Hala Megahy, Personal Metronome, 2025

Mud, Myth, and Memory

Masters of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition
Rosie Connelly, Hala Megahy, and Hiroko Sakurai

Date, time, place: March 2-31, 2025, The Art Gallery, Art Building (opening reception, March 2, 2:00 – 4:00 PM)

Mud, Myth and Memory explores the points in which these three artists meet, converge, and diverge. A theme of the relationship between body, spirit and land weaves through the pieces, speaking to the entanglements that make us human. These ideas are approached through a variety of media and stylistic approaches. Through digitally and physically manipulated photographs, Rosie Connelly explores the imprint of trauma on the land, and melting of the boundaries between the sacred and profane as well as the past and present. Hala Megahy’s sculptural work examines the threshold between self and others, body and spirit, separation and oneness, life and death, evoking creativity at the crux of vulnerability and process. Through the re-use of traditional craft materials, Hiroko Sakurai creates a portal of reflection, bringing forth collective memories and an experience of our interconnectedness with nature. In this time of ecological crisis, each artist reminds us that we are deeply connected to the land and to each other.

 

                                Zoe Wetherall, Driving in The Desert, 2022, Archival Pigment Print, 40×60″

‘O ka ‘āina. ‘O ka moana a me ka lani. Land, Sea, Air

Date, place: March 2-31, 2025, The Commons Gallery (gallery walkthrough March 2, 1:00 – 2:00 PM, opening reception to follow)

This exhibit brings together artists whose work engages with environmental issues from a feminist perspective, connecting practices rooted in O‘ahu, New York, and Australia.
 
O‘ahu-based Jodi Endicott gathers plastic waste from the ocean to create life-sized aquatic creatures, which serve as time capsules of human detritus. O‘ahu-based artist, Nanea Lum, uses natural processes and materials, such as earthen pigments and kapa beaten from wauke bark, in a ceremonial fashion to celebrate the ‘āina of Mānoa. New York-based Kathleen Vance’s Traveling Landscapes explore the accessibility of pristine landscapes and the concept of land as a possession. She often engineers a moving water stream within her sculptures. Zoe Wetherall is based in Australia and New York. The bird’s-eye perspective in her aerial photography contrasts the natural environment with the banality of human interventions. These artists are engaged in a conversation about the environment as one earth, connected across thousands of miles.

Honolulu Chamber Music Series – Violinist Nathan Meltzer

Date, time place: March 2, 2025, 4:00 PM, Orvis Auditorium
Organized by: Honolulu Chamber Music Series, Music Department

Winner of the 2023 Concert Artist Guild Competition, major prize winner at the 2022 Sibelius and Singapore International Violin Competitions, youngest ever to win the Windsor Festival Competition, and recipient of the Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, New York City based violinist Nathan Meltzer excels as both a soloist and a chamber musician, with passions for standard and contemporary repertoire. “As with his teacher Itzhak Perlman, Meltzer’s technique is of the sort that rarely draws attention to itself but enables a full expressive command of whatever he is playing.” (Gramophone (UK)) He shares the stage with pianist Wynona Wang, who launched her career after winning the First Prize at the 2018 Concert Artists Guild International Competition in New York City. This duo is brought to us under the auspices of Midori’s Partners in Performance program.

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University of Hawaiʻi Bands Spring Concert

Date, time, place: March 2, 2025, 4:00 PM, Pearl City High School, Nakasone Performing Arts Center

Organized by: UH Bands, Music Department

UH Wind Ensemble: Jeffrey Boeckman, Conductor
UH Symphonic Band: Dustin Ferguson, Conductor
Includes music by Sonia Megías, Yo Goto, Victoriano Valencia, and Gustav Holst

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Positionality at the Intersection of Ethnomusicology and Critical Indigenous Studies

Date, time, place: March 4, 2025, 4:00 PM, Music Building 9

A guest lecture by renowned scholar of Pacific and Hawaiian music, Dr. Amy Stillman, Professor at the University of Michigan, Department of American Culture, and author of numerous articles and books on Hawaiian music.

