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    Downtown Art Center

    4.9 (16 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Downtown Art Center Photos

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    Sidewalk sign
    Nadine C.

    Artwork in Downtown, Honolulu, Hawaii... Not knowing anything about art, my dentist suggested that I go to Downtown Art Center to ask about a painting that I inherited. She said to "go upstairs". Okay... I found metered street parking and looked for the entrance. Thank goodness - there was a helpful sidewalk sign in the front. I saw the stairs, climbed up, and asked the receptionist about my painting. She didn't know the artist offhand, but showed me how to use Google to learn about photos in the gallery on my phone! Ahhh... That was educational! Thank you for your help in this spacious, bright, clean space!

    The umbilical cord to entrance
    Rand E.

    Came for their new center blessing ceremony. It was so fun to see this space now and it's expansion. The ceremony was conducted by an episcopal and native Hawaiian minister. It included a prayer and cleansing & blessing ceremony. So fun to explore the whole upper and lower workplaces and galleries. Hope this gem can withstand the times. Also found out there were jazz performances every Sunday in January and many other events sponsored as well. Check out their website!

    Suri S.

    A great space to come and appreciate art and culture. They usually have different artists throughout the year showcased here. "Fire & Water" is the theme this month - The Hawaiian Islands are the result of these elements. There are benches to sit and relax too. The ladies working are always very nice and welcoming too. Come check it out till December! Free street parking on Sundays and open till 4pm.

    Irene M.

    This is why I love to wander and get lost... Driving has it's benefits I'll never give in but when you go for a stroll you do see things much more vibrant and clearer when you take it slow...DAC or Downtown Art Center is one of them. Located in the same building as the Satellite City Hall and so is the Municipal Parking is right there even the elevator takes you right besides the entrance of both floors. Two floors yup the first floor are beautiful art for sale though you need to ring yourself in to view them I decided to check the upstairs first beforehand and that level needed no request to be let in. What a stunning spacious are filled with all sorts of art I took a few of my personal favorites and left some for you to enjoy which I do recommend as it's totally free admission and I do recommend to visit their Hale Makana gift shop as it's filled with so many beautiful items and as a crafter myself there's nothing more I love than to support the arts. This nonprofit group takes donations which I did drop in the jar and took home some beautiful cards I'll send to someone to brighten their day and is just a great place to casually enjoy the beauty all around you follow them on Instagram @downtownartcenter as they do have events and classrooms as well and bring home a piece of art...support local artists! Thank you!

    Hubby's bowl
    Lois I.

    Hubby and I went the HEART street festival today....We were so fortunate to participate in painting a blank bowl with raku style. So fun, each bowl was so distinctive and fun to paint, for $15.00 per bowl, it was soooo worth it. We painted our bowls (no lines, fast), then went to have lunch. 1 hour later, our bowls were fired, cooled and ready for pick up. They were then wrapped in newspaper to protect our works of art. I wish, i could go back and paint another bowl.

    Pink Sphere, Handblown Glass by Hugh Jenkins
    Cyndy K.

    Cyndy's Bottom Line: Great art exhibits and artwork for sale. *Admission is free, Donations are welcomed *Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am - 6pm *Parking available on-site at Chinatown Gateway Plaza municipal lot. Entrance at 1051 Bethel Street Downtown Art Center (2nd floor) strives to teach, entertain, inspire, and inform by creating a home for a wide variety of arts and creative programs. *Scheduled exhibitions and events show casing Hawaii's local artist. *Hosts art and community-related classes and workshops for all age groups from fun filled art classes to self defense classes. *On the first floor there is a arts and gift shop that sells a wide range of artwork by local artists. You will find art, jewelry, sculptures, collectibles and beautiful hand blown glass work by Hugh Jenkins. Open on Tue-Sat, 11:00-4pm. *Website: downtownarthi.organic *Instagram: @downtownartcenter *Facebook: Downtown Art Center

    MW aka Mark White ceramic artist
    Rob B.

    Aloha, DAC is a beautiful collaboration with the City and community to create a wonderful Art Center to display local talent as well as teach to want-to-be local talent. As I'm the latter, I enjoy taking Saturday Art for Arts Sake classes to express myself in other mediums of art. I truly enjoy meandering through each months exhibit of amazing local talented artists works. If you've not been here, you need to make your way down to see each months great display of work. There is a store on the first level that features more local artists and selling on a regular basis, nice. And if you're like me and want to dabble a little, come and enjoy a class. You will be inspired, I promise. Enjoy!

    Shantell C.

    Checked out the art exhibit and Mother's Day craft fair. Large art space, albeit a little hard to find off the main road as entrance is upstairs.

    Acrylic on Canvas by Francis Oda.

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    Ask the Community - Downtown Art Center

    Review Highlights - Downtown Art Center

    *Admission is free, Donations are welcomed *Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am - 6pm *Parking available on-site at Chinatown Gateway Plaza municipal lot.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Pictures Plus - Kakaako

    Pictures Plus - Kakaako

    4.5(75 reviews)
    0.8 miDowntown
    $$

    Framing a piece of artwork in Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. Our priest asked me to have his charcoal work framed. I thought, "Oh, no... I know nothing about art. I didn't even take Art 101 in college..." However, I accepted the assignment and knew that Pictures Plus in Kaka'ako had a good reputation, so I walked in and dropped off the print. After discussing with my dentist, she went back with me the next day to Pictures Plus to upgrade from plexiglass to Museum Quality Glass because this portrait of Bishop Larry Silva (Diocese of Honolulu) is a gift to the Bishop at his upcoming 50th Anniversary dinner. Kalani was the cashier who must have been amused at our conversation. He showed us different matting examples and we added on a gray mat to have as a border between the glass and the print. Wow. I learned a lot. The upgrades of matting and glass would be about $100 more. I told them that Father Adondee had a budget. My dentist offered to cover the difference, but Kalani said he would take care of it. Thank you so much! The work was supposed to be finished on Monday, April 28, but I got a call on Saturday, April 26 that it was ready! Thank you for finishing early! I appreciate the efficient service, free parking, beautiful environment, deep discount, and quality work! This is a gift that we're proud to present!

