The Sun and the Moon Once Again Shine on the State Capitol

With a flip of a switch, the golden sun and silver moon chandeliers in the state House and Senate chambers were lit in a dramatic lighting ceremony on Friday, January 6th. The event was sponsored by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts in a ceremony marking the culmination of a seven-month project that restored the chandeliers to their original 1971 condition.

The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (HSFCA) celebrated the culmination of a 7-month project to restore the ‘sun’ and ‘moon’ chandeliers in the state House and Senate Chambers on Friday, January 6th.

In conjunction with DAGS, the HSFCA kicked off the event with live music and speeches from Ron Yamakawa (Exec. Dir., HSFCA), Comptroller Russ Saito, architect Frank Haines and renowned artist Otto Piene. Haines and Piene, both renowned graduates of MIT, spoke of the significance of the chandeliers and the complimentary beauty they add to the design of the State Capitol.

The chandeliers were first installed in 1971, a golden sun in the House and a silver moon in the Senate. A few years after being installed, the antiquated computer system that operated the respective light shows stopped working and the chandeliers have since been used as basic lights.

After six years of planning, new wiring and lights, and a modern computer program to operate the respective light shows, the sun and moon once again shine bright on the Legislature.

Senate President Robert Bunda (left) with Otto Piene (center) renowned MIT professor and artist of the sculptures, and Ron Yamakawa, Exec. Dir. HSFCA (right).

 

 

The ‘moon’ begins its color changing sequence.

The ‘moon’ sculpture turns yet another brilliant color.

 

The ‘moon’ sculpture before being turned on.

 

 

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