A Message From Our Kahu
Alan Akana Gallery to Close
For the past nine years I have been operating that gallery from the Smith Memorial Parsonage living and dining rooms. The primary reason is because I love sharing my art! Watercoloring the indigenous flowers of Hawaii has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and the gallery has given me an opportunity to share that joy. Another important reason is because I wanted to give people in the church and community the opportunity to support the parsonage. There are still some projects that we want to accomplish, but we have made some major improvements over the years, including the installation of a new roof (which I am especially grateful for during these rainy days!), repairing structural damage, upgrading electrical needs, painting the exterior, landscaping, and much more. Of course, the income from the gallery did not cover all of these expenses, but I am glad that I was able to help.
When the Church Council gave me permission to open the gallery in 2017, we agreed that I would provide the art and the space, and volunteers from the church would assist with hosting events and preparing items for sale. I want to take this opportunity to say MAHALO NUI LOA to each and every one of you who volunteered in so many ways. We could not have had the success we have experienced without you! I also want to offer a very special THANK YOU to Penny Jessup, who has been our volunteer manager for nearly 8 years. She has organized and hosted events, kept all of the sales records, managed the finances, paid the taxes and bills, and made sure that all of the art was ready for sale on time, and so much more. I also want to thank our past managers: Palani Akana, Sherry Hines, and Owen Strong.
I consider the gallery to have been a tremendous success. We have not only raised thousands of dollars for the parsonage while sharing my art, but the gallery has connected people with the church and with one another. However, I would like to spend more time actually watercoloring (rather than running a business) and also having the parsonage as just a home again (rather than a place of business that is open to the public).
I plan to continue making my greeting cards available at the church and have begun discussions with galleries and gift shops that are interested in selling my art. I’ll keep everyone posted as things unfold.
In the meantime, please mark your calendars for our final Open House Reception on Sunday, April 26. We will open the gallery to church members at 1 p.m. and then to the general public at 2 p.m. Please contact Penny Jessup if you are able to bring some food, provide entertainment, or help host.
I will also be available at times during the month of April to welcome guests who would like to visit the gallery. Almost everything in the gallery will be available for sale at least 50% off until we close.
Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu
Recent Comments