WEST HAWAII TODAY | BIG ISLAND ENTERTAINMENT SCENE FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2017 | 3 Donkey Mill Art Center hosts Big Island Biennial of Contemporary Art 2017 ‘FROM HAND TO HAND’ Kumu Ed Kaneko, center, stands with guests on opening night of Donkey Mill Art Center’s “From Hand to Hand,” which remains on exhibit through June 24. COURTESY PHOTO/SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY THROUGH JUNE 24 Donkey Mill Art Center’s “From Hand to Hand,” the second Big Island Biennial of Contemporary Art, remains on exhibit through June 24. This exhibition samples Hawaii Island’s vibrant art community by featuring artists dedicated to long-term studio practice as well as mid-career and emerging artists working in a variety of disciplines. “From Hand to Hand” celebrates the gift of knowledge and the relationship between the artist and protege by selecting recognized masters in their media, and showcasing an artist who they have directly taught and influenced. Featured artists in this year’s exhibition are celebrated woodworker Tai Lake and his two sons, Jonah and Noa Lake; accomplished weaver Ed Kaneko and Barbara Watanabe; and prolific multi-media artist Henry Bianchini and Eve Furchgott. Lake has spent his life dedicated to the study of woodworking and design. He started his practice at Buckminster Fuller’s design department at Southern Illinois University and came to Hawaii in 1980 as an architectural woodworker after a woodworking apprenticeship that took him all across the U.S. These “journeyman” travels put him in touch with master craftsmen, architects, and artists, and allowed him to work on a wide variety of challenging projects. As a young practitioner and now as a master himself, Lake fully understands the value of the mentor/apprentice relationship. Lake is known for his respectful use of reclaimed native woods and has passed down this practice to his sons Jonah and Noa. Working in his father’s shop, Jonah’s hands are often the last to touch a finished piece of furniture. His affinity for metals has led him to take a lead on custom hardware that complements the signature clean lines at Tai Lake Fine Woodworking. Noa uses hand tools to carve sculptural vessels from Hawaii-grown hardwoods. While Noa’s pieces vary largely in size and shape depending on what the wood dictates, there’s always a wild story in each one. Kumu Kaneko was born on May 29, 1930, the sixth of 11 children born and raised on a coffee farm in Honalo. Everyone in the family picked coffee, even the smallest child had the job of picking up the SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Shows & events Kona Songwriters Showcase tonight Daylight Mind Coffee Co. hosts the Kona Songwriters Showcase this evening at its Waterfront Row location off Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona. From 6 to 9 p.m., the event will feature original music by local singer-songwriters. Attendees will get to know the writers, songs and the stories of how they came to be. The evening is Kimberly June hosted by Kimberly June. Songwriters are welcome to an open mic at 6 p.m. with sign-ups starting at 5:30 p.m. The evening will continue with a “round” style show. This month’s featured songwriters are June and Lopaka Rootz. A $5 donation is suggested. Info: julia.berman@daylightmind.com. Jazz in the Forest summer series kicks off The 2017 Jazz in the Forest summer series kicks off with two performances on Saturday featuring Bub Pratt with Jean Pierre Thoma and The Jazztones at Volcano Art Center. The Jazztones led by Jean Pierre Thoma on saxophone and flute will feature special guest guitarist, vocalist and virtual trumpeter Bub Pratt, bassist Matt Spencer, guitarist Fed Hee, as well as master drummer Steve Bader. Pratt’s invisible trumpet will be soloist, and also with duets including other instruments. The program for Saturday will include compositions from all periods of jazz history from blues through the big band era to modern jazz by Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Pratt is achieving renown as the creator and leader of the Kukuau Studio in Hilo, which is a center of all the arts, and hosts jazz sessions every week. Thoma is a world-traveled professional musician on flute, saxophone clarinet and piano, with experience throughout America, France, Japan, India, and Israel. He is the leader of “The Jazztones” and “Raga Jazz,” and member of “Royal Kona Harp Ensemble” and “Volcano Trio,” and a performer at Holy Cross Church, a pianist at restaurants, and charity performances and a music teacher at The Pacific Academy of Music and Kukuau Studio. Spencer is a longtime professional musician and multi-instrumentalist who has enjoyed a dynamic career primarily as a freelance musician, touring, recording and writing music with many different groups in many different styles. Playing bass, guitar and percussion, he covers a wide range of musical vocabulary from jazz to African, Brazilian to funk, and salsa to spiritual. He has led his own 10-piece salsa band, was musical director for the Cleo Parker Robinson dance company, toured with the Motet, Tony Furtado, and Kyle Hollingsworth, and worked as a studio musician in Los Angeles and as a dance accompanist for dance schools around the country. Hee is originally from Honolulu and now lives in Volcano. He began playing at age 17 while at Punahou Continued on page 8 ➠ Continued on page 9 ➠
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