The Art of Music Media Masterclass, recently hosted by the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu, offered local creatives—including working professionals, hobbyists and students—an intensive, free workshop merging film production and music industries. The masterclass, held two days in October, aimed to grow skills through real-world experience.

Nearly two dozen participants joined the workshop, including students from UH West Oʻahu, UH Mānoa, Honolulu Community College, and Kapiʻolani Community College. The goal was to build confidence and community through education.

Students learned technical skills, such as video lighting, shooting, editing and workflow, alongside professional aspects, such as backstage etiquette, ethics and professionalism. For the hands-on capstone, selected students shot content alongside real production teams during the Holo Holo Music Festival.

One student reflected, “Being part of a real working media team—whether in a studio setting or at a live concert—made the learning practical and unforgettable.”

Connected industry skills

Instructor Antonio J. Agosto, Visionize Media co-founder and a former UH West Oʻahu student, designed the program drawing on his 15 years of experience in concert and festival production.

Agosto explained the course focused on educating photographers, videographers and storytellers on how to work in live music environments while also giving musicians and performers the chance to understand how media plays a role in their careers.

“The Art of Music Media Masterclass was created to bring together two industries that are often connected but rarely taught side by side—film production and the music industry,” Agosto said.

Agosto also emphasized that the training was designed to foster local talent.

“It wasn’t just about teaching camera skills; it was about showing how creatives in �鶹��ý can build sustainable careers without having to leave home,” he said. “This masterclass wasn’t just a class—it was a reminder that �鶹��ý can lead in storytelling. We just need the right opportunities and a strong community to make it happen.”

The collaborative effort was launched by Visionize Media, and presented by International Cultural Arts Network (ICAN) in partnership with UH West Oʻahu, KS Kaiāulu, Zippy’s, Good Vibez Presents and Visionize Media.

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The art exhibit , featuring works by photographer Francis Haar and curated by Gaye Chan, is on display at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa through December 6, 2019. The exhibit features original black-and-white photographs, courtesy of the UH Mānoa Hamilton Collections, that document the changes to Honolulu’s ʻAʻala neighborhood, during the 1960s. Haar taught photography at UH between 1965 and 1985.

“The film and photographs in the exhibition were Francis Haar’s efforts to document a working class neighborhood that will soon disappear in the name of urban renewal. Many similar efforts are underway on Oʻahu currently that warrant attention,” said curator and UH Mānoa photography professor Gaye Chan.

Haar’s images capture the vibrant street life of ʻAʻala as well as the destruction of the area by urban development. The photos that are displayed coincide with Haar’s film, ʻAʻala—Life and Death of a Community, which is also on view in the art exhibit.

Unifying the past and present

The exhibit additionally features a map developed by Chan with the help of Natalie Besl, Don Hibbard and Lorraine Minatoishi. This project, titled “,” shows 18 sites of Haar’s photography and compares them to their present locations. The works, while documenting Honolulu’s transformation, speak to contemporary concerns about gentrification, land use and urban diversity.

Disappearing Honolulu moved former ʻAʻala resident, Alex Puou, to visit the exhibit and take a stroll down memory lane.

“I saw the [info] for the exhibit on Facebook, I believe. I wanted to go to the exhibit because there were photos of my family there,” said Puou. “I was stoked to see my grandma, my auntie and my uncle. It was interesting to see my family and I tried to look for photos of myself too. I enjoyed the exhibit.”

Admission and event information

Disappearing Honolulu is free and open to the public. Parking is free for the exhibit on Sundays.

A panel discussion, Architecture and Urban Change in Honolulu’s ʻAʻala neighborhood, with DeSoto Brown, William Chapman and Ross Stephenson will be held on October 6, 2–3 p.m.

Chan and Maika Pollack, new director of the John Young Museum of Art, will lead a special tour for photographers and photography enthusiasts on October 20, 2–3 p.m.

—By Janica Marie Pascua

A groundbreaking exhibit of photographs taken by people who have experienced homelessness, incorporating their impressions of the highly successful Housing First program, is now on display in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa through December 11.

Housing First is an approach that provides people who were experiencing homelessness with rapid housing placement, followed by support services, as needed. A 2016 UH Mānoa study found the program maintained a 97 percent retention rate in its first year.

• Related UH News story: UH study finds Housing First program improves quality of life for homeless, July 8, 2016

The photovoice exhibit, “Lived Experiences: Out of Homelessness Into Housing,” was first staged at Honolulu Hale in 2016. Researchers from the UH Mānoa captured visual testimonials, thoughts, emotions and life experiences of 20 Housing First participants.

Participants were given their own cameras and asked to record their everyday lives while in the program, then identified topics reflective of their collaborative experience of recently moving into housing within the first year of the program.

Researchers continued to meet throughout 2017 to co-author an article that reported findings from the Photovoice study. The article was published in the American Journal for Community Psychology in January 2018.

In December 2017, the group received a Society for Community Research and Action Community mini grant to conduct a follow-up photovoice study. The study took place between August and November of 2018.

From December 12, 2018, through January 11, 2019, the photos from the follow-up photovoice study will be on display in the Hamilton Library Bridge Gallery.

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

As a teenage photographer born and raised in Brooklyn, Mel Stones had inside access to the New York City youth culture of the 1990s. She will present and discuss images from her book, That’s a Crazy One, at ’s Out Loud in the Library! on Wednesday, September 12, 5:30–7 p.m. in the Hale Laʻakea Library.

Stones will also explore questions about reality and illusion, the power of photography and an artist’s responsibility to its subjects.

