By Heather Diamond, PhD
On April 25, 2014, the Hawai`i Museums Association (HMA) held its annual meeting and conference at the Japanese Cultural Center Grand Ballroom in Honolulu, Hawai`i. The theme of this year’s conference was Museums 20/20: Vision and Visitors. Sixty people from Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island attended. The conference was preceded and followed by optional field trips to...
Hawaii
By Heather Diamond
At a recent symposium panel about interpreting contentious histories—a topic with which curators in Hawaii are quite familiar—I spoke about the early planning process for several new exhibits in Iolani Palace, and an overview of a 3-day retreat we held with five advisory scholars, a design team, and a consultant. I explained that I wanted our visitors to get beyond the emotions...
At a recent symposium panel about interpreting contentious histories—a topic with which curators in Hawaii are quite familiar—I spoke about the early planning process for several new exhibits in Iolani Palace, and an overview of a 3-day retreat we held with five advisory scholars, a design team, and a consultant. I explained that I wanted our visitors to get beyond the emotions...
This year's Program Committee Meeting at the Liljestrand House was a fascinating exercise and a wonderful experience working with a great group of people. This year's conference is going to be a strong one, with session proposals from WMA, the Hawai'i Museums Association, the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums, and the Pacific Islands Museums Association. It was an exciting...
From disease and death to land loss and forced subjugation, native museums often have the daunting task of exploring difficult issues and events. Too often, as museum planners and exhibit designers, we talk around these subjects without fully confronting them. Three museum professionals from the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and Bishop Museum and 'Iolani Palace in...
