Which 1939 commission took Georgia O'Keeffe to Hawaii?

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The Hawaiian Pineapple Company commission took Georgia O'Keeffe to Hawaii in 1939.

The company, now associated with the Dole brand, invited O'Keeffe to Hawaii to create images for an advertising campaign. She traveled there for about nine weeks and produced paintings of tropical plants, flowers, and landscapes.

The commission broadened the geographical range of her work, but it did not turn her into a commercial illustrator in the usual sense. O'Keeffe maintained her own artistic approach while responding to the company's request for images connected with pineapple and Hawaiian scenery.

A common mix-up is calling the assignment a Dole commission. The sponsoring company was the Hawaiian Pineapple Company; Dole is the name more widely recognized in connection with the company's later corporate identity.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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