Dr. Stillman will “explore an experiential approach, using my own positionality as a Native Hawaiian academic, to articulate the roles of relationship and responsibility in ethnomusicological scholarship.”

UH Wind Ensemble at Windward Mall

Date, time place: March 8, 2025, 5:00 PM, Windward Mall, Center Court
Organized by: UH Bands, UH Department of Music

The program includes marches, Hawaiian songs, guest soloists and conductors.
Mall is open to all (Free Admission)

Cellist Mark Votapek and Pianist Jonathan Korth

Date, time place: March 10, 2025, 7:30 PM, Orvis Auditorium
Organized by: Music Department

Cellist Mark Votapek, formerly a professor at University of Arizona, rejoined the Hawaii Symphony as Principal Cello in 2015 and joins UHM pianist and professor Jonathan Korth in an evening of Schumann, Rachmaninoff, and Dvorak. The program includes Schumann’s Five Pieces in Folk Style Op. 102, Rachmaninoff’s iconic Cello Sonata Op. 19, and Dvorak’s Piano Quartet No. 2, Op. 87 with Hawaii Symphony concertmaster Iggy Jang and Mark Butin (Principal Viola).

Tickets

Striking Light, Striking Dark Duo: Shakuhachi and Song

Date, time, place: March 13, 2025, 7:30 PM, Orvis Auditorium
Organized by: Music Department

Striking Light Striking Dark Duo formed in 2014, with the release of a CD of the same name. This CD featured selected poetry sung from the works of Rainer Maria Rilke (Germany), Pablo Neruda (Chile), John Logan, Sam Hamill (American) and the ancient Japanese Zen-inspired text, Kyotaku Denki, set to original compositions by Sasha Bogdanowitsch (voice and various world instruments) and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel (Shakuhachi).

This performance will feature selections from that recording, plus works from their upcoming new album and a premiere of a brand new multi- movement work based on Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali. The shakuhachi— Japan’s traditional vertical bamboo flute—makes the perfect blend to Sasha’s fluid voice. The duo makes use of an array of rare world and original instruments to dramatize and enrich the songs. Their work is a perfect example of cross-genre, cross-cultural music that stimulates both on an artistic and intellectual level.

Free admission; donations accepted

RENT

Date, time, place: February 28 – March 9, 2025, Kennedy Theatre Mainstage
Organized by: Department of Theatre & Dance, Kennedy Theatre

Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking rock opera, RENT, delves into timeless themes of love, loss, and friendship, resonating deeply across generations. New Assistant Professor of Acting Joshua “Baba” Tavares’ unique interpretation of this iconic musical draws profound parallels to our contemporary reality. While rooted in the AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s, RENT‘s narrative transcends time, addressing pressing issues of today. Amidst the aftermath of the global pandemic and the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, we confront similar struggles depicted in the musical: the escalating cost of living, homelessness, displacement, mental health crises, and substance abuse. Through the eyes of our talented young artists, RENT offers a compelling exploration of self-discovery amidst adversity. 

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Come Play with Us! New Plays Festival

Date, place: March 1-2 and 7-8, 2025,  Earle Ernst Lab Theatre
Organized by: Late Night Theatre Company, Department of Theatre & Dance, Kennedy Theatre

Come Play with Us! New Plays Festival, will showcase six different short plays, written by student artists in the Department of Theatre & Dance: Ad Astra, Q-Pass, Anatomy of Shame, Constant Thoughts, Unfinished Canvas, and We are Stars. 

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10th Theatre & Dance Graduate Research Symposium

Date, time place: March 11, 2025, 3:30 – 7:30 PM, Hamilton Library 301
Organized by: Department of Theatre and Dance
Presented by: Maggie Ivanova, Eun Bin Ladner-Seok, Eleanor Svaton, Teagan Staskawicz, Emmanuel Mante, Jack Romans, Jill Sanders, Marylynn Gwatiringa, Mari Martinez, Tiến Nguyễn.

