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I was wondering if anyone has any information on the art scene in Kauai. my girlfriend and I are considering moving there from philadelphia. I am dying to go but she is extremely worried about whether she will be able to find work doing what she loves. she recently graduated with her masters in fine arts and would prefer to teach, work at a gallery, or buy/sell. She also wants to have opportunites to show her work at a gallery. I am not sure what kauai has to offer as far as careers/jobs. I will be fine wherever I go as I have not yet figured out my path in life. I'm thinking of going back to school. I know they have schools there! i am really hoping to have some positive feedback so i can reassure her. a place like Kauai is my dream. We are fairly young so we would literally be starting our life there....
There are galleries where your gf can work and possibly show her art. Friday night is Art Night in Hanapepe where local artists come together to show their work. I have a friend who worked at a gallery but recently quit because business was so slow. Also, she would be randomly laid off when business was too slow to afford her assistance.
Also, there is only one school on Kauai- Kauai Community College.
I was wondering if anyone has any information on the art scene in Kauai. my girlfriend and I are considering moving there from philadelphia. I am dying to go but she is extremely worried about whether she will be able to find work doing what she loves. she recently graduated with her masters in fine arts and would prefer to teach, work at a gallery, or buy/sell. She also wants to have opportunites to show her work at a gallery. I am not sure what kauai has to offer as far as careers/jobs. I will be fine wherever I go as I have not yet figured out my path in life. I'm thinking of going back to school. I know they have schools there! i am really hoping to have some positive feedback so i can reassure her. a place like Kauai is my dream. We are fairly young so we would literally be starting our life there....
Yeah, um listen, I think you two have some mistaken impressions of Kauai ... have you been there? Sounds like you haven't. Yes, there is art around Hawaii ... in fact quite a fair amount is created here and bought by tourists ... but it really isn't at all like the art scene east coast mainland (I grew up in Philadelphia, by the way ... and have two sisters still there, including one who is a successful showing / selling artist for years ... and I have known artists who attended the Academy of Fine Arts). You will find yourselves starved for any artistic lifestyle and social interaction in Kauai by comparison. In fact, you will probably find yourselves feeling very lost and alienated in general coming from big city east coast at a young age. To call Kauai 'laid back' is an understatement of galactic proportion. And as far as continuing any education there: uh, no ... local community college for local trades is about it.
Hawaii is like a different country and, other than Honolulu, it is like a very rural country with entirely different culture to what you know. I'm not saying you wouldn't find it interesting ... just not very stimulating. Most people who come to Hawaii with a vision come to "escape" the world (and then find out it is not the escape they envisioned -- or that the escape it is drives them up the walls nuts, in no time flat).
You need a LONG visit.
And we haven't even talked at all about how much it costs to live here ... you have NO idea. Then there's fitting into the culture ... or more to the point and more likely: not fitting into this lifestyle -- it's not what you think.
Sorry. Come have an adventure ... but don't try to commit and invest the meager resources you probably have at best.
Most of the art in Hawaii is Hawaii themed, so if she wants to be avante garde or do some other sort of theme, then Hawaii may not be a good selling location for her art.
There are a lot of craftspeople who thrive doing things such as woodwork, ceramics, glassware, etc. Crafting is also a good secondary income to augment one's primary income.
You could also investigate the other islands if Kauai didn't meet your schooling needs. The Island of Hawaii (Big Island) is getting more branches of the University of Hawaii and the one in Hilo is thriving.
Most of the art in Hawaii is Hawaii themed, so if she wants to be avante garde or do some other sort of theme, then Hawaii may not be a good selling location for her art.
There are a lot of craftspeople who thrive doing things such as woodwork, ceramics, glassware, etc. Crafting is also a good secondary income to augment one's primary income.
You could also investigate the other islands if Kauai didn't meet your schooling needs. The Island of Hawaii (Big Island) is getting more branches of the University of Hawaii and the one in Hilo is thriving.
Good points by hotzcatz about both "themed art" and Big Island as an alternative ... the art sold in Hawaii targets the tourist market ... there's plenty of fine artistic work here, but it is not fine art of the type being created in contemporary movements east ... and there's no "scene", gatherings, shows (of the type you are used to), or artist communities.
