In partnership with the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), the Arts Education for Healthy Communities Initiative is a new grant program focused on increasing access to arts education to strengthen opportunities to connect and combat isolation throughout Hawaiʻi. It supports residencies focused on the fine arts targeted to reach participants and communities that experience barriers or challenges to accessing arts education. This initiative compliments the Artists in the Schools program, to support arts education experiences outside of school for all ages – from keiki to kūpuna. It builds on the success of the Museum Without Walls program offered in 2024-2025. The residency is a partnership between the Artistic Teaching Partner from SFCA’s Artist Teaching Partners Roster and a community organization.
HCF awarded 11 grants totaling $86,177.32 for this program to support the following residencies during the period 2/1/2026 – 6/30/2026:
Bonnie Sol Hahn – Koana Cultural Community $6,250
Drawing for Adults, Hawaiʻi Island
This drawing residency for the rural Mountain View community will bring adults together to learn the elements of art, from basic lines to drawing from life. Participants will explore charcoal, conte, and other materials while enjoying a relaxed, social evening setting. The program culminates in a community art show where students share their creations with family and friends, strengthening connection and pride within this rural community.
Create With Clay Hawaiʻi Inc., Rayna Galati – Palama Settlement $8,000
Kūpuna Clay at Palama Settlement, Oʻahu
The residency will engage the kūpuna community at Pālama Settlement and the surrounding Kalihi Palama area. Participants will learn foundational pinch, coil, and slab ceramic techniques while improving their fine motor skills, creativity, and emotional well being. Kūpuna will create individual and collaborative works inspired by local landscapes, cultural motifs, and personal narratives. The residency will conclude with a small exhibition that celebrates participants’ artistry and strengthens community connection.
Fatiha Kheddaoui – Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE) $7,927.32
Resiliency through Arts and Food, the RYSE Art cookbook project, Oʻahu
The residency will engage youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. This residency blends cooking and visual arts, using shared meals, creative projects, and cultural storytelling to build confidence and connection. Participants explore recipes, digital design, mixed media art, and community traditions while contributing to a collaborative art cookbook. The residency will help participants feel greater belonging and social connection.
Honolulu Theatre for Youth – Kōkua Kalihi Valley $8,000
Our Stories, Our Selves, Oʻahu
The residency will engage young residents of Kuhio Park Terrace and Kalihi Valley Homes in Kalihi, ages 7-14. The place-based drama residency will bring youth together to share cultural stories, build confidence, and connect through performance. Participants will explore personal narratives, learn improvisation, and create ensemble pieces that affirm identity and belonging. The program concludes with a community presentation that celebrates cultural pride and strengthens community bonds.
Julie Matheis – Hale Mahaolu $8,000
Connecting Kūpuna Through Wearable Art, Maui
The residency will be a partnership with Hale Mahaolu to provide visual arts education to kūpuna in low-income senior housing. Participants will learn jewelry and lei making in a warm, supportive setting designed to foster creativity, dexterity, and social connection. Participants will experiment with high quality beads, metalwork, and floral materials while sharing stories and learning together. The residency culminates with a May Day celebration and shared “wear and share” moments that deepen relationships across the community.
Kayti Lathrop – Waipa Foundation $8,000
Mo’olelo Murals, Kauaʻi
In partnership with Waipa Foundation, a public mural making residency will engage a core group of youth to design and paint a large community mural inspired by a traditional mo‘olelo about courage, kindness, and aloha ‘āina. Working together from concept through completion, participants will learn mural techniques, cultural storytelling, and collaborative problem solving. The finished mural will be a vibrant public artwork celebrating community identity and pride.
Lee Walczuk – Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School $8,000
Creative Arts as Practice, Process and Performance, Hawaiʻi Island
This intergenerational residency brings keiki and kūpuna together for hands on creativity in drawing, printmaking, sculpture, maskmaking, and puppetry. Participants will collaborate, share stories, and explore cultural traditions through artmaking that emphasizes process over product. The residency concludes with a community sharing event at Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School, celebrating connection across ages.
Margaret Sutrov – Hāna Arts $8,000
Watercolor Anywhere: Pilina Hāna, Maui
In partnership with Hāna Arts, residents of all ages will gather at outdoor sites in Hāna to paint together, connect with place, and deepen community ties through watercolor. Participants will explore landscapes, share their artwork, and enjoy mindful creative practice in a supportive setting. The program will conclude with community exhibitions at the Levitt Music Concert and Hāna Farmers Market.
Melissa Sigh – Hawaiʻi State Public Library System $8,000
Family Music-Making at Your Local Library, Hawaiʻi Island
This residency in partnership with the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System, will bring families and community members together at the Pahoa, Hilo, and Keaʻau libraries for joyful early childhood music sessions and ukulele classes that encourage connection through rhythm, song, and movement. Participants of all ages will learn new musical skills, explore instruments, and build relationships in a welcoming space. The residency will support strengthened community ties and shared musical expression.
Page Chang – Kualoa-Heʻeia Ecumenical Youth (KEY) Project $8,000
Hoolupe Kaiaulu, Kapa Kite Making, Oʻahu
In partnership with KEY Project, this culturally grounded, arts-centered residency will teach participants the full process of kapa creation – from harvesting wauke, to dyeing, stamping, and creating lupe kapa (kapa kites). The residency will integrate traditional knowledge, hands-on learning, and collective engagement. The residency ends with a joyful community lupe flying celebration. Participants will strengthen their connection to ʻāina through materials, gathering, and place-based learning, and build a community through cooperative processes and shared cultural experiences.
Prince Dance Company – Prince Dance Institute $8,000
Connected Through Partner Dance: Building Community Through Movement, Hawaiʻi Island
This residency will bring together adults to participate in partner dance classes in a welcoming, beginner friendly environment designed to spark joy, confidence, and meaningful connection. Through guided movement, partner rotations, and shared reflection, participants will build trust and community. The residency culminates in a supportive creative community that extends beyond the dance floor.
This Initiative is supported by the SFCA through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Interested in learning more about the Arts Education for Healthy Communities Initiative program? Contact Elise von Dohlen at evondohlen@hcf-hawaii.org.