Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Hawai?i’s state government arts agency since 1967. The SFCA is administratively attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services. SFCA funding is provided by the State of Hawai?i and the National Endowment for the Arts. MISSION The mission of the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) is to promote, perpetuate, and preserve culture and the arts in Hawai‘i. SFCA funding is provided by the State of Hawai‘i and the National Endowment for the Arts. The SFCA is administratively attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Chapter 9). HISTORY The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) was established by the Hawai?i State Legislature in 1965, in large part through the vision and effort of Hawai‘i leaders such as architect and State Planning Coordinator Alfred Preis, SFCA Founding Chairperson Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi, State Senator Nadao Yoshinaga, and Governor John Burns. The creation of a state arts agency made Hawai‘i eligible to receive federal grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), newly established as part of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities on September 29, 1965. The first SFCA member and Chairperson was Pundy Yokouchi, appointed by Governor John Burns on January 14, 1966. The first SFCA Executive Director was Alfred Preis, who served as Acting Executive Director until he was formally appointed to the position on July 1, 1966. Initially, the SFCA was placed within the Office of the Governor and was located in the Princess Victoria Kamamalu Building at 250 South King Street in Honolulu. One of the original programs was the SFCA Biennium Grants Program. This vital program has provided millions of dollars to nurture and invigorate arts and cultural programming statewide.