A new art exhibit at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center pays tribute to a defining force in Hawai‘i’s modern art movement: the Metcalf Château – a pioneering collective of Asian-American artists who convened their studio practice in an old house on Metcalf Street, later affably hailed as the “Metcalf Château.”
Initiated by longtime UH supporter Walter Dods and curated by Allison Wong, the exhibit features the works by artists Bumpei Akaji, Satoru Abe, Tadashi Sato, Edmund Chung, Tetsuo “Bob” Ochikubo, Jerry T. Okimoto, and James K.K. Park.
“Their work spoke to place, identity and innovation – and it still speaks to us today,” said Dods. “I got to know them first as people, and I liked them. I admired their character as much as their creativity, and it’s an honor to help share their legacy.”
Much like the Charles H. Atherton YMCA – now the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center – the Metcalf Chateau served as a lively center for creativity and community. Over six transformative months, Akaji, Abe, Sato, Chung, Ochikubo, Okimoto and Park converged at the house, pushing artistic boundaries and propelling Hawaii’s modern art movement forward. The group later expanded to include artists Isami Doi, Keichi Kimura, Sueko Matsueda Kimura, Harue McVay, Toshiko Takaezu and Harry Tsuchidana.
Founding members of the Metcalf Chateau before their exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art in 1954.
In 1954, seven members of the Metcalf Château opened an impromptu exhibition, which profoundly reshaped the local art scene and captured the attention of Robert Griffin, director of the then-Honolulu Academy of Arts, who organized a subsequent group exhibit that propelled these artists to wider recognition.
Dods is preserving their legacy by cultivating an inspiring environment where students, alumni, donors and friends of the university feel a powerful sense of connection and creativity – a space where innovation and entrepreneurial thinking can flourish.
“The Metcalf Château artists were visionaries who redefined what art could be in Hawai‘i,” Wong said. “This exhibition is a celebration of their courage, creativity and connection to the islands. It’s also a reminder that the spaces where we gather – whether a house on Metcalf or a center like RISE – can become launchpads for meaningful, transformative work.”
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