NEW INSTALLATION AT THE BISHOP MUSEUM Honolulu—The Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last direct descendant of King Kamehameha 60 I. Today, the museum is recognized as one of the principal museums of the Pacific, housing the world’s largest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific artifacts and natural history specimens. The Pacific Hall at the Bishop Museum—formerly the Polynesian Hall—is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation and restoration. When complete, the new installation will explore the origins and cultures of Pacific Islanders and their migrations throughout the “Blue Continent” (Pacific Ocean) over a period of 6,000 years. The name change of the hall reflects the new installation’s broader story that extends beyond Polynesia to reveal the historical connections among the peoples of the Pacific Islands in the areas of culture, daily life, and language. Some of the key artifacts on display were gathered over the last century from Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Marquesas Islands, Taiwan, and China and include a mixture of ancient and modern pieces. The first object to be installed in the Pacific Hall is a Fijian fishing canoe from Fulunga Island. After months of careful restoration, the canoe has now been hoisted to the center atrium overlooking the two-story hall. Set to open in September of 2013, visitors to the Pacific Hall will be able to see one of the world’s finest collections relating to Pacific culture. Complementing the artifacts on display will be historical photos and other documentation, as well as vibrant contemporary artwork made by Pacific Islanders. Look for a detailed article about the new installation in an upcoming issue of Tribal Art. BELOW: Shoulder cloth, phaa sabai. Tai Daeng People, Hua Phan Province, Laos. C. 1900–1950. The Textile Museum, TM 1985.31.4. Ruth Lincoln Fisher Memorial Fund. LEFT: Lead exhibit designer Dave Kembie oversees the hanging of a Fijian fishing canoe, the first object to be installed in the new hall. Photo courtesy of the Bishop Museum. ART THAT SUSTAINS Washington, DC—Southeast Asian textiles have long served as markers of ethnic identity, distinguishing neighboring communities one from another by pattern, color, and technique. Today commercial production challenges these practices, yet the artistic wealth of the several hundred cultural groups of the region continues to inspire artists from around the world. Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains at the Textile Museum explores the intersection of these rich traditions and their interpretation within contemporary art and design. Historical textile artworks from the museum’s Southeast Asian collection are displayed alongside the work of four contemporary textile artists and designers. On view until October 13, the exhibition demonstrates how contemporary artists are preserving the traditional arts even as they interpret them in new and innovative ways. This exhibition is the last the museum will hold in its present location. Under the leadership of its newly appointed director, John Wetenhall, the venerable Dupont Circle institution will join its collection and identity with a new museum at George Washington University’s main campus in Foggy Bottom, located at G and 21st Streets NW and scheduled to open in autumn of 2014. This represents an opportunity for enhanced exhibition, conservation, storage, and scholarship, as well as the resources to continue to grow the collection. ABOVE: Charles Reed Bishop and Bernice Pauahi Bishop in San Francisco, September 1876. Photographer unknown. Photo courtesy of the Bishop Museum. BELOW LEFT: Exterior of the Bishop Museum. Photo courtesy of the Bishop Museum. BELOW: The deinstalled Pacific Hall from the second floor, showing the inlaid floor map of the Pacific. Photo courtesy of the Bishop Museum.
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