Spotlight

Spotlight Paige Donnelly, CEO and Co-Founder Art World Escape (AWE)

Art World Escape (AWE) is an exciting app launched early in 2018 that provides direct access to leading and up-and-coming members of Oahu and Hawaii's artistic and creative communities. This unique platform enables visitors and locals to enjoy behind the scenes arts, music, dance, and cultural experiences. The groundbreaking app was inspired by the travels of Paige Donnelly, a professional art curator who loves to explore new neighborhoods through the lens of local artists.

"When traveling, I visit the artists' exhibits, go to their studios, see how their environments influence their work, and view the stories their work is telling," explains Paige. "Artists are often conduits to the pulse of a city, are sensitive to social issues, and know off the beaten path areas."

In Hawaii, Paige spoke with friends – many of whom were artists – and recognized that there might be a way to connect the local artists community with visitors eager for unique, authentic local experiences. "Art World Escape provides a way for locals and visitors to experience Hawaii's arts scene while enabling artists to create and a make living."

Art World Escape offers studio visits, tours, exhibits, workshops, and performances across Oahu. Most experiences are immersive and interactive. Sit for a portrait in the Chinatown studio of acclaimed Hawaii painter Solomon Enos, who will complete the work in one hour. Explore Kakaako with Adele Balderston, a place-based storyteller, on her 88 Block Walk, a nighttime walking tour that explores the gentrification, displacement, urbanization, and generational change in Kakaako using historical projected images and street performers. Discover the local Hip Hop scene with Super Groupers, a Honolulu artists' collective, for a studio session and learn to DJ/scratch, emcee, and make beats, followed by a tour of their favorite eateries and places of inspiration. Visit Wooden Wave, the Kakaako studio of artists Matt and Roxy Ortiz, for a behind the scenes look at their process and inspiration, and then visit their murals sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. In Manoa Valley, artist Jan Dickey invites you to create earth-based paints from flowers you'll collect in the valley and then asks you to contribute to a collaborative flag project depicting what it means to be part of America from the vantage point of Hawaii. 

Book your experience directly on the Art World Escape app which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Follow them on Instagram @artworldescape.

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Unexpected Oahu:

Unique Experiences in The Heart of Hawaii

Compete in a culinary challenge, shop for cutting edge Hawaiian styles, and plant a tree in memory of loved one. Adventures never cease on Oahu.

Explore Downtown Honolulu on an Architectural Walking Tour
See Honolulu through the eyes of an architect or architectural historian on the Exploring Downtown Walking Tour with AIA Honolulu. The in-depth tours, held on pre-reserved Saturday mornings from 9 am to 11:30 am, reveal many of Hawaii's most significant and cherished architectural masterpieces. The tour visits 24 important sites that span a variety of architectural styles across 150 years beginning in the early 19th century. You'll learn that Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives was built by Congregational missionaries from New England with lumber shipped to Hawaii in 1821. Aliiolani Hale, a grand Neoclassical building completed in 1874, is one of Hawaii's most recognized buildings famous for the gold leafed statue of King Kamehameha I in front. Iolani Palace, finished by King Kalakaua in 1882, represents the attraction of European architectural styles to Hawaiian royalty in the mid-19th century. The YWCA Building from 1927 is a Beaux-Arts design by one of America's most distinguished architects, Julia Morgan, who also designed Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. The Hawaii State Capital, from 1968, reflects Hawaii's emergence into the modern age and its global position at the crossroads of the Pacific. Launched over 20 years ago by well-known Hawaii architect Frank Haines, the tours today are led by passionate AIA volunteers dedicated to perpetuating his legacy. Don't miss an opportunity to view many of Oahu's most famous landmarks on this unique tour.

Dine at a Palace with Gourmet Events Hawaii
Treat yourself and your family, a group of friends, or business associates to an exclusive themed experience with Gourmet Events Hawaii. The Feast of the Merrie Monarch at Iolani Palace takes you back to the 19th century when King Kalakaua, the "Merrie Monarch," ruled the Hawaiian Kingdom and enjoyed celebrations, the cultural arts, and feasting. As you tour the Palace, enter the Throne Room and experience a waltz reminiscent of the King's reign. Enjoy "Kalakaua Champagne Punch," an original recipe, and a three-course meal prepared by a top Hawaii chef showcasing locally sourced ingredients at tables set to recall Kalakaua's time. A harpist, a hula performance, and a fashion show featuring regal 19th century styles enhance the period experience. Gourmet Events Hawaii also presents Culinary Challenge Hawaii, their version of TV's Chopped!, featuring hands on instruction, high intensity timed tasks, and delicious food. Your group will be divided into two competing culinary teams that each prepare a recipe with prepped ingredients under the guidance of a professional chef at one of Waikiki's leading restaurants. The teams then gather to enjoy the professionally prepared three course meal with wine pairings. Finally, the chef awards the overall challenge winners. Consider Ahupuaa Dinner in the Field at Kualoa Ranch, an extraordinary outdoor dinner that celebrates Hawaii's local bounty in an exquisite setting on Oahu's northeast coast and other wonderful experiences from Gourmet Events Hawaii.  

