Founded in 1922, the Honolulu Museum of Art is Hawaii's largest and most significant visual arts organization. The institution operates from Honolulu as a cultural destination for both local residents and visitors to the islands. Its permanent collection has grown from approximately 875 works at its founding to more than 55,000 pieces spanning 5,000 years of human creativity, with significant holdings in Asian art, American and European painting and decorative arts, works on paper, Asian textiles, and traditional works from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
The museum presents world-class exhibitions and houses the Doris Duke Theatre, which screens independent cinema. It also operates an art school offering a full curriculum of studio art classes. The institution was founded with a progressive vision: to bring the gift of art and art education to Hawaii's diverse, multicultural community, reflecting founder Anna Rice Cooke's commitment to an inclusive space dedicated to serving the community through art.