But both UH Manoa in Honolulu and in Hilo (Big Island) have a lot to offer ... including some interesting Asian art focus at Manoa campus (Honolulu) ... and there is an art department at Hilo offering a major, so there will be some art student activities
That all said, Hawaii is Hawaii ... and even Big Island is going to feel extremely dull and foreign compared to anything you have experienced mainland. I have degrees in (classical) music performance ... yes, there's classical music in Hawaii ... but not much ... and not many people here are focused or educated in the genre of my trainings ... not many performers ... no problem for me because I am an old guy ... retired ... I wander west coast mainland and Hawaii at my whim. You all are just getting up a head of steam in your arts ... whoo-hoo! It's a world of excitement and intensity and creativity for you. A wonderful time to NOT hide in Hawaii. Come visit. Have a great adventure.
thank you everyone for your honesty. i would hate to get there and for her to be disappointed. i guess we should just move to california and call it a day. i had a feeling thats where we would end up anyway. i really don't like philadelphia or the east coast for that matter. im excited to go out west. i lived in colorado for a year and really enjoyed it. i guess i can still surf in cali :-) i'm definitely going to be visiting kauai!
West Coast sounds like it would make far more sense. Keep in mind that Hawaii is very expensive, and that it's frankly tough to get art jobs anywhere, including (presumably) Hawaii.
Reality can be a rude awakening after college, and I think that might be especially true in an expensive place far from home/family.
L.A./SF would probably make more sense -- a lot more art, and a lot more alternative options.
thank you everyone for your honesty. i would hate to get there and for her to be disappointed. i guess we should just move to california and call it a day. i had a feeling thats where we would end up anyway. i really don't like philadelphia or the east coast for that matter. im excited to go out west. i lived in colorado for a year and really enjoyed it. i guess i can still surf in cali :-) i'm definitely going to be visiting kauai!
Good thinking ... For what it's worth: I live in 4 states: Washington, California, Hawaii, and Confusion ... if I could only pick one -- partial as I am to being confused -- it would have to be California. Even in these hard times of high unemployment in CA, a young couple, such as you describe yourselves, will find a way. CA is terribly expensive (compared to Philadelphia) but not so much as Hawaii ... and it is absolutely filled with things to do see be a part of ... California is an entire universe in 163,696 sq mi ... there is virtually nothing you can imagine, that you can't find there ... and it is an easy flight to Hawaii for vacation adventures, as well
Yeah, um listen, I think you two have some mistaken impressions of Kauai ... have you been there? Sounds like you haven't. Yes, there is art around Hawaii ... in fact quite a fair amount is created here and bought by tourists ... but it really isn't at all like the art scene east coast mainland (I grew up in Philadelphia, by the way ... and have two sisters still there, including one who is a successful showing / selling artist for years ... and I have known artists who attended the Academy of Fine Arts). You will find yourselves starved for any artistic lifestyle and social interaction in Kauai by comparison. In fact, you will probably find yourselves feeling very lost and alienated in general coming from big city east coast at a young age. To call Kauai 'laid back' is an understatement of galactic proportion. And as far as continuing any education there: uh, no ... local community college for local trades is about it.
Hawaii is like a different country and, other than Honolulu, it is like a very rural country with entirely different culture to what you know. I'm not saying you wouldn't find it interesting ... just not very stimulating. Most people who come to Hawaii with a vision come to "escape" the world (and then find out it is not the escape they envisioned -- or that the escape it is drives them up the walls nuts, in no time flat).
You need a LONG visit.
And we haven't even talked at all about how much it costs to live here ... you have NO idea. Then there's fitting into the culture ... or more to the point and more likely: not fitting into this lifestyle -- it's not what you think.
Sorry. Come have an adventure ... but don't try to commit and invest the meager resources you probably have at best.
Aloha and best wishes
Hi - I started the thread about the Honolulu art scene. I had a feeling there would be more galleries and museums in Honolulu (just more going on) ... I have been concerned about most of the art being tropical themed...
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
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Originally Posted by almostfamousfour
...... I will be fine wherever I go as I have not yet figured out my path in life. I'm thinking of going back to school. I know they have schools there! .......
OK, from that it looks like you are a trustafarian and don't have to worry about expenses or jobs. So since you would get "island fever" very quickly in Hawaii (ie become an alcoholic pothead from the relentless boredom), that leaves San Francisco or Los Angeles for a West Coast art scene to fulfill your girlfriend's needs.
Of the two, it really becomes a matter of personal preferences that may not be easily written about - you'd need to spend time in both places. It may come down to weather preferences. Some people prefer the steady paradisical weather and occasionally swimmable water in LA beaches. Others might like the more "romantic" fogs and changeable weather in San Francisco. Some may like the expansiveness of LA communities, while other might prefer the closeness of SF. San Francisco has a more quirky European/Asian culture, while LA is overwhelmingly Mexican.
It's like a prawn pizza vs a beef burrito.
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It's a world of excitement and intensity and creativity for you. A wonderful time to NOT hide in Hawaii. Come visit. Have a great adventure. 