This Graduate Research Symposium offers students an opportunity to present their research to a friendly group of peers and professors. It serves as an essential hub for graduate student practitioners and scholars to share new work and ideas in the Department of Theatre & Dance in the areas of Indigenous Performance, Dance Studies, Theatre Studies, and Performance Studies. The intention of this event is to strengthen the reach of the performing arts at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa through embodied practice, creative endeavor, and intellectual discipline.

For more information, please contact Julie A. Iezzi <iezzi@hawaii.edu>

Lunar Cycles and Policy Impact: Insights into China’s Capital and Corporate Landscape

Date, time, place: March 5, 2025, 12:00 – 1:30 PM, via Zoom
Organized by: Center for Chinese Studies
Moderated by: Wei (Victor) Huang
Speakers: Qianqiu Liu and Yifan Chen

This webinar explores two key dimensions of China’s capital markets and corporate governance, offering fresh insights into the influence of cultural, behavioral, and regulatory factors on market dynamics. Dr. Liu investigates the January effect in China’s A-share market, revealing a striking anomaly that aligns with the lunar calendar rather than the solar calendar, challenging conventional financial theories and highlighting unique investor behaviors. Dr. Chen examines the impact of an accountability policy on State-Owned Enterprises, demonstrating that regulatory interventions effectively reduce corporate violations without compromising profitability or innovation. This webinar provides a deeper understanding of the forces shaping China’s economic and financial landscape.

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Text Mining and Analysis: Digital Humanities Tools for Research

Date, time, place: March 5, 2025, 2:00 – 3:00 PM, Moore Hall 257 and via Zoom
Organized by: Center for Language & Technology
Facilitated by: Courtney Nomiyama, Hamilton Library

What does it mean to take a bird’s eye view of reading and understanding text? This session introduces text mining, a digital humanities-based approach that combines digital and humanities thinking and methodologies to explore patterns, trends, and other ways of looking at texts that would otherwise not be possible manually. Using open-source software and web-based tools, participants will learn the basics of text mining, including important terms, limitations, sources of text, as well as possible applications for their own work with ample opportunity for hands-on practice – no prior experience or knowledge required.

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Environmental Innovation and Sustainability in Southeast Asia

Date, time, place: March 5, 2025, 3:00 – 4:30 PM, via Zoom
Organized by: Center for Southeast Asian Studies

Southeast Asia is at the forefront of innovative approaches to environmental sustainability, as the region grapples with complex challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource scarcity. This webinar explores initiatives that are transforming how Southeast Asian nations address these pressing issues. Hear from experts and practitioners who are spearheading the development of renewable energy solutions, circular economy models, and nature-based strategies to build a more sustainable future. Discover how technological advancements, community-driven projects, and collaborative regional efforts are driving environmental progress across diverse Southeast Asian contexts. Join us for an engaging discussion on the transformative power of environmental innovation and its crucial role in securing a sustainable tomorrow for the region.

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Embodied Mind and Argumentation in Classical Nyāya

A talk by Dr. Douglas L. Berger, Professor of Global and Comparative Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Intercultural Philosophy at Leiden University in the Netherlands

Date, time, place: March 5, 2025, 3:30 – 5:00 PM, Sakamaki C-308
Organized by: Department of Philosophy

Dr. Berger will offer a sampling of his recent work on and planned future research for the classical Indian school of Nyāya (Brāhmiṇical Logic). He will first summarize a recent paper in which he shows that all of the major characterizations and descriptions of “mind” in classical Nyāya texts can, despite their claims to the contrary, only coherently entail that this organ is physical. He will outline plans for future research, which sees the formal argumentation of Nyāya, along with the argumentation framework of Classical Chinese Mohists, as fundamentally pragmatic and fallibilist in nature.

Solistalgia

Coral Care Arts

Date, time place: March 5, 2025, 4:00 – 6:30 PM, Art Building ground floor
Organized by: Department of Art & Art History MFA Grad Student, Caroline Holmes

The UH community is invited to join in to make parts for a large ceramic sculpture depicting coral bones and fossilized creatures. This collective sculpture raises awareness about the urgent need to assist in coral reef regeneration. Representatives from Coral Resilience Lab, Malama Maunalua and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project will share their knowledge and conservation efforts. There will be potluck reception to follow from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the GRICC Gallery, located on the 3rd floor of the Art Building.
 

