When Dr. Dirk Lummerzheim first met his wife, Jill Backus, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks 40 years ago, he focused on the precipitation of energetic particles into the atmosphere, visually manifesting as the aurora. A photograph of the Milky Way over Pololū, Hawaiʻi was the last thing on his mind, let alone how to help the artist who captured it shine.
After over two decades of serving as Professor Emeritus at the University, however, Dirk now spends his days handling the bookkeeping for 'Ōlena Gallery when he’s not building shelves to display work by photographers, wood turners, ceramicists, and an array of other Hawaiʻi Island artists.
“Jill and I own and run the gallery, and our primary goal is to provide a positive and viable outlet for Big Island artists and craftsmen, both emerging and established, to exhibit and sell their work,” says Dirk, who happens to be recognized throughout the space physics research community for advancing understanding of auroral processes in the high-latitude ionosphere. Although he’s also received three National Aeronautics and Space Administration Group Achievement Awards for his contributions, Dirk prefers to talk about artists like Susan Grant, who designed and painted the gallery’s sign when it first opened. “That was in November of 2022, but we moved here in 2015. I had retired, and Jill, who has a BFA in Ceramics, worked as a family nurse practitioner. We were living in Ketchikan, but Jill was ready to retire, so we bought her Dad’s property in Hāwī when his partner wanted to sell it… and moved.”
Although Jill had more time to concentrate on her ceramics and pottery, the couple soon discovered that there were limited possibilities for local artists to sell their work in North Kohala. To help Jill and other artists while engaging the local community, they partnered with friends and opened 'Ōlena Gallery.
“'Ōlena is Hawaiian for 'turmeric,' which can be used as a yellow dye. It’s also a name people can remember,” Dirk explains. While they were still transforming the building into an art gallery, he and Jill met a curious bystander. “He happened to be Kona-based watercolor artist Gary Leveque and was looking for a place to show his work. So, just like that, we had our first artist. We just kept talking to the people behind the art we liked at local festivals and markets, and now we have artwork from 60 different artists. At least 12 are from right here in North Kohala.”
Today, Dirk and Jill share the responsibilities of operating 'Ōlena Gallery as the sole owners. They also collaborate on bringing artistic visions to life.
“With her art, Jill tries to speak to women’s issues and lives. I create the wood components of her work. If she needs a base for a sculpture or a special piece of wood to support a teapot, I build it,” says Dirk. “Through the gallery, Jill can make what she wants without the pressure of selling it, and we can offer that same luxury to Hawaiʻi Island artists.”
“We don’t mark pieces down, which is unheard of for a gallery. We’re not going to disvalue the art just to make a sale. We just want the artists to know that we have their backs,” Dirk adds. “The artist is free to progress, which is pretty awesome to see.”
Owning 'Ōlena Gallery enables Dirk to host a monthly rotation of featured artists, which kicks off with a reception. While visitors come in to support their favorite artist, they stay to contemplate an exquisite vase, monkeypod table with glass layers, or jewelry Jill hand-makes of metals, ceramic pieces, and semi-precious stones.
Warm terracotta-colored floors welcome guests, and fused glass pieces, metal prints, oil paintings, and carved koa fish thoughtfully adorn the gallery walls every day of the week. Like the ethereal jade, scarlet, pink, blue, and violet lights of the aurora borealis, each piece has space to be admired.
Learn more at OlenaGallery.com.