‘Ōlelo No‘eau

One of the distinctive elements of the Maui County Public Art Program is the way each public art project is connected to a unique ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, a traditional Hawaiian saying, proverb, or poetic expression gathered in Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings. This work is developed in direct consultation with our Cultural Director, Sissy Lake-Farm, whose cultural knowledge and guidance help ensure that each saying has a meaningful relationship to the artwork, its location, and the stories and values that shape that place.

For Maui Public Art Corps, community engagement and a strong sense of place are fundamental to public art. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau give each project another layer of connection, linking contemporary artistic expression with Hawaiian knowledge, history, values, and ways of understanding the world. The saying may speak to the artwork itself, the people and stories encountered through the project, the history of its site, or a larger value that emerged through community engagement. This process is part of what makes our public art work unique. Rather than treating culture and place as subjects to be interpreted after an artwork is created, we seek meaningful connections from the beginning. Through listening, research, conversation, and collaboration, an artwork can become part of a larger story about the place where it lives.

Below is an evolving archive of public art projects and their associated ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, organized chronologically. Translations are included where they are part of the program record.
2026
  • Tide Together (Efren Rebugio Jr., 2026): #2758: Pūpūkāhi i holomua — Unite in order to progress.
  • That Which Endures (Karli Jo List, 2026): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau “Akāka ʻikea ka pono, he kai ʻūpoho” — Pūlama Collier. Truth is translucid and luminous understanding, a resounding sea. hpk - literal meaning. One who embodies pono expresses it with immense natural power and intensity. kao - symbolic. Meaningful knowledge endures through space and time. nh - esoteric, experiential, contextual.
  • Perfect Days (Richard O'Connor, 2026): #2246 Na lā ʻae ʻoia — The days that were days indeed. The days of youth, prosperity, and strength.

