmaking, and programming.
Download the full strategic plan PDF: SFCA Strategic Plan 2019-2023