Summer Art Series At Donkey Mill Art Center

Three intimate pot-luck and talk-story evenings with innovative, dynamic artists specializing in printmaking, sculpture and installation are featured in the Donkey Mill Art Center’s Summer Art Series.

At 6 p.m. Friday, June 27, John Hitchcock, a visiting artist and teacher for the 2014 Summer Art Institute of Hilo, will discuss his use of printmaking, with its long history of social and political commentary, to explore relationships of community, land and culture, said an Art Center release.

Hitchock’s work consists of prints and moving images that portray the trauma of war and the fragility of life. Hand printed, cut out and carefully arranged images of the U.S. military weaponry combined with mythological hybrid creatures tell a story of assimilation and control.

At 6 p.m. on Friday, July 18, Crystal Wagner will introduce examples of her drawings and installations, discussing combinations of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional forms, alternative material use and alternative approaches to printmaking.

Wagner, who has exhibited extensively throughout the U.S., is a multi-disciplinary visiting artist and teacher with the 2014 Summer Art Institute of Hilo. Wagner’s creations are described as “undulating, organic forms from multicolored, interwoven paper fragments that cling to walls, drip from ceilings, envelop doorways and flood entire rooms, taking on a life of their own,” in the Center’s release.

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, Suzanne Rawcliffe, an explorer of primeval soundscapes, master flute player and master didjeridu maker will perform. The San Pedro, Calif., artist delights in exotic and potent sounds whether as a performer, a creator of musical instruments and sculptures, or as a researcher on ancient flutes and their music.

These events offer an opportunity to meet the artists, learn about their creative processes and connect with the local art community. They are free and open to the public though a $5 donation is requested. For information visit www.donkeymillartcenter.org or call.

The Donkey Mill is located near the artist community of Holualoa along the Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Corridor.