Art Is Healing | 74-5214 Keanalehu Dr
Cultural Experiences
Join us for the
Art is Healing
Opening Ceremony, a celebration of creativity and community at Hawaii Island Community Health Center. Guests will enjoy heavy pupus and drinks while browsing and purchasing artwork to donate. This event highlights local artists whose work will become part of the center’s permanent display, promoting healing and inspiration for all who visit.
Our 2025 Jurors:
Setsuko Watanabe and Mina Elison
Setsuko Watanabe
, a self-taught artist originally from Kanagawa, Japan, has explored a variety of art forms, from photography and fiber arts to clay, mixed-media painting, and printmaking. Watanabe has exhibited widely and received awards for her work, with pieces in public and corporate collections, including the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.
After moving to Hawai‘i in 1970 and marrying Hiroki Morinoue, she founded Studio 7 Fine Arts Gallery, the longest-standing contemporary art gallery in Hawai‘i. She played a key role in the creation of the Donkey Mill Art Center and served as its volunteer program director for over a decade, developing educational programs that continue to shape the center’s youth initiatives.
Watanabe was also a pivotal organizer of the 2017 International Mokuhanga Conference, bringing Japanese woodblock printmaking to Hawai‘i. Throughout her career, she has been a passionate advocate for art education and cultural community building.
Mina Elison
is a Kanaka ‘Ōiwi curator who was born and raised in Kailua on the island of O‘ahu. With generational ties to South Kona on Hawai‘i, Mina currently serves as Curator at the Donkey Mill Art Center in Kona, Hawai‘i, where she curates exhibitions and programming featuring local and international artists working in diverse media from kapa to film.
She sees the gallery as a classroom, laboratory, and gathering space which inspires exploration, reflection, and healing; art can be a catalyst for meaningful and challenging dialogue. Embracing the kuleana of her position as curator, Elison aims to develop collaborative exhibitions which amplify stories and perspectives of those whose voices have been suppressed, misrepresented, or have not yet been heard.
Previously holding the position of Museum Curator at the Kona Historical Society, Elison earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Anthropology, and French from the University of San Diego, and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from New York University.
Terri Toki Memorial Fund
The
Terri Toki Memorial Fund
honors the legacy of Terri Toki, a proud Hawai‘i Island Community Health Center board member and a passionate advocate for the Art is Healing fundraiser. Terri’s dedication to integrating art into healing spaces was instrumental in shaping this event, making it only fitting that we dedicate this fund—formerly known as the Art Fund—in her memory.
Your donation to the Terri Toki Memorial Fund directly supports the purchase of artwork from the Art is Healing event, ensuring that local artists are celebrated while enriching the walls of our health center with beauty and inspiration. With your generosity, Terri’s vision continues to thrive, bringing comfort, healing, and cultural connection to our community.
To donate to the
Terri Toki Memorial Fund
, please follow the directions through the "Get Tickets" button.
Information Source: Hawaii Island Community Health Center | eventbrite