Exhibitions
Capitol Modern exhibits offer insight into current themes and diverse expressions in the local art world through some of the best contemporary art from across Hawai‘i.
Current and Upcoming Exhibits
State of Hawaiʻi Public Art Collection Exhibit
Contemporary Portraiture: Art in Public Places
Jan 2, 2026 — Sep 19, 2026
A selection of portraits from the Art in Public Places Collection of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. ʻEwa Gallery.
Special Exhibition
Schaefer Portrait Challenge
Jan 2, 2026 — Sep 19, 2026
This exhibition, on loan from the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, features the carefully selected entries of artists whose work best captures Hawai‘i’s extraordinary portrait subjects.
Mini-exhibit
Recent Acquisitions: Art in Public Places
May 5, 2026 — Jul 25, 2026
Mini-exhibit on the ground floor, showcasing recent additions to the Art in Public Places Collection of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA).
Mini-exhibit
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
Jul 24, 2026 — Aug 8, 2026
Paintings by Strode Montessori Preschool summer session students, inspired by the "Trigger Picasso Energy" fused glass sculpture in the State Art Museum's Sculpture Garden.
Mini-exhibit
Interwoven Views: threads of influence
Jul 25, 2026 — Aug 26, 2026
In partnership with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE), Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum is hosting a display of artworks by DOE art teachers, July 25 – August 26, 2026. “Interwoven Views: threads of influence) is on the ground floor in the cafe area, open to the public during building hours.
Mini-exhibit
Arts of Oceania
Aug 7, 2026 — Nov 28, 2026
Micronesian and Melanesian artworks from the SFCA Art in Public Places Collection, along with Māori wind instruments and traditional weapons by Kalama Fallau (on loan by the artist).
Ongoing Exhibits
State of Hawaiʻi Public Art Collection Exhibit
Trifecta
Ongoing
This exhibition brings together 21 members of the Hawai‘i arts community, each invited to curate 3 artworks from the Art in Public Places (APP) Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Trifecta highlights multiple curatorial voices and celebrates the depth and diversity of the APP Collection. Second floor, Leʻāhi Gallery. Artwork in image: detail of "Rocky Point #5" by Peter Shepard Cole.
Sculpture Garden
Ongoing
Our ground floor Sculpture Garden has been transformed from its beginnings as a recreational area with a large swimming pool and bleachers into an urban oasis with pathways and nooks for reflection.
Recent Exhibits
Student Art
E mālama i ke kai, a mālama ke kai iā ʻoe: Hawaiʻi Sea Grant's Youth Ocean Art Exhibit
"E mālama i ke kai, a mālama ke kai iā ʻoe" (Care for the ocean and the ocean will care for you). Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Youth Ocean Art Exhibition on the ground floor of the No. 1 Capitol District building, next to the MORI Art+Flea shop. ● Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum July 3–18
Student Art
E mālama i ke kai, a mālama ke kai iā ʻoe: Hawaiʻi Sea Grant's Youth Ocean Art Exhibit
"E mālama i ke kai, a mālama ke kai iā ʻoe" (Care for the ocean and the ocean will care for you). Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Youth Ocean Art Exhibition on the ground floor of the No. 1 Capitol District building, next to the MORI Art+Flea shop. ● Waikīkī Aquarium June 5–30 ● Pacific Islands Ocean Exploration Center June 5–30 ● Capitol Modern: the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum June 5–20 & July 3–18
Special Exhibition
Celestial Concerto: fashion from the 2026 Mod Gala
Mod Gala 2026 fashion exhibition, showcasing works by designers Ryan Whittaker, Mapis Bernal, Kye Harford, and Marques Hanalei Marzan.
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