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
Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society 2026 Members’ Show: “99% Transparent”
On View March 3 - 28, 2026
Opening Reception: First Friday, March 6 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
This Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society 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. Find out more and see works for sale online at hawaiiwatercolorsociety.org.
The watercolor works are accompanied by beautiful glass 3D pieces by members of The Glass Fusion Collective, which provides a safe environment where fused glass enthusiasts can learn, teach, and create using shared equipment and other glass art resources.
Current Courtyard Gallery Exhibition
Pushing the Frame: An AP Art and Photography Student Showcase
On View March 3-21, 2026
Opening Reception: First Friday, March 6 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Talented AP Art and Photography students from four different Oahu high schools showcase their work in this special exhibition, presented in collaboration with the Hawaii Department of Education. See work by students from Kalaheo High School, Farrington High School, Campbell High School and Waipahu High School in this all-media display.
Current Classroom Exhibition
Go Figure 2026: Figures & Portraits from Hawaiʻi’s Artists
On View January 2 - March 6, 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.
Upcoming Events & Exhibitions
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DAC Walking Tour: Art, History & Architecture in the HEART of Honolulu
Upcoming Tour Dates:
-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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A Sneak Peek at Hawaii Shakespeare Festival's Julius Caesar
Sunday, March 15 in Studio 1C. Free with RSVP.
The Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, in partnership with DAC and Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra's Sounds of Shakespeare Festival, invites you to join us on the ides of March for a reading of select scenes from Julius Caesar, followed by a discussion of the themes of the show and how they relate to the modern day.
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The Legal Clinic: Dance in PJs (Peace, Justice, Safety)
Friday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. $25 for one segment, $50 for 2 segments, $75 to support the event (proceeds go to The Legal Clinic)
Join Allies in Resistance and DAC for a community dance "marathon" celebrating music, movement, and mutual aid. Come together with your community for an evening of shared joy and resistance, with proceeds benefiting The Legal Clinic.
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DAC Storytelling Night with Special Guest Eric Wolf
SSaturday, March 21, 2026 from 6-7:30 p.m. In the DAC 2nd Floor Classroom, $10 per person online or at the door.
Join us as Big Island storyteller and licensed clinical social worker Eric Wolf takes listeners on a lyrical journey of ocean-born tales of mermaids, fishermen, and living shadows that explore longing, loss, and rebirth through the mysteries of the sea and the depths of the human heart.
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This show is part of a monthly storytelling series at DAC, in partnership with Honolulu master storyteller Jeff Gere.
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HEART of Honolulu Street Festival 2026
Saturday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Save the date for our next HEART of Honolulu Street Festival! We invite artists and arts organizations to take to the streets, as we shut down Nuuanu Avenue in Chinatown and open it to pedestrian traffic for everyone to experience and enjoy the HEART of the Chinatown Arts District, including art, live music, food, creative local vendors, performances and more.
VENDORS WANTED!
If YOU are a local artist, crafter, fashion designer, arts organization or club, community nonprofit, or purveyor of handmade goods, we invite you to join us on the street!
-Vendor Fee: $65 (for a 10x10 space)
-Application Deadline: March 13, 2026If you would like to be a vendor, please visit the link below for an application and more info!
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.