Since March 2020, many small businesses have struggled as a result of restrictions in place due to the pandemic.
Disturbingly, a good handful have permanently closed their doors to business.
It didn’t matter if it was an established business of 10 or more years old, a generational “mom-and-pop” business or a thriving new one, the pandemic affected them all.
Despite Kaua‘i welcoming visitors back in April 2021 after restricting them from visiting a year prior, the damage had been done.
Unable to recover, more businesses closed their doors permanently. Or if they were able to remain open after the visitors returned they continue to struggle to stay open today for various other reasons, including inadequate staffing.
One segment that has been hit particularly hard by the lack of visitors is local artists. They are the creatives who inspire and connect with people through the meaning within their art or just through something as simple as appreciation of its beauty.
Art is a luxury purchase. For that reason, the art galleries and market vendors were among the hardest hit small businesses on Kaua‘i because visitors make up the bulk of their customers.
Prior to March 2020, visitors were plentiful, and they frequented where these local artists, artisans and small businesses sold their works or products.
Places such as the Princeville Night Market, Spouting Horn and Friday Art Nights in Hanapepe buzzed with enthusiastic first-time and returning island visitors. They attended these markets to find Kaua‘i-made treasures to take home as gifts or mementos of their time here, while at the same time supporting local artists and small businesses.
One small business in Hanapepe, Hashi’s Fine Art Gallery, owned by husband and wife artists Steve and Jan Hashi, has managed to survive this pandemic despite closing its doors when the paint was still wet at only nine months old.
In spite of the same setbacks dozens of other small businesses face in this time, the gallery owners’ determination, coupled with the flexibility and understanding of their landlord, are the reasons it is open for business today.
Without its landlord’s offer to accept a reduced rent (50%) at the start of the pandemic when non-essential businesses were mandated to close, then later not require rent when the business’ investment savings ran dangerously close to dry just after six months, Hashi’s would not be open today.
Hashi’s was able to keep its space with artwork still displayed on its walls and in its window. Its doors remained locked and lights turned off until it was approved to reopen in April 2021.
However, the arrangement for no rent payments came with one stipulation: zero art could be sold out of the gallery or online.
After reopening in April 2021, Hashi’s barely survived through summer because tourism had not yet rebounded. Today, in addition to that challenge, there’s little reliable staff, resulting in less than 20 operating hours Monday through Saturday.
Friday Art Nights in Hanapepe have returned, and several of the shuttered galleries are open for business.
Unlike the more popular areas of Kaua‘i with art galleries (Hanalei, Princeville, Kilauea, Koloa and Po‘ipu), Hanapepe remains relatively quiet and empty, resulting in a few art galleries permanently closing.
In December 2021, eight months after re-opening, Hashi’s had a fine month, with sales of both art and artisan jewelry. Also that month, local art enthusiasts, Kaua‘i residents, became the key contributors to the bulk of those sales.
As more residents move into new homes or redesign and freshen up old spaces, they have discovered Hashi’s and its unique style of Hawaiian art with a contemporary and fresh twist in local art to decorate or redecorate their island homes.
January is typically a slow month in tourism, even slower because of the ongoing pandemic affecting travel to Kaua‘i. It’s also a slow month in art sales overall as people recover from holiday spending.
This did not appear to impact Hashi’s as badly as feared. Many of the month’s sales were to island visitors, with some art shipped to Canada.
Now this 300-square-foot art gallery in a plantation-era building (built in 1938) in the heart of Hanapepe town is poised to experience success after navigating through one of Kaua‘i’s darkest economic times.
Jan Hashi reports that the gallery’s first quarter of was its best ever.
Hashi’s Fine Art Gallery is located at 3890 Hanapepe Rd., across from Japanese Grandma’s Cafe. It represents local Kaua‘i artists Steve and Jan Hashi, Julie Berg, Liedeke Bulder, Shelley Wuitchik and Eileen Kechloian, and artisans Theresa Casagram, Mali Sabatasso and Stefani Hendricks.
Due to the ever-changing availability of staff, hours vary. However, its business hours are posted each week on its social media platforms. The gallery is closed Sundays.
w Info: hashisfineartgallery.com, @hashisfineart on Instagram, Hashi’s Fine Art Gallery on Facebook
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Michelle Mackler handles social media for Hashi’s Fine Art Gallery.
