John and Kate Kelly Estate Collection

01/28/2026

12/25/2025

Mele Kalikimaka! To all our friends near and far, as the year comes to a close, we extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May your holiday season be filled with peace, joy, and the beauty of the islands.

Artwork: "Fisherman's Daughter" color aquatint by John Melville Kelly

12/10/2025

John and his wife; fellow artist Kate Harland—whom he met in 1903 and married in 1908—became part of the vibrant Nob Hill arts community. In 1923, an assignment to illustrate a new housing development on O‘ahu brought John, Kate, and their young son to Hawai‘i, where they fell in love with the islands and chose to make them their permanent home. Photo depicts the couple in Chinatown Honolulu in the mid to late 1940ʻs.

11/15/2025

A few images from our exhibition of Kate Kelly's photographs, currently on view in the "River to Richards: Documentary Photography in Hawaii 2025" exhibition at Downtown Art Center until November 29!

Kate Harland Kelly (1882–1964), born in Northern California and trained at the Partington Art School, was an accomplished sculptor, printmaker, and photographer. After moving to Hawaiʻi in 1923 with her husband and son, she spent the rest of her life here, creating award-winning art and documenting Hawaiian life. In the 1930s and 40s, she photographed Native Hawaiian families in rural Oʻahu communities and lei sellers working around Aloha Tower and Honolulu Harbor. Known for her warm home and hospitality, Kelly’s enduring legacy lies in her sensitive representation of Hawaiian people and culture.

Photos by Tracy Chan.
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11/12/2025

We were honored to be in attendance at the VIP reception for "River to Richards: Documentary Photography in Hawaiʻi 2025" at Downtown Art Center!

Featuring documentary images from Hawai‘i photographers selected by juror PF Bentley, displayed alongside a selection of vintage photos by Kate Harland Kelly (1930s-40s)and Francis Haar (1960s), plus an exclusive display of work from the Oct-Nov Photography Issue of Hana Hou! Hawaiian Airlinesʻ Magazine, this exhibition celebrates the past and the present of Honolulu’s urban core. It will be on view Tues-Sun, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., until November 29.

Photo by Tracy Chan of Downtown Art Center.
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10/28/2025

We are pleased to announce that Kate Kelly will be featured in “River to Richards: Documentary Photography in Hawaiʻi 2025,” an exciting and distinctive photography exhibition at Downtown Art Center, located at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave.

On view from November 7 through 29, 2025, this juried exhibition—curated by renowned photojournalist PF Bentley—will showcase documentary photography by contemporary Hawaiʻi artists alongside legacy collections capturing Honolulu’s Chinatown and Downtown districts, from River to Richards Street.

One section will showcase more than a dozen iconic images by Kate Kelly, depicting lei makers and sellers in the mid-1930s in Chinatown and at Aloha Tower.

Born in California in 1882, Kate Kelly studied at the Partington Art Institute in San Francisco. A gifted photographer and award-winning sculptor, she lived in Hawaiʻi from 1923 until her passing in 1964. Her work captures the lives of Hawaiian people, including models for her husband John’s etchings, as well as fishermen, hula dancers, and families at work and play.

All of her photographs on display will be available for purchase.

The photographs in this collection by Kate were a recent discovery by the family of the estate. We are delighted to share a small selection in this exhibition. More of her work can be found on our website, kellyarthawaii.com.
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09/16/2025

From the Archives: This sweet photograph of a beautiful Hawaiian girl, taken by Kate Kelly, was a popular postcard sold at stores in Hawaii during its "Golden Age" in the 1930s and 40s.

Kate Harland Kelly (1882–1964) was an accomplished artist known for her work as a sculptor, printmaker, and photographer. Raised in an activist household, she was deeply involved in the suffrage movement as a teenager. After marrying artist John Kelly in 1908, they moved to Honolulu in 1923, where they became embedded in the local culture. Kate gained recognition for her miniature sculptures of hula dancers and lei makers, and her commemorative plaques for historic Hawaiian sites. She also captured significant photographic documentation of Native Hawaiians and their families, preserving their culture during a time of great change.

Find out more about Kate Harland Kelly and her legacy on our website, and see more of her gorgeous photos at kellyarthi.com/photography-1.
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08/29/2025

Two original pieces by John Kelly will be in the DAC Collectors' Art Sale & Exhibition Fundraiser, Sept. 5-26!

08/26/2025

In the mid-1930s, John Kelly began exploring color through rich tones, capturing the vibrant hues of people and nature around him. By the 1950s, he had perfected the complex aquatint printmaking technique, with a striking contrast of earth tones and radiant colors that can be seen in the lovely "Lani in Red Pareau."

Explore this and all the incredible pieces, both color aquatints and etchings, that we have for sale at kellyarthi.org!
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08/14/2025

From the Archives:
John Melville Kelly's lovely color etching, "Hawaiiana," (originally released circa 1945) was featured on this March 1950 cover of Paradise of the Pacific magazine. John's work appeared on several issue covers.

First published in 1888 as Paradise of the Pacific under commission from King David Kalākaua, the magazine has chronicled Hawai‘i’s people, culture, and stories for over a century. It was renamed HONOLULU Magazine in 1966, and today it continues to publish under Pacific Basin Communications, making it one of the oldest magazines in the United States.

See more of John Kelly's gorgeous aquatints at kellyarthi.com/coloraquatints.
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08/07/2025

From the Archives:
Did you know? This bronze plaque at Diamond Head Lookout was created by Kate Kelly to commemorate Amelia Earhart’s historic solo flight from California to Hawaii in January 1935—the first successful solo flight from the continental U.S. to Hawaii.

The plaque and the achievement it honors was featured on the cover of LIFE Magazine in July 1937, shortly after Earhart’s mysterious disappearance.

Learn more about the public works of Kate Kelly's that are still on view around the islands by reading our blog at kellyarthi.com/news/historical-plaques-by-kate-kelly.
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07/22/2025

We are pleased to announce the addition of several new artworks to the John and Kate Kelly Color and Black & White Sales Galleries, now available for viewing and purchase online - one of which is this drypoint etching, titled "Ti Leaf" by John Melville Kelly, circa late 1920s.

John co-founded the Honolulu Printmakers Association in 1926, one of the oldest printmaking organizations in the U.S. He was also a member of the California, Chicago, and Prairie Printmakers associations, where his award-winning etchings were regularly featured in juried exhibitions across the country. Explore these incredible, historic pieces from the family-run John and Kate Kelly Estate Collection in Honolulu, Hawaii, at kellyarthi.com today!
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