Hawaii’s Back yard

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi

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Gifts enrich museum
on Kauai

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In 1999, Mr. and Mrs. Derek Tanabe of Oahu donated a large wooden trunk to Kauai Museum. It was not a particularly noteworthy piece, but when museum staffers opened it, they were delighted to find more than 100 bed- and cushion-size Hawaiian quilt patterns tracing as far back as the monarchy period.

The patterns had belonged to Mr. Tanabe's grandparents, who lived in Lihue. In the old days, quilters were very protective of their designs, and this precious cache had been collected by the Tanabes and safeguarded for more than 50 years.

"An added twist to the story came when the patterns were unfolded and it was discovered that the paper used had been large lobby posters from the Lihue Movie Theater," says Marta Birchard, Kauai Museum's development officer. "Mr. Tanabe recalled that his uncle had worked at the theater and rather than discarding the posters, he gave them to Mr. Tanabe's grandparents. Because large, sturdy paper was needed to make quilt patterns, the movie posters found a new life and a new place in Hawaiian history."

Since its founding 42 years ago, Kauai Museum has been the recipient of many such wonderful gifts. Nothing in its collections has been purchased -- not a single photograph, painting, artifact or other treasure. Rather, all the museum's acquisitions have been generous donations and bequests from individuals, businesses and community organizations.

KAUAI MUSEUM PHOTO The Kauai Museum is the site of an annual May Day lei contest, one of several events presented to foster cultural awareness.

There are ancient tools, tapa, poi pounders, fishhooks, featherwork, woven mats and weapons; missionary-era furniture and china; ethnic clothing from immigrant families, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Filipino; marine shells, land snails and bird specimens; scrimshaw and old bottles; original paintings by Madge Tennent, Juliette May Fraser, Theodore Wores and other esteemed island artists; 5,000 dramatic photographs of Kauai and Niihau dating from 1890; and more.

In addition to these permanent exhibits, the museum regularly mounts special shows. For example, "Life on Kauai Sugar Plantations" will be on view through December. Old sugar plantation records, books and photos provide insights into the lives of immigrant workers and explain how these courageous pioneers played a key role in shaping Hawaii.

KAUAI MUSEUM is not Hawaii's largest museum, but it ranks among its finest. It comprises two two-story buildings: the 6,500-square-foot Albert Spencer Wilcox Building and the 5,500-square-foot William Hyde Rice Building.

On Feb. 3, 1922, a letter from Emma Mahelona Wilcox was delivered to the board of trustees of the Kauai Public Library Association. In the letter, Wilcox offered to give the association $75,000 for the construction of a library in memory of her husband, Albert Spencer Wilcox.

In October of that year, Hart Wood, one of Hawaii's foremost architects at the time, was selected to design the building, which features a lava rock exterior, sloped roof, barrel (rounded) vaulted ceilings, antique light fixtures and a mezzanine with a balcony overlooking the first floor. The Albert Spencer Wilcox Building was dedicated on May 24, 1924.

In April 1954, a committee to establish a museum on Kauai was formed. Chairperson Juliet Rice Wichman and member Dora Jane Isenberg Cole raised the funds to erect the William Hyde Rice Building. It opened to the public on Dec. 3, 1960, with Wichman as its director and Cole as its manager.

Because the Albert Spencer Wilcox Building is on both the national and state registers of historic places, no architectural changes could be made to it. So when it was no longer large enough to house the library's growing collections, a new library was built in Lihue in 1969. At that time, the Albert Spencer Wilcox Building became part of Kauai Museum.

KAUAI MUSEUM PHOTO The Kauai Museum's collection, including carved bowls, ancient Hawaiian implements, furniture and clothing, were all donated by community members.

WHILE THE MUSEUM does a superb job of honoring and chronicling the past, it also is very much a part of the tapestry of life on Kauai today. Its Christmas Wreath Contest, scheduled this year on Dec. 6 and 7, is a much-anticipated annual event. Entries are judged in three categories: natural materials, dried plant materials, and recycled or artificial materials.

The wreath contest is held in conjunction with a craft fair that spotlights the work of local artisans.

"It's a prime event for them to show their work and gain public attention," notes Birchard. "The fair also fosters goodwill, cultural awareness and community pride."

Every May 1, Kauai Museum sponsors a festive May Day Lei Contest. According to Birchard, "Many visitors plan their trips to Kauai around our May Day celebration. It enables them to take home an image of Kauai as a place of spiritual and material abundance, and gives residents of Kauai and Niihau the opportunity to collaborate creatively with Mother Nature."

Prizes for the lei contest are awarded in nine categories, including Most Typically Hawaiian, which requires entries to be made in a traditional method using materials that were available during the monarchy or pre-monarchy periods. Ilima, pikake, pakalana, lokelani and lehua are among the flowers most often used in these striking garlands, which reflect the beauty and dignity of old Hawaii.

"The Kauai Museum's mission is to inspire and promote in the community an appreciation and respect for the indigenous and immigrant people of Kauai and Niihau and their cultural heritages," Birchard says to summarize the museum's mission. "I'm proud and pleased to be able to help preserve the best of the Hawaiian culture for generations to come."

Kauai Museum Where: 4428 Rice St., Lihue, Hawaii 96766 Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays Call: 245-6931 Admission: $5 adults; $4 seniors; $3 students aged 13-17; $1 ages 6-12; free for 5 and younger, and members of the Kauai Museum (annual memberships $25 to $500-plus) Guided tours: Available 10 a.m. Mondays to Thursdays. Admission is free on Family Saturday, the first Saturday of each month. Special programs are offered on those Saturdays, including lectures, book signings, flower arranging and origami classes, and feather and flower lei-making instruction.

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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer
and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.