My 9th Birthday— a native Palestinian story of beauty and struggle

Date, time, place: March 6, 12:00 – 1:15 PM, Kuykendall 410
Organized by: Center for Biographical Research 

Ma’an will share stories from his daily life growing up in a refugee camp in the West Bank. These stories will attempt to not only contextualize the level of ongoing systematic oppression Palestinian are subjected to on a daily basis, but also how Palestinians have been able to continue to be resilient and resist their oppressors.

Cane & Malunggay: A Mānoa Journal Literary Conversation

Date, time, place: March 6, 2025, 3:00 – 4.30 PM, Kuykendall 410, reception and book signing to follow
Organized by: Mānoa Journal, English Creative Writing Program with support from SEED and Center for Philippine Studies

Mānoa Journal presents its two latest issues guest edited by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo and Rajiv Mohabir. Literary conversation with guest editors is followed by reception and book signing.

Songs of Love from Hawai‘i Movie Screening 

Date, time, place: March 7, 2025, 3:00 – 5:00 PM, Center for Korean Studies Auditorium
Organized by: Center for Korean Studies
Speaker: Jinyoung Lee

Songs of Love from Hawai‘i is a musical drama film that weaves together three poignant stories from the rich history of the Korean diaspora in Hawai‘i, blending historical narratives with soul-stirring musical performances. The film explores the fascinating journey of Korean immigration to Hawai‘i, the emotional life of Lim Ok Soon, a picture bride, and a heartfelt musical tribute to the souls laid to rest in Molokai’s Kalaupapa, a leper colony.

After premiering at the 43rd Hawai‘i International Film Festival and airing on PBS Hawai‘i, the film enjoyed a successful nationwide theatrical release in 2024. It is now expanding with the development of free online educational programs, designed to be accessible to educators and students worldwide.

Healing Together: The Journey From Trauma to Wellness

A conversation with California’s first surgeon general, Nadine Burke-Harris, and Governor Josh Green

Date, time, place: March 7, 6:30 PM, Art Building Auditorium (rm 132)
Sponsored by: Governor’s Office of Wellness and Resilience, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Office of Strategic Health Initiatives, Queen’s Health Systems, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene

Trauma has profound and lasting effects. Adverse childhood events correlate to a range of negative health outcomes, from asthma to obesity, and have costs across society. Less known is that toxic stress can be effectively treated, both clinically and in the community. Join us to discuss how we can work together to journey from trauma to wellness.

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Brightspace (Lamakū) for Language Teaching

Date, time, place: March 6 and 13, 2025, 2:30 – 3:30 PM, Moore Hall 257
Organized by: Center for Language & Technology
Facilitated by: CLT Faculty

We invite you to this two-session professional development program designed to support CALL language faculty as they transition to the new learning management system, Lamakū, with an emphasis on language courses. The program consists of two interactive sessions:

• Session 1 (3/6/2025): A guided demonstration on creating a sandbox course with one of the existing templates, along with an overview of essential features and functions for language teaching

• Session 2 (3/13/2025): An open consultation session where you can work on your Lamakū sandbox course and get your questions answered in real-time

This workshop is designed to help you gain essential knowledge to get started with building a course in Lamakū, and provide you with the time, practice, and support to explore and experiment with features of functions in Lamakū that are particularly related to language teaching.

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The Ecotone – Dr. Antony Vavia

Date, time, place: March 13, 2025, 12:00 PM, Moore Hall 258
Sponsored by: Center for Pacific Island Studies, Department of Asian Studies, The Mellon AAPI Environmental Humanities & Environmental Justice Initiative

On the island of Mitiaro, dive into a case study at the nexus of fisheries science and Cook Islands traditional ecological knowledge and practice. With a scientific background and jumping into the realm of culture, linguistics, and worldviews, this talk provide insight into Dr. Vaviaʻs experience of learning by unlearning, and juggling the complex dynamics that can shape Pacific Island fisheries.