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Halekulani Unveils “Lei Hulu”: A Preview Exhibition of Royal Hawaiian Featherwork

Highly Anticipated Exhibition Expands On Mission To Share Local Hawaiian Traditional Art

WAIKIKI, HAWAII (May 18, 2016) – Halekulani, one of the world’s finest and most acclaimed independent luxury hotels known for their devotion in the arts, will host a preview of a first-of-its-kind, highly-anticipated featherwork exhibition from now until June 15. Titled Lei Hulu, these beautiful and magnificent historic feathered leis, several of which have been traced back to Hawaiian royalty, will be on display in the hotel’s own art gallery. The Gallery, located along the hotel’s promenade, is open daily to Halekulani guests and the public from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. and admission is free of charge.

Additionally, Halekulani is the corporate sponsor of the major Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Nā Hulu Ali‘i exhibition from May 22 – Aug. 7 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The exhibit will feature nearly 70 spectacular featherwork objects complemented by photographs from the museum’s permanent collection.

Objects in the LACMA exhibition include brilliantly colored cloaks and capes crafted from the feathers of hundreds of thousands of indigenous birds and carefully attached to woven fiber supports. Developed by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in collaboration with the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, this exhibition presents the finest examples of these objects. The exhibition marks a rare opportunity to feature the bold abstract compositions and the high degree of technical expertise evidenced by Hawaiian featherwork.

“Halekulani’s commitment to the arts and culture of Hawaii is our way to carry on our legacy in the hospitality industry as art enthusiasts that live and breathe what we do in order to enhance our guests’ experience,” said Peter Shaindlin, Chief Operating Officer of Halekulani Corporation. “Supporting the Los Angeles venue of the first exhibition of Hawaiian featherwork in continental North America is truly an honor for us, not just as hoteliers, but as educators.”

The rich holdings of four American museums—the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard, and the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution—are the primary institutional lenders to the exhibition.

Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Nā Hulu Ali‘i highlights LACMA’s expanding Art of the Pacific program and reflects the museum’s broad interests in the cultures of the Pacific rim,” said Nancy Thomas, Senior Deputy Director for Art Administration & Collections at LACMA. “We are particularly thrilled to collaborate with the Halekulani Hotel on this important endeavor and their support has made it possible to bring this project to LACMA.”

For more information on the preview exhibition at Halekulani, visit www.halekulani.com or call Halekulani’s Concierge at 808.923.2311. For more on the exhibition at LACMA on display starting May 22, visit www.lacma.org or call 323.857.6000.

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About Halekulani

Since its inception in 1984 as one of the world’s finest and most acclaimed independent luxury hotels, Halekulani has received more than 500 accolades, awards and honoraria. The property was voted Best Hotel on Oahu in Travel + Leisure’s 500 World’s Best Hotels for 2015 and is one of The World’s Best Hotels on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2015 Gold List. Halekulani is home to SpaHalekulani, House Without A Key, Lewers Lounge, Orchids and La Mer, Hawaii’s longest, consecutively ranked AAA 5 Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Restaurant. For twenty years, Halekulani has maintained a strong commitment to arts and culture through exclusive alliances with Oahu’s most iconic cultural venues. Halekulani is operated by the Hotels and Resorts of Halekulani, a brand management division of the Honolulu-based Halekulani Corporation, which also oversees the Waikiki Parc. Halekulani is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and is aligned with Japan’s legendary Imperial Hotel.

Stay connected with Halekulani on Twitter and Instagram at @HalekulaniHotel or on Facebook at Halekulani Hotel. To share an unforgettable experience, please use the hashtag #HalekulaniMoment on social media.

About LACMA

Since its inception in 1965, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has been devoted to collecting works of art that span both history and geography, in addition to representing Los Angeles’s uniquely diverse population. Today LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection that includes more than 130,000 objects dating from antiquity to the present, encompassing the geographic world and nearly the entire history of art. Among the museum’s strengths are its holdings of Asian art; Latin American art, ranging from masterpieces from the Ancient Americas to works by leading modern and contemporary artists; and Islamic art, of which LACMA hosts one of the most significant collections in the world. A museum of international stature as well as a vital part of Southern California, LACMA shares its vast collections through exhibitions, public programs, and research facilities that attract over one million visitors annually, in addition to serving millions through digital initiatives such as online collections, scholarly catalogues, and interactive engagement. LACMA is located in Hancock Park, 30 acres situated at the center of Los Angeles, which also contains the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum and the forthcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Situated halfway between the ocean and downtown, LACMA is at the heart of Los Angeles. Location and Contact: 5905 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax Avenue), Los Angeles, CA, 90036 | 323.857.6000 | lacma.org

For Further Information:

Halekulani Corporation
Liana Mulleitner
[email protected]
808.535.0631

EVINS Communications
Ms. Kaymi Malave
[email protected]
212.377.3582

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