The East Hawaii Cultural Center (EHCC) is a cultural center

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...

 in Hilo, Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, that has regular art exhibits and holds workshops and classes. 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

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:...

.

Building history

The building was listed as site 79000752 on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

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

Reinforced concrete

Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...

 with wooden interiors.
It is located at 141 Kalakaua Street, coordinates 19°43′29"N 155°05′18"W.
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.
EHCC was the first Hawaiian museum hosting a digital art

Digital art

Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...

 exhibition and traveling tour on a worldwide scale in 2002 initiated by Dr. Rodney Chang, known as "Pygoya", from Honolulu.

External links

• East Hawaii Cultural Center official website
• web page for Dr. Rodney Chang (Pygoya) cyberart pioneer