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. MOCA is an agency of the City and County of Honolulu. Our work is overseen by the Executive Director and members of the Commission on Culture and the Arts all of whom are appointed by the Mayor.  Read ROH Chapter 2 on the Commission on Culture and the Arts. 

Guided by the belief and affirmation of cultural self-determination, MOCA works as a partner and catalyst for increasing opportunities, awareness, and involvement in cultural activities for the benefit of all. In this capacity, MOCA administers the Art in City Buildings Program, the Sister City Program, and community-centered culture and arts programming throughout the City and County. 

Over the past 50 years, the Commission on Culture and the Arts has assisted the City in acquiring more than 1100 artworks that share and perpetuate the cultural heritage of Honolulu. These items are now available for viewing through our online database.