Second Annual ‘Banyan Drive Art Stroll’

The Banyan Drive Art Stroll’s events and exhibits are set for Saturday, Jan. 13, throughout the Waiakea peninsula.

The oil painting The Bridge to the Red Pagoda painted by William Wingert received the second annual Banyan Drive Art Stroll first-place judge’s award by artist and show judge Darrell Orwig.

The theme of this year’s stroll is “The Beauty of Lili‘uokalani Gardens.”

People’s Choice Award voting will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, at the Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

“This is a very competent collection of work,” Orwig said. “Judging is never easy. Any one of the entries could have been chosen for an award. What I have selected is based on the appeal of the subject matter, craftsmanship and concept of the piece relative to the theme of the exhibit. William Wingert has rendered smooth, velvety reflections. The overall composition pleases the eye.”

Orwig selected four pieces for honorable mention: Jared Goodwin’s photograph Path of Reflections, Diane Renchler’s painting Looking out from within and Marilyn Montgomery’s Lili‘uokalani Portrait and Curved Bridge.

“My first honorable mention is a photograph titled The Path of Reflections by Jared Goodwin,” Orwig said. “It is a handsome piece and exhibits a clear perspective and a well-balanced composition.”

Goodwin’s photograph also was selected by photographers contest judge Charles Wood as the grand prize winner in the calendar contest.

The Red Pagoda Looking Out from Within by Diane Renchler also received honorable mention from Orwig.

“The artist has formalized the space by using a very symmetrical design,” said Orwig. “The repetition of the palm trees with their reflections in the water produces an almost musical quality to the piece.”

“Several artists chose to render a portrait of Queen Lili‘uokalani, the namesake of the gardens,” Orwig stated. “I chose the pastel painting by Marilyn Montgomery. It combines a feeling of a hand-colored photograph that gives the impression of a snapshot of a moment in time gone by. There also is a sense of a strong woman willing and ready to face her adversaries head on.”

Also selected Montgomery’s Curved Bridge for honorable mention. “What I see in this piece is reminiscent of classic impressionism,” stated Orwig. “The treatment of the water reflections and composition are a joy to look at.”

Winners will receive gift certificates from Akamai Art Supply, Cunningham Gallery and Framing, and Ben Franklin.

Photographers whose images were selected for the second annual Friends of Lili‘uokalani Gardens calendar will be on display at Hilo Bay Café with grand prize presentation by Paradise Helicopters at 1 p.m.

Artists will demonstrate en plein air technique in Lili‘uokalnai Gardens from 1 to 3 p.m.

Brandon Tengan will demonstrate fish printing (gyotaku) at Suisan Fish Market at 3 p.m.

An invitational art exhibit and silent auction plus entertainment are scheduled for the Grand Naniloa lobby and lounge.

Registration for door prizes will be at Banyan Gallery.

Sponsors include Friends of Lili‘uokalani Gardens, Banyan Gallery, Paradise Helicopters, Akamai Art Supply, Cunningham Gallery, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Grand Naniloa Hotel, Hilo Bay Café, the County of Hawai‘i Parks & Recreation Department and Suisan Fish Market.

This is the first event of 2018 to continue celebrating the centennial of Lili‘uokalani Gardens (2017-2019). For more information, see the Friends of Lili‘uokalani Gardens Facebook page.

Darrell Orwig retired from the Maui Arts and Cultural Center where he set up the Schaeffer International Gallery and was its director. He has juried many exhibitions on Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island. Orwig has a retrospective exhibit at Hui No‘eau in 2011, a one-man exhibit at the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center in 2016, and participated in a group exhibit at the Wailoa Center in Fall 2017.