2025
  • Ola nā iwi (Richard O'Connor, 2025): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #2488: Ola nā iwi — The bones live. Said of a respected oldster who is well cared for by his family.
  • Lahaina Stories (Sasha Hercik, 2025): #1266: I wawā ʻia ka hale kanaka. Nawai e wawā ka hale kamaka ʻole? — Voices are heard around an inhabited house. Who hears voices about an uninhabited one? Where people are, life is. From a chant for Kaʻahumanu.
  • Hikari no Michi (Path of Light) (UH-Manoa Animation Students, 2025): #804: He manu ke aloha, ʻaʻohe lālā kau ʻole. — Love is like a bird; there is no branch that it does not perch upon. Love is an emotion shared by all.
  • Utility Box: ʻOhana Hara (Christopher Carraway, 2025): #2066: Mai ka piko o ke poʻo a ka poli o ka wāwae, a laʻa ma nā kihi ʻehā o ke kino — From the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, and the four corners of the body.
  • Utility Box: Kealoha Canoe (Sarah DeYoung, 2025): #2268: Nānā ka maka; hoʻolohe ka pepeiao; paʻa ka waha — Observe with the eyes; listen with the ears; shut the mouth. Thus one learns.
  • Pua Liʻiliʻi (Christopher Morgan, 2025): #1122: Huʻea pau ʻia e ka wai — All scooped up by rushing water. Everything is told, no secrets are kept.
  • ʻOle Pau (Solomonn Enos, 2025): #2559: Paʻa ka waha, hana ka lima — Shut the mouth; keep the hands busy. Never mind the talking; start working.
  • Utility Box: Carol Ball (Jillian Ikehara, 2025): #69: Aia nō i ke kō a ke au — Whichever way the current goes. Time will tell.
  • Nature's Gift (Eric Finley, 2025): #2482: Ola i ka wai a ka ʻōpua — There is life in the water from the clouds. Rain gives life.
  • Between Worlds (Jay Gilleard, 2025): #2125: Malia paha he iki ʻunu, paʻa ka pōhaku nui ʻaʻole e kaʻa — Perhaps it is the small stone that can keep the big rock from rolling.
2024
  • Basics #63 (Matthias Neumann, 2024): ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi — All knowledge is not taught in the same school.
  • From the Darkest Coals Are Born the Brightest Stones (Oscar Lett, 2024): Pipili no ka pīlali i ke kumu kukui — The pīlali gum sticks to the kukui tree. Said of one who remains close to a loved one all the time, as a child may cling to the grandparent they love.
  • Hands of Stone (Sasha Hercik, 2024): I ka wā ma mua, ka wā ma hope — The future is found in the past.
  • Ace 2024 (Richard O'Connor, 2024): Pipi holo kaʻau — It is sprinkled, the tale has fled. Used at the end of a tale to indicate that it is finished.
  • Ka Lei Ola o Ka Moana (Jana @ Kaiser, 2024): He luelue ka ʻupena e kuʻu ai — The fine-meshed net is the one to let down into the sea. / E lei nō au i ko aloha — I will wear your love as a wreath.
  • Lahaina Memories (Wooden Wave @ Kam3, 2024): Hālau Lahaina, malu i ka ʻulu — Lahaina is like a large house shaded by breadfruit trees.
2023
  • We Are For the Future (Tanama Colibri, 2023): He poʻo ulu ko nā mea kanu — Plants have heads that grow again.
  • E Ola ʻĪao (Anthony Pfluke, 2023): ʻAʻole nō i ʻike ke kanaka i nā nani o kona wahi i hānau ʻia ai — One doesn’t see how beautiful his birthplace is until he goes away from home. / ʻAʻohe loa i ka leo — Distance means nothing when the chief gives his command.
  • Wailuku Garage Wayfinding (Wooden Wave, 2023): 2nd Floor: He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka — The land is a chief; man is its servant; 3rd Floor: Ka malu ao o nā pali kapu o Kakaʻe — The cloud shelter of the sacred cliffs of Kakaʻe; Roof: Malu ke kula, ʻaʻohe keʻu pueo — The plain is quiet; not even the hoot of an owl is heard. All is at peace.
  • Hānau ka ʻāina, hānau ke aliʻi, hānau ke kanaka (James Dinh, 2023): Hānau ka ʻāina, hānau ke aliʻi, hānau ke kanaka — Born was the land, born were the chiefs, born were the common people.
  • O ka pono ke hana ʻia a iho mai nā lani (Courtney Holland, 2023): O ka pono ke hana ʻia a iho mai nā lani. — Continue to do good until the heavens come down to you. Blessings come to those who persist in doing good.
  • Ola i Ka Wai ʻO Maui (Stephen Henderson, 2023): ʻAu i ke kai loa — Swims the distant seas. / Ola i ka wai a ka ʻōpua— There is life in the water from the clouds. / Uwē ka lani, ola ka honua — When the sky weeps, the earth lives. / Nā wai ʻehā — The Four Waters. / Holo iʻa ka papa, kau ʻia e ka manu — When the shoals are full of fish, birds gather over them.
  • Ola i Ka Wai ʻO Maui (Adaptations Dance Theater, 2023): He lawaiʻa no ke kai pāpaʻu, he pōkole nō ke aho. He lawaiʻa no ke kai hohonu, he loa ke aho. — A fisherman of the shallow sea uses only a short line; a fisherman of the deep has a long line.

2022
  • Return to the Source (Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum, 2022): Hoʻi ka ʻōʻopu ʻai lehua i ka māpunapuna. — The lehua-eating ʻoʻopu has gone back to the spring.
  • The Bits Left Behind (Adaptations Dance Theater, 2022): I ka nānā nō a ʻike — By observing, one learns.
  • Public Art Inspired by Wailuku Storytellers (Richard O'Connor, Ace & Son Moving Picture Co., 2022): E lauhoe mai nā waʻa; i ke kā, i ka hoe; i ka hoe, i ke kā; pae aku i ka ʻāina. — Everybody paddle the canoes together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail, and the shore is reached.
  • Small Town, Big Stories (Small Town, Big Stories, 2022): I hoʻokāhi ka umauma, hoʻokāhi ke aloha — All abreast together, one in love. All united in harmony and love.
  • Wailuku Wings (Bobby Zokaites, 2022): I mohala nō ka lehua i ke kēkeʻehi ʻia e ka ua. — Lehua blossoms unfold because the rains tread upon them. It is the rain that brings forth the lehua blossoms. So do gentle words bring forth much that is desired.
  • Of the Land (Sachelle Dae, 2022): Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono — The life of the land is preserved in righteousness.
  • Wailuku Hoʻokele (Edwin Ushiro, 2022): Kala kahiko i au wale ai ka lā. — The sun has gone down long since. A reply to one who asks about something that took place a long time ago.
  • Dive (Richard, Johnny Mac & Dean, 2022): He iʻa no ka pāpaʻu, he loaʻa wale i ka hopu lima; he iʻa no ka hohonu, noho i ka ʻeaʻea. — Fish of the shallows are easy to catch with the hands; but fish of the depths keep the fisherman wet with sea spray.
  • Ka Wahine o Kekoa (Fathima Mohiuddin, 2022): I ka noho pū ʻana a ʻike i ke aloha. — It is only when one has lived with another that one knows the meaning of love.
  • Lānaʻi Storytellers (Richard, 2022): Maikaʻi ka hana a ka lima, ʻono nō ka ʻai a ka waha. — When the hands do good work, the mouth will have good food to eat.
  • The Receding Waters (Richard, Kahoiwai & Jocelyn, 2022): Kuʻu ēwe, kuʻu piko, kuʻu iwi, kuʻu koko. — My umbilical cord, my navel, my bones, my blood.
  • Waves (Richard, Mike & Kelly, 2022): ʻAu i ke kai me he manu lā. — Cross the sea as a bird.