    I visited Pictures Plus in Kaka'ako with a magazine article I wanted to frame and was originally…read moreplanning to do a full custom mat and frame combo. After reviewing the options, it ended up being a little out of my price range--but Kristi Medeiros, the Design Consultant, was incredibly kind, patient, and helpful throughout the process. She walked me through different solutions and even used their system to map out a digital template of the custom matting so I could visualize it. We ended up deciding to move forward with a custom mat for just $35, and she recommended using a standard-sized frame from elsewhere to stay within budget. I really appreciated her professionalism and willingness to help find a solution that worked for me. If you have any custom framing needs, I definitely recommend going to see Kristi at Pictures Plus!

    Photos
    Pictures Plus - Kakaako
    Pictures Plus - Kakaako - Frame samples for custom orders

    Frame samples for custom orders

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    Ocean wall art

    Fishcake - Bing Mi 808 is currently there every Tuesday

    Fishcake

    4.3(50 reviews)
    1.0 miKaka'ako
    $$$

    My favorite place in all of Hawai'i !!…read more I always come here because I love their events and the vendors here sell THE BEST food. I'm always excited to try the vendors they have. Every time I come here I'm always amazed by the options and vibe they curate. The owner is an interior designer and you can tell, it's a cozy and calm area with a nice amount of open space. They also hold art exhibitions here and it's nice to see them activate so many small businesses!

    Matcha fest was wild and I noticed they've been having a lot of theme events lately? I wish it was…read moreon a weekend so it wasn't in the middle of a work week but I digress. I was shocked that so many freakin' people pulled up before the event even opened... like bruh.. LOL Could barely even walk inside the establishment.. I feel like they're definitely outgrowing this space - maybe move it to somewhere more spacious? Just a thought lol Other than that on days when they don't have theme nights you can find pop-ups from up-and-coming vendors starting their own individual businesses. It's always great to go and support and I appreciate Fishcake for providing a space for budding entrepreneurs to grow and expand to get their name out there! I also really enjoyed the Neko Art exhibit with the cats. My friend liked the cat art prints and purchased a few and stickers. As you can see there is something for everyone here lol.

    Photos
    Fishcake - Chef Jayson from Bintana and Matcha drink mixer extraordinaire Mike from Kynd! 5/5 star service here!

    Chef Jayson from Bintana and Matcha drink mixer extraordinaire Mike from Kynd! 5/5 star service here!

    Fishcake - Kynd Tea: Golder Hour & Guava Princess

    Kynd Tea: Golder Hour & Guava Princess

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    Artwork

    The 808 Urban Refuge

    The 808 Urban Refuge

    5.0(1 review)
    0.9 miDowntown

    The Refuge is the physical manifestation of 808 Urban, a non-profit arts collective founded by John…read more"Prime" Hina in 2006 with its mission to "keep at-risk youth off the streets and to revitalize Hawai'i's communities through large-scale mural art." (Source: http://www.oiwi.tv/community/communitynews/behind-the-wall-help-808urban-to-continue-its-work-with-hawaiis-youth/). Urban art aficionados may recognize Prime's acclaimed graffiti work found on a number of large wall murals around Honolulu. While walking through the Honolulu Night Market last month all by my lonesome, I had the opportunity to browse and familiarize myself with a number of businesses, food vendors, and places like this that caught my eye (or ear, or mouth, or appetite). I saw some local kids working on a piece of art outside of the store, decided to walk in, and wala'au'd (talked) with one of the girls behind the counter. The store has been open since mid-2012 and provides a physical space for the teens in 808 Urban to sell their art (t-shirts, prints, postcards, greeting cards, etc.). It's a chill retail setting and, while I didn't buy anything, I'm definitely going back again just to see what's new. Going home, I browsed through their website and learned that the space serves multiple purposes: as a location to hold educational workshops/events and as a a "collaborative workspace for the community" (Source: http://808urban.org/programs/the-refuge/). They have "junior boards" at schools such as Farrington High, Waipahu High, Wai'anae High, Kamehameha Schools, and more. As a former at-risk youth and person who's engaged in multiple forms of art - drawing, small-scale metal sculpture, welding, jewelry-making, and woodwork - this store tugged at my creative, bleeding heart. Prime appears to have filled in a niche that was underserved for too long of a time. Just a few months ago, they collaborated with artists from Pow Wow 2013 for a graffiti workshop. These kids have some mad talent and are putting their skills to use in way that helps to beautify the community and utilizes their creativity. If you're around at the next Honolulu Night Market, go check 'em out! REVIEW #230

    Photos
    The 808 Urban Refuge
    The 808 Urban Refuge
    The 808 Urban Refuge

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    Downtown Art Center - artclasses - Updated May 2026

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