Faces of Lāhainā
Created by Yayoi Hara and J. Anthony Martinez, Faces of Lāhainā is a temporary, site-specific public art installation inspired by Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā. Installed on mesh barrier fencing within Lāhainā's wildfire recovery area, the project transforms a necessary safety boundary into a place of recognition, reflection, and connection by prominently featuring large-scale portraits of Lāhainā community members. Portraits are paired with reflections accessible through QR codes, inviting viewers to learn directly from the people whose relationships, memories, and sense of belonging continue to shape this place.
Building upon the success of Maui Public Art Corps' 2023 Maui Strong installation, the project demonstrates how public art can serve both practical and cultural purposes, enhancing safety while fostering stewardship, respect, and community healing. By placing the faces of Lāhainā's people along these corridors, the installation reminds residents and visitors alike that recovery is taking place within a living community whose connection and care for place remain at the heart of Lāhainā's future.
Building upon the success of Maui Public Art Corps' 2023 Maui Strong installation, the project demonstrates how public art can serve both practical and cultural purposes, enhancing safety while fostering stewardship, respect, and community healing. By placing the faces of Lāhainā's people along these corridors, the installation reminds residents and visitors alike that recovery is taking place within a living community whose connection and care for place remain at the heart of Lāhainā's future.
Portrait Subjects
This is where we will post each portrait along with the subject's name and story. Yayoi mentioned in a recent meeting that, although she proposed "portraits will be paired with recorded reflections accessible via QR codes, connecting image and voice", we set up the contract so that these may be written reflections instead. Deadline for these reflections = June 1, 2026. (SOS)
This page is where the QR code that will be delicately printed on the mesh barrier fences will lead.
This page is where the QR code that will be delicately printed on the mesh barrier fences will lead.
About the Artist Team
Yayoi Hara is a Lāhainā-born community advocate, storyteller, and graduate of Lahainaluna High School. She earned a degree in Bilingual Education from Boston University and has worked internationally in logistics operations supporting the host broadcasting of major sporting events. A mother of two and founder of the Farmers Market at Lahaina Jodo Mission, Hara has long been dedicated to strengthening community connections through civic and cultural initiatives. Since the August 2023 wildfires, she has played an active role in recovery efforts and currently serves as Project Outreach & Network Specialist for I Mua I Ke Ola, the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens' community forestry recovery initiative supporting fire-affected areas of Maui.
J. Anthony Martinez is a Maui-based photographer whose work is rooted in black-and-white film, photojournalism, and documentary storytelling. After discovering photography as a teenager in the darkroom, he studied in Brazil and earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Professional Photography from Colorado Mountain College. His career has included photojournalism, documentary work, and wedding photography, all of which have shaped a practice centered on authentic human connection and observation. Anthony and his wife Paula have built deep ties within the Lāhainā community, where he has dedicated countless hours to documenting local events, everyday life, and the people who make Lāhainā unique.
J. Anthony Martinez is a Maui-based photographer whose work is rooted in black-and-white film, photojournalism, and documentary storytelling. After discovering photography as a teenager in the darkroom, he studied in Brazil and earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Professional Photography from Colorado Mountain College. His career has included photojournalism, documentary work, and wedding photography, all of which have shaped a practice centered on authentic human connection and observation. Anthony and his wife Paula have built deep ties within the Lāhainā community, where he has dedicated countless hours to documenting local events, everyday life, and the people who make Lāhainā unique.
Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā
Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā is a collaborative storytelling initiative led by Maui Public Art Corps, the County of Maui and the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. Created in response to the August 2023 wildfires, the program gathers intergenerational stories of Lāhainā residents to preserve memory, strengthen community connections, and ensure that recovery efforts remain grounded in the voices of the people who know the place best. Building upon the countywide Hui Moʻolelo program established in 2021, participants are trained in deep listening, story collection, and trauma-informed engagement before recording conversations with an intergenerational partner. These recordings are archived publicly through Maui Public Art Corps and StoryCorps at the Library of Congress, where they serve as a lasting community resource and the foundation for future public art commissions. The inaugural 2024 Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā cohort was led by cultural historian Kalapana Kollars and student of Hawaiian life ways Anuhea Yagi, followed by a 2025 cohort led by Kaliko Storer of the Mayor's Lāhainā Advisory Team. As of 2026, the collection has inspired eleven public art projects that advance healing, cultural continuity, and community stewardship. Nominations are currently being sought for the 2026 Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā cohort.
Public Art
Faces of Lāhainā is a site-specific public art installation that transforms safety infrastructure into a community storytelling experience, using portraiture and oral history to foster recognition, respect, and connection within Lāhainā's recovery landscape.
- It is site-specific, designed exclusively for Lāhainā's wildfire recovery landscape.
- It transforms required public infrastructure (mesh barrier fencing) into a community storytelling experience.
- It is free and accessible to everyone, 24 hours a day.
- It was developed through a community-engaged process rooted in Hui Moʻolelo story collection and public dialogue.
- It addresses a public need: helping visitors, workers, residents, and returning families understand the significance of the places they are entering.
- It combines visual art, story, cultural interpretation, and placemaking.
- It creates opportunities for public reflection, remembrance, and responsible behavior within the impact zone.
- It cannot be replicated elsewhere without losing its meaning because it is rooted in the people, stories, and geography of Lāhainā itself.
Project Timeline
- 6/21/24: Launch Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā; complete round 1 public art projects in Feb 2025 | Workshop #1 LINK (6/21/24) | Workshop #2 LINK (6/28/24) | Workshop #3 LINK (7/5/24) | Wellness with Aloha LINK (7/12/24)
- 3/8/26: 2026 RFQ is distributed with a 4/8/26 proposal deadline; community panels commence
- 4/8/26: Yayoi Hara applies for Hui Mo‘olelo program
- 4/23/26: Artists vetting meeting
- 5/4/26: Issue artist contracts
- 6/1/26: Artist deadline to submit images & words. (Upon banner design approval, print & delivery will take approximately 2-3 weeks)
- 7/1/26: Target deadline to install artwork panels
- Community engagement, selection of proverb, ongoing Q&A