COURTESY MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM "War Bride" is Elsha Bohnert's acknowledgment of her mother's courage in Jakarta during World War II. "She hoarded and hid everything of value to exchange for food on the black market," Bohnert writes in her artist statement.

Remembrances

The mission of the Mission Houses Museum, says curator Elizabeth Nosek, is to tell the stories of Protestant missionaries and "to tie what we're talking about to modern times." Thus, in showing images by Reid S. Yalom of the grave sites of generations past in the exhibit "American Resting Place," the museum rounded out the show by asking 10 contemporary Hawaii artists to explore death and dying through artwork.

"Every artist here reacts differently to death and dying; some may have a hard time discussing it. But no one has trouble with remembrances of their loved ones," Nosek says.

Rich Richardson created a mixed-media light-box that illuminates a picture of himself, as an infant, and his late uncle, as a young man. Frank Sheriff's artist statement, accompanying a bronze urn, discusses the unbearable responsibility he felt whenever he was asked to create an urn for someone.

Upon entering the Chamberlain Houses Gallery, visitors can watch a slide show of historian Nanette Napoleon's gorgeous photographs of various grave sites across the state. Napoleon recalls in her artist statement how a visit to rock icon Jim Morrison's grave site at the Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris introduced her to the beautiful artistry of grave markers.

Maile Andrade, Vince Hazen, Bernie Moriaz, Sabrina Sanchez and Roy Venters round out the artists.

Also on display are mourning items from the museum's collection, such as human hair woven into jewelry and an assemblage of dried flowers. The floral piece, typical of mourning art in the 1800s, was made by Bella (Chamberlain) Lyman in tribute to her mother.

"American Resting Place" continues through Aug. 23 at the Mission Houses Museum. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays. Admission is $6. Call 531-0481.

COURTESY MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM Roy Venters pays tribute to his great-grandmother Laila in a mixed-media piece.

COURTESY MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM An urn by Frank Sheriff.

COURTESY MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM Nanette Napoleon's photograph of Oahu Cemetery shows a tombstone for the Hudson family.

COURTESY MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM "Shadow Cards" by Bernie Moriaz "helped me work through feelings about my sister's death," the artist writes. The image of the girl was taken from a photograph of Moriaz's sister as a child.