A&E Dispatch | Hawaiian exhibition at Wing Luke Museum opens this week

The Wing Luke Museum is celebrating Northwest Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders with an exhibit called "Ho'omau ka Huaka'i, The Voyage Continues: Native Hawai'ians in the Pacific Northwest."

Washington has one of the highest populations of Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the nation — following Hawaii and California — with much of the population concentrated in the Seattle metropolitan area. The Census Bureau estimates that there are 46,000 Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Washington.

Wing Luke Museum's exhibit runs will be open Nov. 21-Aug. 16, 2009, in the new Museum's Special Exhibition Gallery. It explores the history of native Hawaiians in the Pacific Northwest with artifacts, photographs, multimedia and firsthand stories.

An opening reception kicks off the exhibit Thursday, Nov. 20, at 5:30 p.m., in the museum's Community Hall. The free event offers light refreshments. To RSVP, contact to Joann Natalia Aquino, museum public relations and marketing manager, at 206-623-5124 ext. 106, or via e-mail at jaquino@wingluke.org.

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com