Only a set of eyes remains still, as Madge Tennent animates the scene with curvaceous forms and abstracted floral motifs. Modeled with thick swirls of tropical colors, these Hawaiian figures seem absorbed in a slow, dreamy dance under the brilliant sunshine, at once physically near and psychologically distant. One woman gazes at us, a red flower in her hair and ginger garland around her neck, while the other turns away.

Local Color was selected by jury to represent Hawaiʻi at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, where it was admired by millions of visitors and won a medal. Nearly 50 years later, the painting returned to the East Coast for the inaugural gala of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. (1987). On loan there through 2006, this masterwork was frequently exhibited, cementing Tennent’s stature among leading American women artists.