The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Transcription

1 The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts An Oral History Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute University of Hawai'i at Manoa May1991

2 Copyright 1991 Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute University of Hawai'i at Manoa These are slightly edited transcriptions of interviews conducted by the Center for Oral History, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. The reader should be aware that an oral history document portrays information as recalled by the interviewee. Because of the spontaneous nature of this kind of document, it may contain statements and impressions which are not factual. People are welcome to utilize, in unpublished works, short excerpts from any of the transcriptions without obtaining permission as long as proper credit is given to the interviewee, interviewer, and the Center for Oral History. Permission must be obtained from the Center for Oral History for published excerpts and extensive use of transcriptions and related materials. Transcripts and cassette tapes may not be duplicated or reproduced by any party without permission from the Center for Oral History; Social Science Research Institute; University of Hawai'i at Manoa; 2424 Maile Way, Porteus Hall 724; Honolulu, Hawai'i

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments v Research and Publication Staff... vii Photographs... i.x Introduction x:v e Transcripts Alfred Preis Don Horio Patricia Hartwell Ray Okimoto Ron Yamakawa Naomi Morita Franklin Odo Masaru "Pundy" Yokouchi Beatrice Ranis Sarah Richards e Wendell Silva Appendix Chronology A-1 Select Bibliography B-1 Glossary... ~ C-1 Index D-1 Center for Oral History E-1 iii

4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In addition to the interviewees and their families, we would like to acknowledge Donald M. Topping, SSRI director, and the following persons for their guidance and assistance: Norma Badoyen, Leon Burton, Barbara Furstenberg, Judy Hee, Dolly Strazar, and Stanley Yamamoto. v

5 Joe Rossi Research associate Research, interviewing, editing, photography Warren S. Nishimoto Center director Project administration Michl Kodama-Nishimoto Research coordinator Interviewing, editing Cynthia A. Oshiro Publications specialist Graphic design and production, editing Chris Orrall Indexer Index and glossary compilation RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION STAFF Shelly Abe, Lynn Makua, Kathy Oku:fna, Bernadette Solomon Transcribers Transcribing Vll

6 1X..g :I: Alfred Preis DonHorio... g :I: Patricia Hartwell... o :I: 0

7 X ~8 Ray Okimoto!I:.. Ron ~8 Yamakawa!I: ~8 Naomi Morita Franklin Odo!I: ~0

8 xiii Masaru pundy" Yokouchi Beatrice Ranis = ~8 Sarah Richards cs ~~ Wendell Silva = ~0 = ~0

9 INTRODUCTION The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts [SFCA] was established on July 12, 1965, to preserve and promote culture and the arts throughout Hawai'i. In celebration of the agency's twenty-fifth anniversary, the Center for Oral History [COH] was commissioned to conduct an oral history project on the SFCA. To determine the project's focus and identify interviewees, several meetings were held. Present at the meetings were SFCA humanities specialist Marie Dolly Strazar and COH staffers Warren Nishimoto, Michl Kodama-Nishimoto, and Joe Rossi. The decision was made then to interview ten to twelve individuals involved in the establishment and/or development of the SFCA. Priority was given to former executive directors and board chairs, with the remaining interviews divided between longtime staff members and others who worked closely with the agency. Of course, not all of those initially selected for interviewing were available during the course of the project. A few were not able to participate due to work demands and schedule conflicts. The primary objective of this project was to document the origins and development of the SFCA. Although the SFCA has often been at the forefront of national trends in government-sponsored art programs, surprisingly little about it is available in the way of books, articles, and other published materials. A comprehensive history of the SFCA would therefore have to rely at least in part on other sources of information. These interviews provide one such additional source. (For an abbreviated history of the SFCA, consult the chronology at the end of this volume.) The secondary objective was to document the role of art in the history of modern, multi-ethnic Hawai'i and in the lives of the interviewees. Most of the interviewees were born and raised in Hawai'i. A few, born and raised outside of the islands, had already been involved in the arts elsewhere. All have an interest in culture and the arts as they exist-and have existed-in Hawai'i. Together their recollections describe changes that have taken place in the arts in Hawai'i over the last sixty or so years. Interviewees Alfred Preis For the rlfteen years he served as executive director of the SFCA, Alfred Preis and the agency were synonymous. In a series of four interviews, Preis discusses his early exposure to arts in his native Europe, his journey to Hawai'i and internment here during World War II, and his careers as architect and planner. Preis then details his role in the founding of the SFCA and in the development and implementation of its various programs. Don Horio As press secretary for Governor John Burns, Don Horio had to remain well versed in all endeavors of the Burns administration. In a brief interview, Horio discusses the late governor's role in the development of the SFCA and the place for arts within Burns' goals for Hawai'i. Patricia Hartwell In her interview, Patricia Hartwell describes the circuitous path that led to her involvement with the Arts Council of Hawai'i and the SFCA. She also compares the SFCA XV

