Breadfruit Fine Art Contest 2012

Breadfruit Fine Art Contest

[go here for Youth Art Contest]

PROSPECTUS

Background

The beautiful ‘ulu tree once played a major role in the spiritual and cultural life of Hawaiians and it was a key staple food and a source of wood, craft materials and medicine. ‘Ulu is easily grown and Hawaiians had large field systems that integrated ‘ulu with other crops including kalo (taro), ‘uala (sweet potato), mai‘a (banana), kō (sugarcane) and other important crops. In a mauka region of Kona there was a band of ‘ulu trees ½ mile wide and 18 miles long called the kalū ‘ulu that produced as much as 36,000 tons of ‘ulu fruit per year. Other important ‘ulu groves were located in North Kohala, Hilo, and Puna. ‘Ulu is also nutritionally and culturally important throughout the Pacific (including for the thousands of non-Hawaiian Pacific islanders who make Hawai‘i their home). Modern nutritional analysis shows ‘ulu to be a highly nutritious food that can be prepared in a variety of ways compatible with both traditional and modern tastes.

For hundreds of years before Western contact, traditional Hawaiian breadfruit groves were capable of providing the food value to sustain tens of thousand of people. Today, few of these trees remain. Today, Hawai'i imports about 90% of its food, making it one of the most food insecure states in the nation. Additionally, since the economic downturn of 2008, many families in Hawai‘i lack access to affordable and nutritious food. The Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project believes that breadfruit is a key to solving Hawaii's food security problems.

Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu is a project to revitalize 'ulu (breadfruit) as an attractive, delicious, nutritious, abundant, affordable, and culturally appropriate food which addresses Hawai‘i’s food security issues.

Breadfruit Festival and Fine Art Contest

Hawaii Homegrown Food Network,the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, are presenting Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.  In addition to celebrating the cultural and culinary aspects of breadfruit (‘ulu), this year’s festival will also highlight breadfruit’s forest companion—banana (mai‘a). 

The Fine Art Contest is a part of the educational outreach associated with the festival, celebrating the beauty of the tree and fruit as well as the rich cultural heritage and future role of ‘ulu in Hawai‘i.

The artwork of finalists will be displayed at Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas on September 29. The first place winner will receive a gift certificate for two nights at The Fairmont Orchid.

Eligibility

• Artists can be amateur or professional, and must be:
• Full-time residents of Hawai‘i County
• 18 years of age or older. (A separate youth art contest is for school-age students.)

Media

• Art piece must be original work by artist—no prints or giclee.
• Photographs are welcome, printed on any medium.
• Artists can submit up to two (2) images for consideration.
• Work must not have been previously shown in any other exhibition, gallery, or website.
• Any 2D media.

Subject

The main subject of the artwork must be ‘ulu (breadfruit) in Hawai‘i. This year, artwork may also integrate mai‘a (banana), but ‘ulu must be predominant. Some possible themes are:

• Tree, fruit and/or leaf.
• The kalū ‘ulu—past, present or future.
• ‘Ulu in Hawaiian culture: Hawaiian mythology and ‘Ōlelo No‘eau
• Culture and history of ‘ulu in Hawai‘i.
• ‘Ulu in a native mixed species system.
• Traditional and/or modern people interacting with ‘ulu.
• Traditional uses of ‘ulu (ulumaika, woodworking, gum)
• Preparing and eating ‘ulu.
• The future of ‘ulu in Hawai‘i.
• Traditional agroforestry.

Rights and Sales

• The winning artwork may be reproduced into a fine art poster, with graphics, for sale at Breadfruit Festivals and beyond. All proceeds from sales will go to the Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network to support the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project.
• By submitting an artwork, entrants agree that the winning artist grants Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network the exclusive and unrestricted rights to reproduce and use the image in perpetuity, without compensation.
• By submitting an artwork, all entrants agree to grant Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network permission to post the image online on the art contest web page, without compensation. Clear credit will be given to the artist and link to artist website will be posted if artist provides a website.
• Original artwork will remain the property of the artist and clear credit will be given to the artist in all reproductions.
• Finalists are required to list their piece for sale at the Breadfruit Festival. If artwork is sold during the exhibit the commission would be split as follows: 60% to the artist and 40% to the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project (Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network). Artists can also choose to donate their portion of the proceeds as a tax-deductible gift.

Resources and Inspiration

• The most comprehensive source of information on breadfruit is the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (breadfruit.org).
• The Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu website has information about the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project in Hawai‘i (breadfruit.info).
• Hawaiian Mythology and ‘Ōlelo No‘eau—cultural information compiled by Uncly Ryan of Kua O Ka La.

Registration and Submittal

• Preregistration by Friday, September 14, 2012 is appreciated using online submission form. Otherwise please fill out the entry form when you drop off your artwork at Donkey Mill Art Center.
• Artists must then drop off their work at the Donkey Mill Art Center durign the period of September 18-21, 2012, between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.
• Artwork must be labeled on the back with name of artist and name of work.
• All artwork will be transported to and displayed at Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas on September 29th, where it must be picked up by the artist at the end of the day.

Click here to view the results of the 2011 Fine Art contest.

Contest Organizers

Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
Donkey Mill Art Center
Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden
Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden

Contest Sponsors