Celebrate 130 years of Hula in Chicago.
Chicago's Legacy Hula
Experience Native Hawaiian Culture and the legacy of the four Kumu Hula told through this exquisite collection.
Exhibition Summary
Included with General Admission
Closed Dec 7, 2025
All ages
Alert
- Learn the untold history of four Kumu Hula (master teachers of Hawaiian Hula) who perpetuated, preserved, and protected Hula as a way of life.
- Listen to the voices of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) as they tell their own history and learn how their community continues to thrive in Chicago and beyond.
Chicago- and Hawai`i-born Native Hawaiians continue these practices together and act as co-curators for this limited-time exhibition.
Exhibition Highlights
Image slideshow
Gallery
In its original form, Hula is a sacred dance and spiritual practice. In 1893, Queen Lili`uokalani of Hawai`i sent members of a royally chartered Hula troupe to the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. While the troupe was en route to Chicago, the U.S. Military illegally overthrew the Hawaiian Monarchy.
In 1823, King Kamehameha II of Hawai`i took this extraordinary feather cape on a state visit to England as a gift for King George IV. This cape is now in the collections of the Field Museum.
In 1911, the Hawaiian Prince Kūhiō and Princess Elizabeth Kahanu Kalaniana`ole visited Chicago on their way to Washington, D.C.
A kāhili—a royal standard of the Hawaiian monarchy— is made of wood and feathers. In 1949, Kulamanu Nash, a Chicagoan and relative of the Hawaiian royal family, donated 35 kāhili to the Field Museum.
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In its original form, Hula is a sacred dance and spiritual practice. In 1893, Queen Lili`uokalani of Hawai`i sent members of a royally chartered Hula troupe to the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. While the troupe was en route to Chicago, the U.S. Military illegally overthrew the Hawaiian Monarchy.
Educational Resources
Chicago's Legacy Hula Virtual Tour
Learn the untold history of four Kumu Hula (master teachers of Hawaiian Hula) who perpetuated, preserved, and protected Hula as a way of life.
Interview #1: Verna Apio Takashima on Kapa Making
Master Kapa Maker Verna Apio Takashima discusses her work as an artist and what inspired her to become a kapa maker.
Interview #2: Verna Apio Takashima on the Significance of Hawaiian Kapa
Master Kapa Maker Verna Apio Takashima explains the difference between kapa and the barkcloth of other Pacific Islands.Then, she shares why it is important to teach kapa making to future generations.
Interview #3: Verna Apio Takashima on What Students Should Know About Kapa and Hawaiʻi
Master Kapa Maker Verna Apio Takashima reflects on why learning traditional kapa methods is important and how Hawaiʻi is a special place because of aloha.
Kapa Making Part 1: Beating the Kapa
Master Kapa Maker Verna Apio Takashima demonstrates the first steps of making kapa and explains how she learned the artform from her kumu (teacher).
Kapa Making Part 2: Watermarking the Kapa
Master Kapa Maker Verna Apio Takashima talks about those teaching and learning kapa making today and shows how an iʻe kuku (beater) gives kapa its distinct watermarked design.
Acknowledgments
This exhibition was developed by the Aloha Center of Chicago and the Field Museum.