10 XVl with arts agencies elsewhere and discusses the community's understanding of the agency and its programs. Ray Okimoto For over twenty years, Ray Okimoto has been the man in charge of the Artists-in-the Schools program, working closely with artists and educators throughout Hawai'i. In his interview, Okimoto discusses the development of Artists-in-the-Schools, the role of Alfred Preis and the SFCA in this development, and the changes he has witnessed in students since the program's inception. Ron Yamakawa Art in Public Places is perhaps the SFCA's best known and most visible program. Ron Y amakawa, the manager of Art in Public Places, explains the workings of the program in detail, from the development of its inventory system and selection committee to the ongoing struggle to keep quality art in the public's eye. Yamakawa also discusses being an employee of the SFCA and offers a staff perspective on past controversies. Naomi Morita A one-time board member and chairperson of the SFCA, Naomi Morita discusses her tenure with the agency and the changes she has seen since her initial involvement. She also discusses arts in education from her perspective as a longtime Big Island educator. Franklin Odo Franklin Odo discusses his years with the SFCA and his transformation from a dissident board member to its chair. Odo also discusses the influence his SFCA involvement has had on his work as director of the Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Hawai'i Masaru Pundy Yokouchi Except for a six-year hiatus, Pundy Yokouchi has been a part of the SFCA since its inception. Over that period of time, Yokouchi has gone from a "common man" with little exposure to the arts to perhaps the state's most vocal proponent for the arts. In a lengthy interview, Yokouchi discusses his long history with the SFCA, from the circumstances of his initial appointment to his present agenda as an SFCA board member. He details the irrst tentative steps of the SFCA and the changes he has witnessed in the arts in Hawai'i since then. He also evaluates the agency, its executive directors, and the success of its various programs. In closing, Y okouchi discusses his ongoing efforts to develop the Maui Community Arts and Cultural Center. Beatrice Ranis Initially hired by the SFCA to coordinate Filipino activities in the community, Beatrice Ranis later became a member of the SFCA board and its second chair. In her interview, Ranis discusses the influence her upbringing had on her work with the SFCA and her goals while serving on the SFCA board. She also discusses the circumstances of Alfred Preis' retirement and Sarah Richards' subsequent hiring. Sarah Richards When Sarah Richards was hired as executive director of the SFCA in 1980, the agency was at a turning point. In a narrative-style interview, Richards discusses her agenda for the SFCA upon her arrival, the gains the agency made during her tenure, and its status at the time of her departure. Richards also discusses the controversy and negative

