MACC presents ACTIVATIONS: After Hours at the Gallery

Maui Arts & Cultural Center has announced the third iteration of its new program series, ACTIVATIONS: After Hours at the Gallery. This edition takes place on Thursday, Nov. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. and will take form as a special pre-opening event for the Schaefer International Gallery exhibition “Paths of Ink,” opening to the public Tuesday, Nov. 12.

The new exhibit is a showcase of contemporary work in calligraphy. Entry to the event is free, with advance registration required via the MACC Box Office through MauiArts.org beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24. Food and beverage offerings will be available for purchase.

The evening’s festivities will take place in the Yokouchi Pavilion & Courtyard. According to Gallery Director Jonathan Yukio Clark, “Our event will feature three of the exhibiting calligraphy artists engaging in dynamic performances and accompanied by live music. Guests will also have a chance to get a sneak peek of a portion of the Paths of Ink exhibition before it opens to the public. The calligraphy artists will each activate the stage throughout the evening, using giant brushes and buckets of ink to create spontaneous larger-than-life compositions with their full body movement.”

Bisei Fukushima Koshu is based in Yokohama and Yamanashi, Japan. While charting a career in design and advertising, he balanced his work life with studies under Koho Kato, a pioneering master in ancient Chinese calligraphy, going on to participate in annual exhibitions with large-scale pieces that express the energy, essence, and meaning of each kanji stroke.

Michiko Hamasaki began her studies in calligraphy at Tokyo Gakugei University, eventually pursuing her graduate work in the medium. She is the director of Sumi Art Museum in Yokohama, and head of the calligraphy group “Michinokai.” She has held solo exhibitions, performances, and cultural exchanges throughout the world for over three decades.

Having recently returned to his hometown of Tokamachi City, Niigata, Japan, Sogen Hirano is a founder and advocate of “Shogei,” a genre of calligraphy that uses the line of “life” to form the shape of all things in the universe. He became a master of traditional calligraphy in his teens, winning grand prizes at numerous exhibitions before moving into freelance work at the age of 30. He has since exhibited and performed internationally.

Accompanying the three calligraphy artists will be musical artist Max High, a multi-instrumentalist of Japanese-Filipino-French descent currently based in Honolulu. Formally trained as a flutist and drummer, he has been an active musician for over 10 years. High approaches music-making as a daily experimental practice with a focus on meditative soundscapes, synthesizer-based sound design, and ethereal tones. His album Recordings 3 was released on vinyl via local record label Aloha Got Soul in November, 2023. Food and beverages will be available for purchase in the courtyard for dining and social mingling.

ACTIVATIONS is open to all ages. Entry to the event is free, with ticketed reservations required via the MACC Box Office through mauiarts.org. Registration for tickets will be available beginning Thursday, Oct. 24.