New Lahaina Mural Project Community Survey

Survey Link

On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Maui Public Art Corps will begin a 6-week process of installing a large-scale mural across the temporary campus of King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which is located at 100 Akahele Street in Lahaina. 

Selected by a community panel from a pool of 33 applicants, the design will be led by artists Roxy and Matt Ortiz, a husband-and-wife creative duo, who paint under the name Wooden Wave (@wooden_wave).

As an alumni of King Kamehameha III Elementary, Roxy shares, "I have a deep connection to the school and want to contribute as much as I can. I attended the school from Kindergarten all the way to 5th grade, so many of my core memories were made there."

Working in partnership with Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society, the County of Maui and Lahaina Restoration Foundation, the mural is being commissioned through the collaborative Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina program, which cultivates stories celebrating Lahaina history, culture and sense of place and engages community members to co-design art that is directly rooted in these stories. 

"We were first approached by the school and by FEMA in March of this year to determine whether or not our Hui Mo‘olelo program could engage a new Lahaina cohort that would inspire potential works of public art at the site," shares Kelly White, manager of the County of Maui's public art program and chair of Maui Public Art Corps, "by June, we had a new collaboration with Lahaina Restoration Foundation that brought Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā to life. In August, we released the call for artist proposals, and here we are in October, deep into project development with an entire new team of partners and stakeholders. It feels very clear that this was the right approach for this public art project." 

For their proposal, Roxy and Matt selected stories shared by Uncle Snake & Aunty Myrna Ah Hee, Theo Morrison and Mr. Tom Fujita, all of which can be listened to on their project page (mauipublicart.org/kamehameha). The artists are identifying symbols from each of these stories to create the foundation of their mural design. Students, families, and staff of King Kamehameha III Elementary are currently participating in a survey to share mana‘o about these symbols and to provide other ideas for the artists to consider as they create their mural blueprint. Lahaina community members and alumni of the school are also encouraged to contribute at https://forms.gle/ZzXZeccaH5fRYHct9.

"We are incredibly excited to bring this mural project to our temporary campus,” shares Kamehameha III Elementary School Principal Ian Haskins, “It’s a powerful way to infuse our school with the spirit and resilience of Lahaina, even as we look forward to the day when our permanent school is ready."

The Maui Historical Society also expressed strong support for this effort. “The Hui Mo'olelo: Lahaina project fosters a countywide understanding of what Lahaina has endured and celebrated,” shares Sissy Lake-Farm, Executive Director of Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society. “It is a meaningful step toward healing and appreciating the rich history that continues to shape our community.”

The mural will be on view for 3-5 years while the school's permanent site is being developed. Sponsors include the County of Maui, the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, HCF Maui Strong, Hawai'i Rotary District 5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund, and private donors of Maui Public Art Corps. 

Stay tuned for additional details, invitations to connect with the project and more. 

###

About Maui Public Art Corps
Maui Public Art Corps connects people, place and story through the development of exceptional public art. It was founded in 2020 to expand the work of SMALL TOWN * BIG ART countywide in partnership with the Maui Historical Society and the County of Maui. @mauipublicart  | www.mauipublicart.org

survey link