Artist wanted for The state is in search of an artist to paint the official portrait of Gov. Ben Cayetano.
gov’s portrait
The state has budgeted $30,000
for the official paintingBy Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comBy custom, each of Hawaii's governors, from Sanford Dole through Wallace Farrington and up to John Waihee, has had an official portrait done which hangs in the governor's office at the state Capitol.
The state has budgeted about $30,000 for the Cayetano portrait, according to Denise Kosaka, commission projects manager for the state Foundation on Culture and the Arts. The foundation is handling artists' proposals.
She stressed that artists should submit their proposals to the foundation office and not to Cayetano's office.
The governor, however, will make the final selection, Kosaka said.
"We are just facilitating the commissioning process," she said. "Ultimately, the governor will select."
Cayetano is out of town; his communications director, Jackie Kido, said Cayetano and his wife and two children were vacationing on the mainland, but refused to say where. Kido said she did not have any information about what type of portrait Cayetano would like or how he would care to be represented.
When Waihee's portrait was unveiled in 1994, it showed the governor with a yellow feathered cloak of Hawaiian royalty draped on his shoulders. His portrait was done by William Draper, a well-known international portrait artist who once had a picture of President John Kennedy auctioned for $82,000.
Draper's portrait of President Richard Nixon is hanging in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.
David Farmer, foundation executive director, said Waihee's portrait cost $20,000 more than the $25,000 budgeted in 1994, so Waihee helped with the extra funds needed.
Cayetano has already been informed, Farmer said, that if the artist selected does cost more than the budgeted amount, he will have to make up the difference.
Gov. George Ariyoshi was painted by Margaret Holland Sargent, who also did portraits of former Presidents Ford and Carter and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Kosaka said the foundation is advertising in local newspapers and on the Internet but that the intention is to attract the attention of Hawaii artists.
Artists are asked to send a cover letter describing method of work, timetable, cost estimate, resume and five examples of previous portraits to the foundation at 250 S. Hotel St., Attn.: APP Program, 2nd Floor, Honolulu 96813.
Submissions must be in by 4:30 p.m. Oct. 10. For more information, call 586-0304.
State Web Site
