Co-curated by Native Hawaiian artist and kapa-maker, Lehuauakea, and artist and educator, Kanani Miyamoto, this exhibition sheds light on the often-overlooked histories and movement of people who connect Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Northwest since the arrival of the first documented Native Hawaiians to the West Coast in 1787.

DISplace features visual art by regional Native Hawaiian creatives, family stories and ephemera, historic photographs, and archival objects to honor these histories and reclaim the narrative through the voices of families and individual descendants today.

The co-curators, both members of the mixed-Native Hawaiian diaspora, draw parallels between their lived experiences and those of others who have relocated or have ties to the Pacific Northwest, contextualized by a larger timeline of significant historical events.

‘Dis place’ — this place — is a nod to the pride and resilience of these communities in the face of displacement from their original homelands. DISplace is a crucial step in recovering and celebrating these important AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islander) histories while building an ongoing narrative of collective resilience and growing legacy no matter where we call home.