HONOLULU — The family of artist-historian and author Herbert “Herb” Kawainui Kāne has gifted the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum the intellectual property rights to the artist’s artwork, announced Bishop Museum last week.

What You Need To Know

  • The gift was facilitated by Kāne’s widow, Deon Kāne, and supported by his children, Susan Kāne and Douglas Kāne

  • Kāne always had a special interest in Hawaii, the Pacific and all of Oceania

  • It was Kāne’s interest in and research of Polynesian canoes and voyaging that led to his participation as general designer and builder of the sailing canoe, Hōkūleʻa, on which he served as its first captain in 1975

  • “Herb has many connections with the museum, and we know his art and legacy will live on through this gift,” said Deon Kāne

The gift was facilitated by Kāne’s widow, Deon Kāne, and supported by his children, Susan Kāne and Douglas Kāne, according to a museum news release.

“We are incredibly moved by the meaningfulness and generosity of this gift,” said Bishop Museum President and CEO Dee Jay Mailer in the release. “Herb Kāne has touched so many people in so many different ways, and his connections with Bishop Museum and our mission run deep. It is our intent to help preserve and perpetuate his legacy through our work in Hawaii and Pacific cultures, as well as our engagement with these communities.”

Raised in Waipio Valley and Hilo on Hawaii Island, Kāne studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which awarded him with an honorary doctorate degree, and at the University of Chicago after serving in the U.S. Navy.

Throughout an illustrious career in advertising, publishing, architectural design, printing, writing and sculpture work, and clients that included government agencies, major publishers and private collectors, Kāne always had a special interest in Hawaii, the Pacific and all of Oceania.

His art has appeared on United States and international postage stamps. He also authored several books on Hawaii and the Pacific.

It was Kāne’s interest in and research of Polynesian canoes and voyaging that led to his participation as general designer and builder of the sailing canoe, Hōkūleʻa, on which he served as its first captain in 1975. Kāne was one of the founders of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

Kāne was known throughout the world for paintings that detailed the different types of Polynesian and Micronesian sailing canoes used on historic voyages, as well as his artwork that illustrated the history and culture of the Hawaiian and Polynesian islands.

“We know Herb’s legacy will be kept alive and vibrant through Bishop Museum’s strength of public programming and educational outreach,” said Deon Kāne. “Herb’s research and drawings, together with Bishop Museum’s Pacific collections and research, provided the inspiration for Pacific Island nations to review their voyaging traditions, and he played a key role in rediscovering the art of celestial navigation in the museum’s Planetarium. Herb also had a long professional relationship and friendship with Dr. Yoshiko Sinoto, a Bishop Museum archaeologist.

“Herb has many connections with the museum, and we know his art and legacy will live on through this gift,” said Kāne.