Sculptors ‘Moonlighting’ at Volcano Art Center

“The Nest” by Henry Bianchini. Image courtesy of Volcano Art Center.

Big Island Sculptors Henry Bianchini and Elizabeth Miller are celebrating the first full moon of the new year by inviting everyone for a moonlit walk through the new sculpture garden at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus (weather permitting) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, for a unique evening about sculpture.

See all 11 pieces of Volcano Art Center’s Sculpture Garden in a new light as interpreted byBianchini and Miller, two of the sculptors represented in the garden.

Following the walk, Bianchini will talk about his recently completed sculpture commissioned by the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts for a school on O‘ahu and his experience as a sculptor in Hawai‘i for the past 40 years.

Miller will talk about why and how she went from making primarily two-dimensional work to the much different arena of sculpture.

Both fans of groundbreaking sculptor Richard Serra, Bianchini and Miller will present some short films about his work, which are filled with fascinating insights about the sculpture making process, including that persistent question, “What is art and why make it?”

“Pueo’s Flight Made Bright” by the Moon by Elizabeth Miller and Jonathan Sudler. Image courtesy of Volcano Art Center.

Bianchini has been evolving as an artist for 40 years, first as a wood carver, then as a metal sculptor. Every year since 1972, Henry’s work has appeared in at least one major juried show, and he has had many one-man shows, including one at Volcano Art Center Gallery in 2005. The bronze statue of King David Kaläkaua in Kaläkaua Park in Hilo, “Ho‘okamalani” at Kaiser Permanente Hospital on O‘ahu, and “The Dance” at the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui are just some of the commissions he has been awarded.

Elizabeth is an award-winning, multi-media artist whose range of skills includes painting and drawing, woodcarving, resin casting, and now most predominately, hand-tooled metal.  She moved to Volcano in 2003 after spending 30 years in Washington State creating murals and sculptures in public places commissioned by such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Washington State Arts Commission, among others. Elizabeth and Henry were featured together in 2010 at a 2-person exhibit at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in HVNP.

This presentation is part of a once-a-month Thursday evening series at the Volcano Art Center, focusing on art, Hawaiian culture and our environment. The series is intended to inspire, enhance our art and life experience and foster community connections.

The Volcano Art Center’s Niualani Campus is located at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road in Volcano Village. This presentation is free, however donations always welcome!

This presentation is free; however, donations always welcome.

The Volcano Art Center is a non-profit educational organization created in 1974 to promote, develop, and perpetuate the artistic and cultural heritage of Hawai‘i’s people and environment through activities in the visual, literary, and performing arts.

Visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.

Image courtesy of Volcano Art Center.