A Holiday Gift Guide by Justine Espiritu,
Director of Membership and Annual Giving
It is that time of year when we reflect on what has passed, and wonder how best to show our love and appreciation to the family, friends, and colleagues who make up our ‘ohana. We would like to share a Bishop Museum-themed gift guide for the people you are thinking about this holiday season.
Each of these gift ideas not only inspire the recipient to learn more about Hawaiʻi’s rich culture and natural resources, but has the added benefit of supporting Bishop Museum’s mission to perpetuate that knowledge for future generations. Gift purchases such as these allow Bishop Museum to continue to care for our collections, engage in exciting scientific research, and sustain educational programming that tells the stories of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
1. Give the gift of a Bishop Museum Membership for 20% or 50% off.
Check “this is a gift” and use code GIFT20 at checkout for 20% off. Gifting to a family on a neighbor island? Contact the Membership Department at membership@bishopmuseum.org to receive 50% off. Purchase three or more gift memberships in a single day, and the Membership Department will send YOU a mahalo gift of three custom Bishop Museum masks!
When you gift a Bishop Museum membership to a student or family, you are gifting 12 months of access to our unparalleled collection of Hawaiian and Pacific artifacts and active scientific research through exhibitions and programming, and so much more.
Original and traveling exhibitions for 2021 include:
- Mai Kinohi Mai: Surfing in Hawaiʻi (December 14, 2019 – March 28, 2021)
- Kaula Piko: The Source of Strings (July 18, 2020 – January 31, 2021)
- (Re)Generations: Challenging Scientific Racism in Hawaiʻi (February 20, 2021 – October 22, 2021)
- POW! WOW! The First Decade: From Hawai‘i to the World (May 15, 2021 – September 19, 2021)
- Tātau: Marks of Polynesia (November 13, 2021 – July 4, 2022)
- Expedition Dinosaur: Rise of the Mammals* (October 2, 2021 – January 23, 2022)
*Includes an additional entrance fee for non-members and Student, Senior, Friend, and Dual/Family members.
New virtual events and digital resources make Hawaiʻi’s premier natural and cultural history institution more accessible than ever, allowing members who reside anywhere to stay connected and engaged with Bishop Museum throughout the year.
Virtual programming that launched in 2020 includes:
- Bi-weekly pau hana “talk story” presentations by Bishop Museum researchers and community guests,
- Monthly livestreamed Planetarium shows, and
- Virtual tours of current exhibits with curators and exhibit designers.
2. Gift a unique, three-piece pillowcase set highlighting the fragile ecosystem of the endangered Hawaiian land snail.
For those in your life who are passionate about conservation, NOHO HOME proudly presents the Pūpū Collection, a collaboration with Bishop Museum’s Malacology Department. Imbued with artful shell patterning, earthen colors from their natural habitats, and motifs with moʻolelo (stories) inspired by our Malacology collection. 100% of the profits from the Pūpū Collection will be donated to Bishop Museum to fund important scientific research and continue the education efforts surrounding our island home.
3. Give the gift of wisdom and insight from Mary Kawena Pukui with a new deck of cards from @dtlhawaii Actions of Aloha featuring 53 ʻŌlelo Noʻeau .
ʻŌlelo no‘eau, Hawaiian proverbs and sayings, are gifts of direct insight into the ways in which our kūpuna understood the world and the people around them. Actions of Aloha has partnered with Bishop Museum Press to highlight 53 selections from “ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings,” collected, translated, and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui. Let these selections inspire your loved ones as they anticipate the coming year, and let them know that 100% of the profits from your purchase benefits Bishop Museum. For your friends and family missing Hawai‘i, take advantage of the Bishop Museum Press winter sale and pair the deck with additional pieces from the Press collection.
4. Create a gift basket from Bishop Museum’s Shop Pacifica.
5. Make a donation to Bishop Museum on someone’s behalf.
6. Already have the perfect gifts ready to go in your Amazon cart? Complete your purchase through smile.amazon.com and designate Bishop Museum as your charitable organization of choice.
AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Bishop Museum’s work and mission at no cost to you. As of November 2020, U.S. charities have received over $200,000 from Amazon shoppers.
