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East
Hawai'i Cultural Center is operated by the East Hawai'i Cultural Council,
a coaliton of organizations and individuals dedicated to
preserving cultural, creative and traditional arts in Hawai'i, to foster
community involvement with culture and the arts; and to coordinate
activities and resources among East Hawai'i arts and cultural community.
The Council was founded in 1967 with six charter organizations reflecting
Hilo's multi-ethnic heritage.
East Hawai'i Cultural Center is home to an
alliance of arts and cultural organizations among them the Big Island Dance Council, Hawaii Concert Society, Bunka No Izumi,
Kin Ryosho Dance Academy, and the Phillippine Women's Circle.
The Center's facilities include three public
galleries, which host local, national and international invitational art
exhibits. In the Main Gallery is the Gift Shop featuring locally created
art and artifacts.
A Performance Space on the second floor
serves as a "black box" theater, an art studio, a meeting room, and one of
the best dance floors on the island. The broad lanai and balcony
frequently become the stage for the Hilo Community Players Summer
Shakespeare Performances.
Events are made possible in part by support
from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the Hawaii County
Department of Parks and Recreation, Culture and Arts Section and other
funding sources.
The main support comes from the public. As a
member of EHCC one receives invitations to the art exhibitions, advance
notice to other events, discounts for classes and gift shop purchases as
well as the newsletter,
Art
Centering.
In addition to Center activities, EHCC helps
sponsor other exhibitions and cultural events, including the Big Island
Hawaiian Music Festival and the Hamakua Music Festival. EHCC
sponsors events that attract many thousands of visitors annually.
Its newsletter,
Art
Centering, is mailed to members and distributed free to
the public, bringing news of cultural events, ideas about the arts and
living, as well as providing a forum for poetry and
art.
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