Artists, innovators, and indigenous and community leaders connected on reciprocal relationships with nature and lessons Hawaiʻi has for the world
Honolulu–Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation, held the first convening of its Nature, Art & Native Knowledge discussions on Saturday, June 24, 2023.
The Doris Duke Foundation is a leading national funder of conservation and of the arts, and it also operates Duke Farms, a 2700-acre environmental center in Hillsborough, NJ. The foundation has recently helped lead a $100 million philanthropic commitment to support indigenous-led conservation.
Discussions at Saturday's event focused on reciprocal relationships with nature, and Hawaiʻi's lessons for the world when it comes to topics like biodiversity, climate and equity. Guests heard about challenges and successes and were inspired across a range of backgrounds, disciplines and perspectives.
Colleagues from across the Doris Duke Foundation, including Duke Farms and the environmental grantmaking program, joined in the discussions alongside knowledgeable and inspiring guests.
“The Doris Duke Foundation’s Shangri La is a place for personal and societal transformation, and we are honored to convene a vital conversation at the intersections of nature, art and native knowledge,” said Meredith Artley, Shangri La executive-in-residence and interim executive director. “Hawaiʻi is a place of both great duress and great hope for the natural world. We are honored to convene esteemed guests to explore this topic and connect with each other.”