Out Loud in the Library! is a free literary and music event celebrating the rich intersection of words and music by local artists. The event is meant to inspire and encourage students to find their own creative voices through writing, reading, poetry, music, spoken word and the visual arts.

For more information contact Susan St. John at (808) 236-9226 or susankcl@hawaii.edu.

—By Bonnie Beatson

Raiatea Arcuri’s timelapse video “From Mountain to Ocean”

As a business major at the , Raiatea Arcuri is already tasting success as an entrepreneur. His still photography and timelapse images of Maunakea, Mauna Loa and the natural environment were featured in the PBS program NOVA in the episode “,” which aired in March.

In his junior year at UH Hilo, Arcuri manages to balance his love for nature photography with the practicality of earning income. His artistic photographs are on his website, , and he maintains a steady business in real estate photography.

Arcuri has been recognized in the field, winning the USA Young Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2016. His island roots, along with his images of Maunakea, contribute to his sense of beauty.

“I’m drawn to Maunakea because of its natural beauty and clear skies. It’s fascinating to photograph the telescopes and how they interact with the night sky. The desolate landscape, the puʻu and the night sky fill me with awe,” explains the young artist.

Early start, early drive

Arcuri’s photographic talents were nurtured at Connections Public Charter School’s after-school enrichment program Studio Shaka. Part of the High Tech Youth Network, Studio Shaka is a supplemental creative environment for students to discover and develop their interests in a variety of forms, including 3D printing, art, robotics, music, media, dance and computer science. While still in high school, Arcuri was awarded a grant to attend the Adobe Youth Voice Conference in New Zealand.

“Raiatea is a pioneer,” says Kris Kua, Arcuri’s Connections Public Charter School teacher. “Many students today have a ‘just get by’ attitude, but that is not Raiatea. He is focused on being excellent in school, home and his life.”

Arcuri has maintained scholastic honors status throughout high school and college while also participating in student government. This year Arcuri is vice president of the UH Hilo Student Association.

Coming from a family of four boys (Arcuri has a twin brother), he understands the importance of compromise and diplomacy. “Itʻs important to be involved with student government to be a voice between the students and the faculty, administration and all levels of the UH System,” he says.

student Matthew Forney, who took an intermediate digital photography in fall 2016 from instructor Wayne Muromoto, was chosen as a finalist in the . His photograph will be included in the hardcover book collection.

Matthew is a Digital Media major and currently runs his own freelance business as a web development consultant.

Leeward Associate Professor Wayne Muramoto stated, “I am always blown away by the quality of student works here at Leeward. Whenever possible, I encourage them to enter these contests as a way to see how they measure up against the rest of the entire United States, and even the rest of the world. While many students with great talent often hesitate to take up such offers, Matthew loved the challenge. I’m glad he got recognized, because it’s all his hard work. I simply sparked his creativity and worked on his technical skills. Matthew came with the desire and effort that makes for a great artist. I’m really happy for him.”

Subject matter was open with no categories. The jurors had to choose a select group of photographs from 13,000 entries this year from the United States, Canada and around the world.

The contest is sponsored by and . Forney’s photograph was one of 798 photographs that were accepted in the .

—By Kathleen Cabral

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa / is proud to present works by emerging photographers in solo shows at . The first annual Thresholds 2016: Solo Shows by Emerging Photographers will be held February 2–13 and will feature exhibitions by local photographers Jon Shimizu and Leslie Gleim. An artist reception will be held on Friday, February 5 as well as a free slide show/discussion by the artists on Thursday, February 4.

Jon Shimizu

Shimizu was born and raised in Honolulu and spent most of his life here in the islands. He attended the , graduated from the , and, over the course of his career, worked in Los Angeles, Tokyo and various locations in �鶹��ý.

Photography first interested Shimizu in childhood and a deeper interest was rekindled recently through classes at Pacific New Media. Shimizu’s primary interests are in the social documentary, street, architecture and landscape genres of photography.

Artist’s Statement: To honor a last request, Shimizu’s mother agreed to care for her two older sisters in their home. After hearing her stories of home care—at times humorous, at others tragic—Shimizu started to document the family’s experiences with the intent of conveying the broad spectrum of emotions felt, resonating with American psychologist Carl R. Rogers’ statement, what is most personal is most general, a theme recurring in PNM coursework.

Leslie Gleim

Gleim is originally from southern Ohio before coming to Honolulu in 2007. She holds a masters degree in education from the . She has worked for 37 years in early childhood education and currently works in the role of pedagogista in the . Through her work she spends a considerable amount of time photographing to document the children’s stories and learning processes.

After coming to �鶹��ý, her passion for photography shifted from in the classroom to outside the classroom where she became interested in a documentary/street and macro photography. Through Pacific New Media’s photography classes she has deepened her understanding or vision of photography as craft in developing her individual style as an artist.

Artist’s Statement: Gleim’s vision for her body of work was to capture the metaphors that are held within the complex simplicity of her subjects. Each image has been stripped to the raw element of black and white, causing the mind’s eye to read the unique nuances of each subject. The dance between light, shape and form is used to capture an intrinsic understanding of the subject as well as the photographer’s intentional metaphoric vision for her images which dances along the edge of simplicity.

Event details

Thresholds 2016: Solo Shows by Emerging Photographers will be held February 2–13 at the The ARTS at Marks Garage. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12–5 p.m. The artists reception will take place on Friday, February 5, 6–8 p.m. The free slide show/discussion by the artists will be held on Thursday, February 4 at 7 p.m. in Krauss Hall 012 at UH Mānoa.

For more information, visit the .