Take the Captain's Tour at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park/Pearl Harbor
The USS Bowfin, nicknamed the "Pearl Harbor Avenger," was a fleet attack submarine launched December 7, 1942, exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park at Pearl Harbor reveals what it was like to live and work aboard a WWII era submarine. The two-hour VIP Captain's Tour is led by a former Commanding Officer of a U.S. Navy submarine who provides rare insights into submarine life over 75 years ago. You'll visit normally off-limits areas on the compartment by compartment tour. Visit the ward room where officers ate, learn about submarine operations in the control room, and hear about torpedoes in the forward and aft torpedo rooms. Climb into the conning tower equipped with periscopes, sonar, and the torpedo data computer. Tour the crew's mess, sleeping quarters, the engine room, and maneuvering room where the sub's electrical power was distributed and controlled. This comprehensive tour explores the Museum where key artifacts are highlighted and discussed. Guests come away with a deep appreciation of the challenges faced and sacrifices made by those serving aboard U.S. submarines during World War II.

Explore Extraordinary Treasures at Bishop Museum
The world's leading institution dedicated to the natural history, culture, and heritage of both Hawaii and the Pacific region, Bishop Museum is a treasure trove of permanent and special exhibits. Unreal: Hawaii in Popular Imagination (through 1/27/19) presents rare, never-before-seen-together images and objects drawn from one of the largest private collections in Hawaii-themed printed ephemera in existence. The exhibit takes a look at how unreal impressions of Hawaii have fed Western popular imagination since the late 19th century, largely through advertising imagery. This experiential installation invites visitors to experience the difference between unreal depictions in commercial art and the contemporary reality of Hawaii. Rapa Nui: The Untold Stories of Easter Island (through 5/5/19) showcases the Bishop Museum's extensive cultural and natural history collections and sheds light on this intriguing place also known as Easter Island. More than 150 cultural treasures and never-before-seen biological specimens from the museum's collections are displayed together for the first time in the Bishop Museum's history. The exhibit enables visitors to learn about Rapa Nui's unique environment, its history, and how it is striving for sustainability in a global context. A complimentary exhibit, Ka Ui: Contemporary Artists from Rapa Nui, features works by eight Rapa Nui-based artists who explore Rapanui identity, politics, the environment, and ancient art forms.

Take Flight with Paradise Helicopters
Viewing Oahu's majestic land and seascapes with Paradise Helicopters is one of the island's most exhilarating experiences. The award-winning company is well known for the world's most trusted pilots, industry leading safety certifications, and deep relationships with the communities it serves throughout Hawaii. Protecting Hawaii's environment is woven into the DNA of Paradise Helicopters. The company is the first helicopter tour operator in Hawaii to be awarded a Sustainable Tourism Certificate from the Hawaii Ecotourism Association and last year launched a Carbon Offset Program to support reforestation of trees in Hawaii. The new Oahu: Eco Landing experience is a full island tour that includes a landing at Gunstock Ranch on the North Shore during which you can plant a tree in honor or in memory of a loved one. This tour also has a horseback riding option. The circle island adventure, sunset experiences, waterfalls and valleys, and the Magnum Experience are among the company's other helicopter tours. Special upgrades include landing at any of Paradise Helicopters' exclusive, remote landing sites and opening the helicopter doors to capture unparalleled photos.

Discover Oahu's Extraordinary Design Talent
Oahu is a shopper's paradise with all the most sought after American and international designer shops along Kalakaua Avenue and at Ala Moana Center. But you will also find extraordinarily talented locally born designers here such as Manaola (Manaola Yap), the first Native Hawaiian to show at New York Fashion Week (2017 and 2018). Manaola's line is inspired by his hula practice, experience as a costume maker and stylist, love of nature, and connection to his ancestral roots. His fashions feature bold printed patterns that embody the Hawaiian spirit and evoke the beauty and geometry of natural Hawaii. Project Runway favorite Kini Zamora, and Ari South, who gained national recognition on Project Runway and Project Runway All Stars, also find inspiration from their Hawaii origins and surroundings. Sonny Ching, a renowned hula master, designs jewelry that combines traditional Hawaiian culture with modern aesthetics. Shop his collection at Nohea Gallery. 

Malama Oahu:

Voluntourism Opportunity in The Heart of Hawaii

Heart Horses at Sunset Ranch on the North Shore is a one of a kind therapy program for youth, adults, families, and groups that incorporates horses for growth, learning, and healing. "We believe in the human-animal bond and the ability to help each other heal," explains Sonja Bigalke-Bannan, MSW, LSW, the owner of Heart Horses. Individualized therapy programs for psychotherapy, learning, team building, and therapeutic riding are experiential, meaning that clients engage in activities with the horses and experience a positive change that will last. Volunteers are welcome at Heart Horses to help with therapeutic riding lessons, barn chores, grooming horses, and grazing chores. No prior horse experience is required. Interested volunteers can complete the online waiver.

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