MACC presents THREE DECADES in Schaefer International Gallery, April 15-June 13

Maui Arts & Cultural Center presents THREE DECADES in Schaefer International Gallery, an exhibition exploring the unique ways that the MACC has come into being as a home for a spectrum of visual and performing arts expression over thirty years. The exhibition runs from April 15 through June 13. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

THREE DECADES is timed with the MACC’s recent crossing of its 30-year milestone. The exhibition integrates archives, models, artwork, and video in a retrospective highlight of the many memorable and surprising events that have taken place at the Center through the years.

Gallery Director Jonathan Clark said, “We took a deep dive through the archives as we looked back at the origins of the MACC and its three-decade journey. This is a chance to tell a few of the stories and revisit the countless memories that have happened here since the beginning, reminding us of the vitality the arts bring to all ages of the community.”

The beginnings of the MACC date back as far as the 1960s, when community leaders mulled over early ideas for a cultural and arts complex on Maui. That momentum eventually led to the creation of the nonprofit organization Maui Community Arts & Cultural Center – the Center’s original name – in 1982. Years of planning, fundraising, and construction culminated in the opening of Maui Arts & Cultural Center in 1994.

The exhibition includes original architectural models and renderings, along with a showcase of the MACC’s Permanent Collection of Art & Craft, a unique undertaking that designated 1% of the Center’s original construction budget for newly commissioned works by artists and craftspeople of Hawai‘i.

This process looked to the building’s architecture as a springboard for the development of artwork proposals, providing opportunities for local artists to experiment and grow their approaches. The resulting works have created a distinct sense of place and greeted thousands of visitors to the MACC over the years.

Rounding out the exhibition are areas focusing on visual arts, performing arts, Hawaiian cultural programs, and arts in education. The visual arts are represented through highlights from Schaefer International Gallery’s 30- year history, with the chance to revisit memorable exhibitions through recreations of past installations and works on loan.

A montage of posters, concert memorabilia, and video documentation showcases the many expressions of performing arts that have taken the stage at the MACC’s multiple venues.

Schaefer International Gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and also before select Castle Theater shows. Admission is free.

This exhibition is presented by Maui Arts & Cultural Center and supported in part by County of Maui – Office of Economic Development.