The East Hawaii Cultural Center (EHCC) is an

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...

community theater Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside hel ...

, and

cultural center A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Asia * Ce ...

in downtown

Hilo Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Hawaii (island), Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 United ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. EHCC features regular art exhibitions with free or suggested donation entry to the general public. Administered by the East Hawaii Cultural Council, an umbrella group of local arts organizations, the Center is housed in a historic former police station facing

Kalakaua Park Kalākaua Park is the central "town square" of the city of Hilo, Hawaii. It is surrounded by historic buildings and includes a war memorial. History The area was originally the site of the first Christian Mission in the area known as Waiakea Mis ...

Building history

The building was listed as site 79000752 on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on September 4, 1979. The two-story structure is built from

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

with wooden interiors. It is located at 141 Kalakaua Street, coordinates . The area had been used for civic buildings since about 1817, with the park across the street created by King David Kalākaua in 1877. In February 1969 the court was moved to a new state office building, and in 1975 the police department moved to a larger building, leaving it vacant.

Cultural Council

The East Hawaii Cultural Council was founded in 1967, and leased the building which was planned for demolition.

References

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External links

East Hawaii Cultural Center official website
Hawaii culture Buildings and structures in Hilo, Hawaii Art museums and galleries in Hawaii Arts centers in Hawaii Tourist attractions in Hawaii County, Hawaii