Mayor’s Office of
Culture & the Arts
Ke Ke‘ena Mo‘omeheu a me ka Pāheona
Bringing our community together through culture and the arts.
The Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) was founded in 1971 after the passage of the Percent for Art law in 1967 that established the Art in City Buildings Program. The mission of MOCA is to provide equal and abundant opportunity for exposure to culture and the arts in all its form.
City and County of Honolulu seeks qualified artists to create a new public artwork for the ‘Ewa Mahiko District Park Gymnasium
Artists are encouraged to submit their qualifications to the City and County of Honolulu Commission on Culture and the Arts by the deadline of Monday, January 1, 2024.
Call for Exhibitions
CAll for exhibitions
MOCA manages civic spaces inside Honolulu Hale such as the courtyard and Lane Gallery. These spaces are used to showcase the talents of visual artists and showcase the work of non-profit organizations and schools from our diverse community. Partnerships with community organizations have enabled MOCA to grace the halls of City buildings with a wide range of artwork displayed on a monthly basis. All exhibits are free and open to the public.
Aloha ʻĀina Art by Hawaiʻi’s Keiki and ʻŌpio
April 29 — June 23, 2023
An exhibition bringing together local groups and organizers that are actively working together to protect our wai and expressing their love for for our ʻāina. Presented by Mele Murals, Wisdom Circles Oceania, and the Sierra Club with support by the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency and the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts.
Upcoming Events
Announcements
We Are HIRING!
MOCA is hiring an International Liaison and an Events Specialist. Partner with the Executive Director to lead the Sister Cities Program serving as the liaison between the city and international delegations. Plan and execute MOCA-sponsored events, as well as coordinate city resources with community organizations for their programs on city grounds.
Art in City Buildings
The Art in City Buildings collection consists of more than 1,100 objects moveable and permanent Public works of art from monuments to murals, paintings to plaques, and a variety of sculptures that are displayed in City facilities and recreational parks. Explore the collection here.
Modular #5
by J. Halley Cox (1970)
Community Murals
Interested in creating a community mural on City & County of Honolulu managed property? The Commission on Culture and the Arts reviews proposals in terms of its design, implementation, placement and appropriateness with the existing architecture, landscape, interior design, grounds and facilities.
Art at Thomas Square
Art Thomas Square is a space for contemporary art installations by O‘ahu-based artists to reevaluate the present and ruminate on the future. Temporary sculptures remain on view at Thomas Square for approximately one and half years.
Recollection (2022)
by Kamran Samimi
On view now through 2023
MOCA awarded BlooMBERG Philanthropies Public art Challenge GRant
City and County of Honolulu is among eight winning cities of the Public Art Challenge, securing a generous grant of $1 million. The City and County of Honolulu project, “Wahi Pana” (Storied Places), will present a series of multimedia art installations on O‘ahu that connect key tourist destinations with their moʻolelo (stories).
