DOWNTOWN ART CENTER
1041 Nuʻuanu Ave
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Second Floor Gallery Hours: Tues-Sun 11 AM to 5 PM
DAC Art & Gifts Shop Hours: Tues-Sat 11 AM to 5 PM
Current Main Gallery Exhibition
Architects as Artists 2026
On View January 22 - February 7, 2026
Opens Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 11 a.m.
First Friday Closing Reception: Friday, February 6 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Now in its fourth installment, Architects as Artists invites architects, architecture students, and professionals in architecture-related fields across Hawai‘i to showcase their creative work and share the inspirations behind it. The exhibition aims to deepen public appreciation for the artistry within the architectural community, and its impact on Hawaii.
Current Classroom Exhibition
Go Figure 2026: Figures & Portraits from Hawaiʻi’s Artists
On View January 2 - February 28, 2026
First Friday Opening Reception: January 2 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
This exhibition features the amazing work of many artists who attend our weekly uninstructed Monday Night Life Drawing, facilitated by Jared Wickware, and Tuesday Portrait sessions, facilitated by Alla Parsons.
Flyer artwork: "Clementine" by Anna Baatz.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
Melinda Alexander
Mitch Anderson
Anna Baatz
Richard Barlett
Dawn Daido
Alexandra Eyer
Bill Hughes
Ashleigh Streff
Debbie Karraker
Juanita KaʻĀhanui
Andrea Kato
Jude Killory
Gloria Kniazky
Beth Kupper-Herr
Flora Ling
Jeffrey Lim
Camilo Martinez
Rachel Melander
Ewa Mosc
Jessica Orfe
Alla Parsons
Gunner Smith
Raquel Tello
Roger Tinius
Burton Uhr
Jared Wickware
Current Studio 1C Exhibition
Space Age Life, Future Design 1957-1974
On View January 16 -February 6, 2026
First Friday Reception: February 6 from 5:30 -8 p.m.
Space Age Life, Future Design 1957–1974 is an exhibition showcasing a portion of Tim Apicella’s collection from a period in American and European social culture when industrial designers created with optimism, enthusiasm, and bold innovation, producing consumer goods enabled by new technologies such as brightly colored molded plastics, foam, fiberglass, metallics, and synthetic fabrics.
Upcoming Events & Exhibitions
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Architects as Artists 2026
January 22 - February 7, 2026 in the Main Gallery
First Friday Reception: Friday, February 6 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Now in its fourth installment, Architects as Artists invites architects, architecture students, and professionals in architecture-related fields across Hawai‘i to showcase their creative work and share the inspirations behind it. The exhibition aims to deepen public appreciation for the artistry within the architectural community and its impact on Downtown Honolulu.
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DAC Walking Tour: Art, History & Architecture in the HEART of Honolulu
Upcoming Tour Dates:
-Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
-Saturday, March 14 from10 a.m. to 12 p.m.Meeting Place: Downtown Art Center, 1041 Nuuanu Ave (Chinatown Gateway Plaza building) by the downstairs DAC Art & Gifts Shop.
$20 per person, limit 20 people per tour.
Downtown Art Center (DAC) offers a unique way to experience the historical and artistic heritage of the HEART district of downtown Honolulu with this walking tour, led by Historian Gary R. Coover, author of "Pocket Walking Tour of Honolulu's Royal Mile,” and veteran artist and educator Susan Hogan.
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Pacific New Media: Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2026
February 12-28, 2026 in the Main Gallery
Opening Reception: Friday, February 13 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.This annual photography exhibition features a juried selection of individual images and thematic portfolios from artists across the state. Portfolios, consisting of 8–10 images with an artist’s statement, will be showcased online, with select PNM Portfolio Award recipients also included in the physical exhibition at DAC. Juried by Los Angeles-based visual artist and Lenscratch Editor-in-Chief Aline Smithson, the exhibition highlights diverse photographic practices—including analog, digital, color, black-and-white, alternative processes, and mixed media—offering a comprehensive snapshot of contemporary photography in Hawai‘i.
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Hawaii Watercolor Society 2026 Members’ Show: “99% Transparent”
March 3 - 28, 2026 in the Main Gallery
This exhibition features works created primarily with transparent watercolor, with up to 1% of the surface permitted to be enhanced using water-soluble media such as gouache, casein, acrylics, and water-soluble crayons or pencils. The juror is Sterling Edwards, an internationally renowned watercolor artist, instructor, mentor, and author known for his expressive and luminous style.
DAC Special Projects & Community Support
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DAC Art & Gifts Retail Shop
Our curated first floor retail shop is a showcase gallery where local artists can sell their artwork, and visitors can buy unique gifts created by Hawaiʻi artists.
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Vacant to Vibrant
Our Vacant to Vibrant project aims to prove that Downtown/Chinatown Honolulu’s vacant spaces can come alive again, as valuable hubs of art, creativity, and community involvement.
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Public Art WORKS!
Our initiative to beautify Downtown/Chinatown Honolulu through the power of the arts employs artists to create colorful, fun, photogenic, and uplifting public art pieces that the community can enjoy.
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HEART of Honolulu Street Festival
HEART is an acronymn that stands for Heritage, Entertainment, Arts & culture, Restaurants, and Theatre & Performing Arts. Together, these elements make up the core of our vibrant creative community, and are the focus of our annual HEART of Honolulu arts festival on Nuuanu Avenue each April.