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APPLY TODAY
Please complete the application linked above in full. If you have questions, or prefer to print and submit your application, please email us.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Application Opens: Thursday, April 10, 2025
- Submission Deadline: Saturday, April 26, 2025 at midnight
- Week of May 1: Applications Reviewed & Families Notified
- Program Dates: Monday–Friday, June 9–July 11 from 10:00am–3:00pm (*No classes on Friday, July 4)
- Young Artist Exhibition: July 11–August 2, 2025
Theme: Pewa: Mend, Connect, and Transform
"The world will turn to Hawai‘i as they search for world peace because Hawai‘i has the key… and that key is Aloha." —Auntie Pilahi Paki
Level: Ages 13–17
Teen Workshop Schedule & Pricing
Full 5-Week Program (3 Workshops):
We highly recommend registering for the complete 5-week program, which includes all three workshops for the following rate:
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5-Week Program Price: $1200 (member) / $1500 (non-member)
Individual Workshops
Alternatively, you can choose to participate in one or more individual workshop(s) at the following rates:
- Weeks 1 & 2: Metalsmithing with Akiceri
- June 9–20
- Pricing: $500 (member) / $600 (non-member)
- Week 3: Risograph Printmaking with Pencil Urchin Press
- June 23–27
- Pricing: $250 (member) / $310 (non-member)
- Weeks 4 & 5: Sound Art with Seb Choe
- June 30–July 11 (No class on July 4)
- Pricing: $500 (member) / $600 (non-member)
Description: This summer, the Donkey Mill Art Center invites young artists to explore the spirit of aloha—a deep respect and care for each other and the world around us—through hands-on artmaking. Inspired by the Hawai‘i Triennial 2025, ALOHA NŌ, this program delves into the meaning of pewa, the traditional Hawaiian method of mending and strengthening beloved wooden objects. These fishtail-shaped patches not only repair items but often enhance their beauty and value, allowing them to be passed down through generations.
In this five-week program, young artists will uncover how art can mend, connect, and transform. Like a pewa patch that reinforces and restores, young artists will discover ways to strengthen their ties to culture, community, and the environment. This program emphasizes creativity, resilience, and the power of unity—because, just like pewa, art has the ability to heal and bring us closer.
For the teen program, students will work with the same theme in a more intimate setting, allowing for a deeper dive into craftsmanship. This program invites 10 students to collaborate closely with artists specializing in metalsmithing, risograph printmaking, and sound art.
The Summer Art Experience will culminate in the annual Young Artist Exhibition, curated by Mina Elison and the teaching artists, featuring original works from the summer program.
About the Teaching Artists
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Metalsmithing with Akiceri
June 9–20 from 10:00–3:00pm
Akiceri is a visual artist, educator and owner and designer of Akiceri Designs Jewelry. She has been designing and fabricating jewelry for 17 years and has been teaching metalsmithing/jewelry classes for nearly 8 years. She is a native of the Ciudad Juárez and El Paso U.S.–Mexico border region. In 2009, she acquired a BFA from the University of Texas at El Paso, graduating Cum Laude with concentrations in metalsmithing and sculpture. In 2018, she received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
She explores themes related to identity, border culture, and social justice. Conceptually, she focuses on liminality in both geographical and symbolical contexts to approach the semiotics of adornment. Her overall vision is to understand political problems holistically and provide social commentary through the creations of objects, sculptures, performances, and jewelry.
Risograph Printmaking
June 23 – 27 from 10:00–3:00pm
Pencil Urchin Press was founded by local artists Devyn Park and Sarah Week. Sarah Week is an artist and educator based in her hometown of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. She creates colorful illustrations inspired by the natural beauty of Hawaii and the simple charms of small town life. Sarah has a BFA in animation from the Academy of Art University and works to create accessible community art experiences.
Devyn Park creates bold and visually dense work that dissects the idea of home through analyzing places, objects and the memories associated with such. Through mixed media printmaking, painting, she brings about an air of humor and sentiment, engulfing the viewer in a technicolor, lightheaded playground of visual stimuli.
Devyn obtained her BFA in Illustration at RISD in 2015, and her MFA in Print Media at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2019. Along with maintaining her illustration and fine art practice, Devyn works professionally as a graphic designer in the custom apparel industry; designing for a wide range of corporate, educational and private clients.
Sound Art
June 30–July 11 from 10:00–3:00pm (*No class on July 4)
Seb Choe is a youth educator, community organizer, and musician based in Hawai’i and New York. Seb has led creative youth education programs across the country, often alongside teens with marginalized identities. In Hawai’i, Seb has worked with the Donkey Mill Art Center, East Hawai’i Cultural Center, The KōLab, and Hawaii-Fi. Elsewhere, they have taught with Carolina Youth Action Project, Harbor Camps, Kids on Point, Old Firehouse Teen Center, Rave Salon, and the Rikers Education Program. Seb’s creative practice spans music, film, and writing, and has been featured in The New York Times, 99% Invisible, PIN-UP Magazine, and the 2021 Venice Biennale. Choe holds a B.A in Architecture from Columbia University.
MORE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS
Celebrating 30 Years of Arts Education in Our Community
The guiding philosophy of our summer program was established by Setsuko Morinoue, who envisioned each child as a pebble tossed into a pond, creating ripples that deepen connections to self-identity, ‘ohana, community, and the world at large. Today, we are honored to have this philosophy carried forward by Gerald Lucena, our Youth Education Coordinator, whose mentorship and guidance continue to shape the next generation of artists.
About Our Programs
As a place of convergence, the Mill serves as both a community and a physical place–celebrating the power of the arts, bringing people, ideas and perspectives together. We are proud to offer adult and youth programs that focus on awareness of one’s individuality in the contexts of family, community and the natural world. Our exhibitions provide a space to reflect, share perspectives and grow as a community. Our classes & workshops are designed to inspire creativity, foster connections, and provide enriching experiences for all participants. We invite you to join us in the studio.