2021
  • The Legacy Series (Guillem “Avi” Molinas Bort, 2021): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Hoʻomau (Kirk Kurokawa, 2021): He lei poina ʻole ke keiki — A lei never forgotten is the beloved child.
  • Makai to Mauka (Jaclynn Sabado-Eitel, 2021): Ka iʻa mili i ka poho o ka lima — The fish fondled by the palm of the hand.
  • Haʻahaʻa (Amanda Joy Bowers, 2021): E noho iho i ke ōpū weuweu, mai hoʻokiʻekiʻe — Remain among the clumps of grasses and do not elevate yourself.
  • Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua (Alex Underwood, 2021): Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua — Unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers.
  • Wailuku i ka malu he kuawa (Bailey Onaga & Courtney Chargin, 2021): Wailuku i ka malu he kuawa — Wailuku in the shelter of the valley.
  • The Value of Storytelling (Leilehua Yuen, 2021): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Talk Story (StoryCorps DIY, 14 local storytellers, 2021): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • E ala! E alu! E kuilima! (Up! Together! Join hands!) (Lori Hepner, 2021): E ala! E alu! E kuilima! — Up! Together! Join hands!
  • Wailuku Dance Crawl (Adaptations Dance Theater, 2021): E kūlia i ka nuʻu — Strive to reach the summit.

2020
  • Chinese Take Out: Super Size (Sean Baba, 2020): O ke aloha ke kuleana o kahi malihini — Love is the host in strange lands.
  • Hīnaʻi (Jessica Bodner, 2020): ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia — No task is too big when done together by all.
  • Birds of a Feather (Maui Academy of Performing Arts, 2020): E aloha kekahi i kekahi — Love one another.
  • Ma kahi o ka hana he ola malaila (Eric Okdeh, 2020): Ma kahi o ka hana he ola malaila — Where work is, there is life.
  • ʻAlalā Renaissance (Michael Takemoto, 2020): Hoʻolaukanaka i ka leo o nā manu — The voices of birds give the place a feeling of being inhabited.
2019
  • Kaulana Nā Wai ʻEhā (Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Legacy (Dulk, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Untitled (Gregg Kaplan, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Native Protector (Joey Rose & Alex Underwood, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • High Tides/Low Tides (Kaiʻili Kaulukukui, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Nāmakaokahaʻi (Lauren Brevner, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Resemble The ʻAlalā (Elmer Bio, Amanda Bowers, Kirk Kurokawa & Noble Richardson, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Celestial Guidance (Mary Iverson, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Techs (Navigating Our Future, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Mauka to Makai (Wooden Wave, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Lost & Found (Andy Behrle, 2019): Ma ka hana ka ʻike — In working, one learns.
  • Eli (Jarus, 2019): ʻIke aku, ʻike mai. Kōkua aku, kōkua mai. Pela ka nohona ʻohana. — Watch. Observe. Help others and accept help. That is the family way.
  • Día de los Muertos (Jackie Goring & Tamara Li, 2019): ʻŌlelo Noʻeau not recorded
  • Pō Mekeʻau (Elmer Bio, Amanda Bowers, Kirk Kurokawa & Noble Richardson, 2019): ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia— No task is too big when done together by all.