A whole crew of Ossipoff enthusiasts turned out for the opening of The Honolulu Academy of Arts' "Hawaiian Modern: The Architecture of Vladimir Ossipoff" on Nov. 28. Ossipoff collaborator Sid Snyder, Ossipoff family members, Ossipoff home owners Linus Pauling, Jr. and Bob Liljestrand, Chipper and Hau‘oli Wichman, Sam and Mary Cooke, “Tropical Modern” author Raul Barreneche and Metropolis magazine editorial director Paul Makovsky were a few of the luminaries at the event. More than 800 people poured into the museum’s courtyards and into the exhibition guest curated and designed by energy bomb Dean Sakamoto (in collaboration with the Academy's curator of European and American art Michael Rooks). The Moanalua High School graduate has gone on to be the director of exhibitions and critic in design at Yale University’s School of Architecture. The show is an example of the museum's new thrust to originate its own exhibitions that will go on to other venues. ("Hawaiian Modern" next heads to Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, and Frankfurt, Germany.)

You can tell the show was designed by an architect — Sakamoto carved the Henry R. Luce Gallery into intimate spaces, each one a theme on Ossipoff’s work. Architectural models of Ossipoff buildings such as the Pacific Club were painstakingly made by Sakamoto’s 30-strong staff on his own firm. On a loop is “True to Form,” the documentary on Ossipoff by Mark Kubota and KDN Films.
Before the show opened, Sakamoto led visiting design writers Barreneche, Makovsky, Elissa Walker and Christine Temon on a tour of the Pauling and Liljestrand homes. We had to drag them away they were so impressed with Ossipoff’s indoor-outdoor living creations. At the Liljestrand house (above, from left Sakamoto, Makovsky, Bob Liljestrand) everything is so perfect, even the Ping Pong table is painted brown. The exhibition runs through January 27.

In conjunction with the Ossipoff show, the Academy’s Museum Learning Center has two great exhibitions up — and they’re not just for kids. “How’s Your House” is a superfun hands-on adventure through human shelter — play with building materials, make your own blueprint. Perfect for budding architects (or architects manqué). Then students from Le Jardin Academy chose their favorite buildings on O‘ahu — from the Hawaiian Railway HQ in ‘Ewa to St. Patrick church — and reproduced them in terracotta for the exhibition “My Little Town.” Looking at their work makes you rethink how you see our urban landscape. I highly recommend bringing keiki of any age down to the Learning Center.

This is the first in a new feature on Hawaiirama.com. New director of communications for the Honolulu Academy of Arts Lesa Griffith, who has also written for national publications, will give you an inside look at what’s going at the museum's buildings on Beretania and things to do that you should not miss. Check back Friday.

—LesaG, 12/04/07