University of Hawaii Launches New Master’s Program in Pacific Island Arts

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is breaking new ground with the launch of its Master of Arts in Pacific Island Arts program, the first graduate degree of its kind in the United States. The interdisciplinary program, which welcomed its inaugural cohort of 12 students this fall, combines traditional Pacific Islander artistic practices with contemporary scholarship and creative expression.

The two-year program draws from UH Manoa’s extensive Pacific collection and partnerships with cultural institutions across Oceania. Students can focus on areas including traditional navigation arts, contemporary Pacific Islander visual arts, performance traditions, and digital storytelling that preserves and reimagines island cultures.

“This program fills a critical gap in higher education,” said Dr. Leilani Basham, the program’s director and associate professor in the Department of Art and Art History. “For too long, Pacific Islander arts have been studied through external lenses. We’re creating a space where our own voices and methodologies lead the conversation.”

The curriculum requires students to spend at least one semester studying in another Pacific island nation, with current partnerships including institutions in Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu. This component ensures graduates gain firsthand experience with diverse Pacific artistic traditions beyond Hawaii.

Bridging Traditional and Contemporary Arts

The program’s unique approach integrates ancient practices with modern applications. Students learn traditional techniques like kapa making and carving alongside digital preservation methods and contemporary art theory. Several courses are taught by master practitioners from across the Pacific, including visiting artists from Tahiti, New Zealand, and the Marshall Islands.

Among the first cohort is Kalani Reyes, a Honolulu-born artist of Filipino and Native Hawaiian heritage. Reyes plans to focus his thesis project on how digital media can preserve traditional chant practices while making them accessible to younger generations.

“Growing up in Kalihi, I saw how my grandparents’ stories were getting lost,” Reyes said. “This program gives me the tools to bridge that gap between our kupuna’s knowledge and how my generation learns and shares culture.”

The program also emphasizes community engagement. Students complete a capstone project that must directly benefit a Pacific island community, whether through cultural preservation, educational outreach, or artistic collaboration.

Regional Significance and Support

The initiative has garnered support from cultural organizations throughout the Pacific. The Bishop Museum contributed archival access and internship opportunities, while the Polynesian Cultural Center offers specialized workshops in traditional crafts and performance.

Funding for the program comes from a combination of university resources and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pacific Arts Association. The program also received significant backing from local philanthropists, including a $500,000 gift from the Watanabe Foundation specifically supporting student research travel.

Dr. Sarah Kim, UH Manoa’s vice provost for academic affairs, emphasized the program’s strategic importance to the university’s Pacific focus. “This positions us as the leading institution for Pacific arts scholarship globally,” Kim said during the program’s launch ceremony at the East-West Center last month.

Career Pathways and Cultural Impact

Graduates will be prepared for careers in museums, cultural centers, arts education, and community cultural work. The program also serves as preparation for doctoral studies, with several partner institutions already expressing interest in the first graduates.

Beyond career preparation, the program addresses urgent needs in cultural preservation. Many Pacific island communities face challenges in maintaining traditional arts practices as populations urbanize and elder practitioners pass away.

The program’s research component requires students to contribute original scholarship to the field. Current first-year projects include documenting traditional tattoo practices in Samoa, exploring the role of women in Micronesian navigation arts, and analyzing contemporary Pacific Islander artists in diaspora communities.

Applications for the fall 2025 cohort open in January, with the program planning to gradually expand to 20 students per year by 2027. Priority consideration goes to applicants with Pacific Islander heritage, though the program welcomes students from all backgrounds committed to respectful, collaborative scholarship.

For Honolulu’s vibrant arts community, the program represents both validation and opportunity. Local galleries and cultural venues are already partnering with students on exhibitions and performances, creating new platforms for Pacific arts in the islands.

As the Pacific region’s cultural hub, Honolulu stands to benefit significantly from having the world’s premier Pacific arts graduate program in its backyard, potentially attracting scholars, artists, and cultural workers from across Oceania to contribute to the island’s creative ecosystem.