11 XVl1 publicity that sometimes accompanied her years with the SFCA. (Note: At Richards' request, no tape recorder was used during her interview. The narrative contained in this volume was assembled from the interviewer's notes and reviewed by Richards.) Wendell Silva In a brief interview, Wendell Silva discusses his involvement in the arts prior to becoming executive director of the SFCA in 1989 and his hopes. for the agency's future. How to Use the Transcripts This volume contains a glossary of all non-english and Hawai'i Creole English (lice) words (which are italicized in the transcripts) and a detailed subject/name index. A biographical summary precedes each interviewee's transcript. This volume also contains photographs of the interviewees, a brief chronology of the history of the SFCA, and a bibliography of written sources consulted. All interviewees were encouraged to read their transcripts and make any deletions or additions they considered necessary before signing the following legal release: In order to preserve and make available the history of Hawai'i for present and future generations, I hereby give and grant to the University of Hawai'i Center for Oral History as a donation for such scholarly and educational purposes as the Center Director shall determine, all my rights, title, and interest to the tapes and edited transcripts of interviews recorded on (date), biographical data sheet completed (date), and notes of untaped interviews (date). The transcripts represent statem-ents that interviewees wish to leave for the public record. The majority are almost verbatim from the actual taped interviews. Some interviewees made grammatical or syntactic changes in their transcripts. Others attached additions or explanations. Interviewee additions are in parentheses. Minor editing for clarity was done by COH staff. The flavor and authenticity of interviews were not compromised by this editing. Staff additions are in brackets. A threedot ellipsis indicates an interruption; a four-dot ellipsis indicates a trail-off by a speaker. Three dashes indicate false starts. Audiotape and Transcript Availability While these transcripts represent the primary documents for archival and research purposes, audio cassettes are available for listening at Hamilton Library's Hawaiian and Pacific Collection, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Researchers should use the tapes only as supplements to the transcripts, since interviewee and staff additions and deletions were not made on the tape. The identification number, assigned to each audio cassette and transcript, indicates project number, cassette number, session number, and year of interview. For example, Tape No identifies project number 20, cassette number 4, the frrst recorded interview session, and the year, The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts: An Oral History and other COH publications are available at the following locations:

12 XV1ll Hawai'i Hawai'i Public Library (Hilo) Hawai'i Community College Library University of Hawai'i at Hilo Library Kealakekua Community Library Kaua'i Lihu'e Public Library Kaua'i Community College Library Lana'i Lana'i Public and School Library Maui Maui Public Library (Wailuku) Maui Community College Library Moloka'i Moloka'i Public Library O'ahu Bishop Museum Library Hawai'i State Library Kaimukl Public Library Kane'ohe Public Library Pearl City Public Library Honolulu Community College Library Kapi'olani Community College Library Leeward Community College Library Windward Community College Library University of Hawai'i at Manoa: Hamilton Library Sinclair Library Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute Ethnic Studies Program Hawai'i State Archives Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Hawai'i State Department of Land and Natural Resources COHs publications include: Transcript Collections Waialua and Hale'iwa: The People Tell Their Story (1977) Life Histories of Native Hawaiians (1978) Remembering Kaka'ako: (1978) Waipi'o: Mano Wai (Source of Life) (1978) The 1924 Filipino Strike on Kaua'i (1979) Women Workers in Hawai'i's Pineapple Industry (1979) Stores and Storekeepers of Pa'ia and Pu'unene, Maui (1980) A Social History of Kona (1981) Five Life Histories (1983) Kalihi: Place of Transition (1984) Waikikr, : Oral Histories (1985) Ka Po'e Kau Lei: An Oral History of Hawai'i's Lei Sellers (1986) Perspectives on Hawai'i's Statehood (1986) Koloa: An Oral History of a Kaua'i Community (1988) Lana'i Ranch: The People of Ko'ele and Keomuku (1989) Books Uchinanchu: A History of Okinawans in Hawai'i. Published in cooperation with the United Okinawan Association (1981) Hanahana: An Oral History Anthology of Hawai'i's Working People (1984) Finding aids Catalog of Oral History Collections in Hawai'i (1982)

13 XlX Catalog of the ESOHP Collection, (1984) Master Index to the ESOHP Interviews, (1984) Other publications How To Do Oral History (Second Edition, Revised 1989) Oral History Recorder newsletter (1984-.) The Staff of the Center for Oral History, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, believes that researching, recording, and disseminating the experiences of Hawai'i's people will stimulate further research and foster a better understanding of our islands' history. COH is solely responsible for any errors in representing or interpreting the statements of interviewees. Honolulu, Hawai'i May 1991