Shelley's Story

As of late 2025, Shelley took on the position of Executive Director at Society for Kona's Education and Art in Honaunau. This non profit art and education community center is near and dear to Shelley's heart for multiple reasons (her children went to preschool there over 35 years ago), but the most important is her desire to see creative opportunities to be available to all ages in the South Kona community. Therefore she has cut back on her own practice to lend her non profit management skills to SKEA, while the community restores the roots of this over 40 year old organization, housed in an old Japanese Language School built in 1905. Visit www.skea.org to sign up for their newsletter to apprised of the progress.

Back to Shelley's other passion...

Shelley Hoist is an award winning natural plant artist on Hawaii’s Big Island.  Her mission is to help people feel connected to our natural world through the beauty and texture of plant fibers, and also to help others find their own innate creativity.  She is self taught and has been working in this medium for over 25 years. 

A resident of Hawai‘i island since the late 1970s, Shelley comes from a family of makers in the Midwest. She was accepted into her first mainland juried art show in 2013, the Western Design Conference in Jackson, Wyoming, and came home with an award in the Home Accents category. In 2014 NICHE Magazine (connecting galleries and fine retailers) chose her as NICHE Award finalist and she also showed at the prestigious American Craft Council Show in San Francisco. By 2016, she was awarded Best in Show at the Kahilu Theater's “Art off the Wall” exhibit, and was invited to do a solo show there later that year. Her work is now in collections all over the world. 

Shelley works closely with interior designers for residential and commercial installations.  She also makes unique custom pieces for professional offices, hotels and homeowners, often using heirloom accessories in the process.

You can contact Shelley for an appointment to discuss a custom piece.