If you’ve ever been curious about what happens when you make contact, the exhibit at the Hono­lulu Museum of Art School is the perfect starting point.

"Contact," a contemporary juried exhibition exploring the notion as it relates to the Hawaiian isles, its people and their experiences, is on display through April 21. The exhibit is presented by the Maoli Arts Alliance, an initiative of the Pu‘u­ho­nua Society, a nonprofit organization that supports the arts.

"It was a call-out to artists who felt compelled to comment on contact, however they chose to define it," said the society’s Maile Meyer. The word "contact" "used to be a noun, then became a verb over time. We didn’t tell them how to reference contact."

More than 50 Hawaii artists offer a broad interpretation in paintings, etchings, 3-D sculptures, carvings and mixed-media art. They delved into pre- and post-contact Hawaii, modern influences on tradition, man-made versus natural items and, simply, the contact between two individuals.

Works of art range from playful humor, such as Peter Cole’s "Mickey Discovers Hawaii," an etching of the Disney icon standing atop the bow of a ship surrounded by Hawaiian canoes, to serious introspection in Patrick Mizumoto’s "Introduced Pathogen," a self-portrait in color pencil and acrylic.

Jon Staub, principal designer of Philpotts & Associates, and Lawrence Seward, an art instructor at the University of Hawaii, served as jurors.

"I think art’s an amazing storyteller," Staub said. "So it tells the story of all the points of contact in Hawaii. If you think about it, Hawaii was so isolated, and now nothing’s isolated."

"Contact, aside from its initial impact, crisscrosses its influence like train tracks or highways crossing borders and shaping people and the land," Seward said. "It’s a mess, but it seems inevitable on this small planet. Culture is lost, but born again for better or for worse only to be changed again and again."

Pieces were grouped together to tell a story.

The war god Kukaili­moku, or Ku, was represented several ways — from a small crystal figurine to a large painting of the god with genitalia prominently intact. The painting, by Kau‘i Chun, is titled "Kukailimoku: Before the Castration."

Then there are three traditional carvings of Ku, not of wood, but two carrots and a sweet potato by Jordan Souza. They’re submerged in three containers of formaldehyde for a piece called "Preservation."

In a basalt rock sculpture, "New Esthetic" by Jerry Vasconcellos, the edges of a bricklike shape emerge from organic curves.

There’s an exploration of intergalactic experiences, with 12 panels by artist Solo­mon Enos depicting the husks of humans jettisoned from the universe. A beautiful painted wood sculpture, "Hua La V," by Kahi Ching, combines traditional with experimental techniques, resulting in an elegant, coconut husklike form.

The exhibit is accompanied by a full program of artist talks, panel discussions and a screening of Keo Woolford’s "The Hau­mana" at Doris Duke Theatre. Also, an installation exploring the condition of "Houselessness," using blue tarps, will remain on the front lawn for the duration of the exhibit.