2026 Panelists
A trio of review panelists convened to discuss and select this year’s awardees from a pool of 82 applicants representing Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island:
PABLO GUARDIOLA lives and works in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Guardiola’s work references the poetic language found in everyday objects and the power of context in the creation of meaning. He has exhibited his work at San Francisco Arts Commission, New Langton Arts, Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco, at Johannes Vogt, Present Co. in New York City, Embajada in San Juan, PR, among many others. He completed a B.A. in European History at the University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras, San Juan) and an MFA in photography at the San Francisco Art Institute in 2005. Guardiola is co-director of Beta Local, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting contemporary art practices and aesthetic thought in Puerto Rico.
“It was an honor to be part of the Hoʻākea Source panel and to have direct access to the extraordinary art scene across the Hawaiian archipelago. I’m grateful to have been so close to a process that felt honest, generous, and deeply committed to projects developed with sensitivity to the Hawaiian context. It’s always a meaningful opportunity to exchange knowledge with colleagues working from other islands and to learn from their processes.”
MELEANNA ALULI MEYER is based on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i. An award winning multi-media artist and educator, she considers herself a translator of visual media and a visionary in the way she weaves culture, reconciliation, healing, and support of ‘ike Hawai’i (Hawaiian knowledge) into her work on various platforms and media. A Stanford graduate, B.A. ‘78, Borelli prize winner; M.A.’94 in Educational foundations; EWC Fellow, APAWL and Salzburg Fellow, Meyer’s deep dives into Culture, Arts and Spirituality have been a lifelong and ongoing passion, not just of Hawaiian culture, but of all cultures of the world that hold her interests. She is a recent Golden Hibiscus winner of HT 2025- an international multi-site, 4 month series of exhibitions for her recent monumental work; ʻUmeke Lāʻau.
“Particular gratitudes to both the many applicants who submitted remarkable proposals for this HOʻĀKEA granting round and to Puʻuhonua Society for its incredible leadership in setting thoughtful parameters for this regranting process of monies for the arts in Hawaiʻi.
Deeply thoughtful considerations were designed to allow panelists the opportunity to review each proposal with incredible thoroughness, focusing on ideas and values that gave us remarkable support in our decision-making. Mahalo to all. This kind of financial and creative support will catalyze and encourage not only artists, but perhaps the communities from which they come. A welcome opportunity to create meaningful art in these fraught times.”
SEAN CONNELLY is an artist and spatial practitioner working across contemporary art and civic practice. His work examines relationships between land, water, architecture, and power, grounded in archipelagic and oceanic ways of knowing that understand place as an interconnected ecological, cultural, and political system. Realized through exhibitions, installations, public artworks, film, and long-term site-based initiatives, his practice treats form, research, and site as inseparable. Projects often operate as spatial propositions that register historical erasure, environmental change, and alternative futures. Extending beyond the exhibition, Sean directs After Oceanic and the nonprofit Hawaiʻi Nonlinear, where he develops durational work embedded within real sites, communities, and governance frameworks, positioning art as cultural infrastructure for collective stewardship and long-term transformation.
“Mahalo to Ho‘ākea Source for the opportunity to serve on this year’s panel. As an artist and creative laborer myself, I have a deep appreciation for the time, care, and vulnerability that goes into preparing an application, and it was an honor to spend time with the thoughtful work shared by artists across the islands. The process offered a meaningful glimpse into the depth of creativity and commitment within our special and significant artistic community. What stood out most was the strength of the community across the islands and the thoughtful ways artists are engaging with place, history, and one another. Opportunities like this are not only about awards, but about the ongoing practice of refining how we speak about our work and our intentions. I hope artists continue to apply with confidence, knowing that this process contributes to the growth and vitality of Hawai‘i’s creative community and reflects a shared spirit of generosity, excellence, and continual learning.”