(BIVN) – Today, the Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources will consider allowing a non-profit to increase its use and support of the art center located at Hilo’s Wailoa River State Recreational Area.

Department of Land and Natural Resources staff is recommending the land board approve a Revocable Permit for the Hawaii Island Art Alliance (HIAA), “which will allow them to conduct various exhibits, workshops, classes and an art fair to raise funds to help support the Wailoa Center with donations and activities to aid the Center.”

The Wailoa Center – and the HIAA plan – were recently featured in video recorded by DLNR.

According to the submittal documents, DLNR remarked:

The Wailoa Center has been promoting monthly shows since the mid 1970’s and its open nights have more than three hundred (300) people in attendance. The additional help of HIAA will help generate additional interest in the various programs available. The Wailoa Center is a unique feature in our State Park system and has become an important part of the art world on Hawaii Island.

The Hawai’i Island Art Alliance (HIAA) was formed as a support group for the Wailoa Center. It has been supporting the Wailoa Center with donations and labor since February 2015 and recently became a 501 C-3 non-profit organization to further its mission. HIAA would like to coordinate and conduct fee based educational workshops, classes at an annual art fair. HIAA also hopes to install and manage recycling bins at the Wailoa Center.

Any and all fees charged will be with the written approval of State Parks. HIAA will donate all proceeds in excess of normal operating expenses generated from activities to the Wailoa Center.