Hui Mo‘olelo Portraits Bring Kahului Voices to Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center

Launching in November 2025, Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center (QKC) will host the new Hui Mo‘olelo: Kahului Exhibition, bringing Kahului stories and memories to life. General Manager Kauwela Bisquera Shultz, who participated in a past Hui Mo‘olelo cohort and whose own talk-story with Aunty Kekoa Enomoto inspired the Ka Wahine o Kekoa mural in 2022, first saw the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Exhibition at the Lahaina Cannery in a recent news article. She was inspired by the depth and beauty of the work and eagerly agreed to host a similar exhibition in Kahului, reaffirming QKC as a meaningful partner and returning sponsor of this community-driven program.

Christina Wine Returns With New Portraits
Christina Wine, the talented artist with whom we collaborated on the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Exhibition, was commissioned to expand her series of portraits - this time highlighting Kahului storytellers. Born and raised in Waiehu, and a graduate of Baldwin High School and UH Hilo, Wine’s career spans marine science, environmental education, sailing, and maritime systems. Her artistic path began with a quiet teacher who showed her the fundamentals of drawing in a single weekend, breaking through language barriers. This early lesson shaped her signature no-erase, Zen calligraphy style, in which each line is committed and every “mistake” is part of the whole. Christina reflects, “I’m grateful to everyone who has received my art, whether it’s a framed painting or just a lesson remembered in the heart.”

Wine’s new portraits focus on Kahului, with each storyteller exploring deep connection to place, culture, and community in their own voice that viewers can access via QR codes. Her family recently visited the Lāhainā exhibition and spent time sitting in the chairs provided to scan the codes and listen to the stories. She shared, “It is so positive and meaningful. Isn’t it nicer to listen to a local fisherman than a full day of doom and gloom on the news? Thank you for providing this for our community.”

Meet the Kahului Storytellers
The portraits on display reflect a wide spectrum of community voices and intergenerational experiences, including:

• Joyce Kawahara, Kahului Elementary, and Dean Tokishi, Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission
• Bruce U‘u and Nohelani U‘u-Hodgins, Hawaiian Canoe Club, Ho‘aloha Park
• Uncle William Garcia, Jr. and Pualani Enos, UH Mānoa Matsunaga Institute for Peace
• Jeanette Nalani Kaauamo of Wailuanui and Lopaka White, Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission
• Andrew Chin, ʻĪao Intermediate School ukulele instructor, and his stepfather Michael Takemoto
• Kaho‘iwai Belsom, attorney, and Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., University of Hawaii Foundation
• Kekoa Enomoto, ʻAhahui Ka‘ahumanu and Chairwoman of Pa‘upena Community Development Corporation, and Kauwela Bisquera Shultz, QKC General Manager
• Waterman John McCandless and Dean Tokishi, Ocean Resources Specialist
• Sissy Lake-Farm and Lopaka White, discussing Hawaiian Canoe Club

Each panel includes portraits by Christina Wine and captures the unique stories, memories, and perspectives shared in the Hui Mo‘olelo recordings, connecting viewers to Kahului’s sense of place.

Engaging With Story and Community
Visitors can listen to the original talk-stories using QR codes, deepening their understanding of each subject’s connection to land, ocean, and community. The exhibition emphasizes intergenerational learning, cultural perpetuation, and moments of humor amongst Maui residents. Having just completed its 6th storytelling cohort, Maui Public Art Corps will release its next call for public art proposals in partnership with the County of Maui to interpret any talk-story recording from its Hui Mo‘olelo archive into collaborative works, including the stories on display at Hui Mo‘olelo: Kahului. Visit mauipublicart.org/apply for details. 

Celebrating Place and Memory
This exhibition continues the Hui Mo‘olelo program's mission to connect, preserve and share local voices through art and storytelling. Christina Wine’s portraits, together with the recorded talk-stories, offer a lens into the lived experiences of Kahului residents, honoring their heritage, work, and care for place. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center’s participation highlights the power of local partnerships in creating meaningful, reflective spaces for art, story, and community to intersect.

For artists interested in joining the Local Artist Roster for future Maui Public Art Corps/ Maui County Public Art Program commissions, visit mauipublicart.org/roster.