Project Timeline

2012
(Oct) A yearlong Laila-Twigg Smith grant project brings together arts administrator Kelly McHugh-White, County of Maui’s Erin Wade and Philadelphia Mural Arts’ Eric Okdeh to create the Nā Wai ʻEhā mural in Wailuku amidst the transformative reWailuku community visioning effort.

2015
Wade & McHugh-White develop plans to expand public art in Wailuku, meeting with stakeholders, producing workshops and bringing the dialogue to creative placemaking as capital improvement plans are initiated for the Maui Redevelopment District.

2018
Maui County is selected as sole Hawaiʻi awardee for 2-year national arts grant to support the planning and implementation of place-based pilot arts programming in Wailuku. The project is entitled SMALL TOWN * BIG ART (ST*BA), a nod to the Wailuku Town motto: Small Town, Big Heart. [Grant term: Sept. 1, 2018 - June 30, 2020 | $75K | National Endowment for the Arts (NEA Our Town) | Offer letter dated 4/6/18].

In May, the team is approached by PangeaSeed Foundation who read about the ST*BA grant award and wanted to collaborate on SeaWalls: Artists for Oceans, their principal mural program made up of an international consortium of 250 professional artists. This prospect offered SMALL TOWN * BIG ART the opportunity to design a proof of concept — providing thematic development, human resources, supplies, and artist honoraria to the SeaWalls project while learning from their very seasoned team of artists and collaborators in exchange. PangeaSeed and ST*BA spent 9 months meeting and planning the two-week mural festival for February 2019. 

One major takeaway from this trial is the prominent need for consistent cultural guidance and integration. Sissy-Lake Farm of Hale Hō‘ike‘ike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society becomes ST*BA's cultural consultant and curates Wailuku-focused passages from Mary Kawena Pukui's ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings to help ground incoming public art proposals as part of the team's forthcoming call-to-artists. 

2019
(Jan 28 > Feb 4) ST*BA collaborates with PangeaSeed Foundation for proof-of-concept public art program, entitled Artists for Oceans: Mauka to Makai. This partnership resulted in 10 new Mauka to Makai murals throughout Wailuku Town: 1) Nāmakaokahaʻi by Lauren Brevner (Canada)  2) Native Protector by Joey Rose & Alex Underwood (California)  3) Untitled by Gregg Kaplan (Maui)  4) High Tides/ Low Tides by Kai Kaulukukui (Oʻahu)  5) Legacy by Dulk (Spain)  6) Kaulana Nā Wai ʻEhā by Cory Kamehanaokalā Taum (Oʻahu)  7) Resemble The 'Alalā by E.H.A. (Maui)  8) Celestial Guidance by Mary Iverson (Washington)  9) Mauka to Makai by Wooden Wave (Oʻahu)  10) Navigating our Future by Poi (New Zealand) 

On Feb 1, the first call-to-artists is distributed for SMALL TOWN * BIG ART public art projects via press release, social media, project website, international callforartists.org tool and mailing list with a March 1, 2019 deadline. ​Projects comprise:

• Lost & Found: Following four months of project development, Maui artist Andy Behrle worked with dozens of community members to research, re-imagine and refine a light installation depicting a stained glass window from St. Anthony Church before it was lost to a devastating fire in 1977. Through hours of footage collected at different points of the Wailuku River, panes of glass were replaced with visions of water. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Ma ka hana ka ‘ike (in working, one learns), the piece was on view for one night only, projected onto ʻĪao Theater during the  September 2019  Wailuku First Friday event. 
• Eli: Created by Canada-based artist Emmanuel Jarus, who taught two free workshops for local artists at Sabado Studios, hosted live paint days and presented during a public blessing at the site, this mural was painted in October 2019 at the main studio space of the Maui Academy of Performing Arts (2027 Main Street). Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: ‘Ike aku, ‘ike mai. Kōkua aku, kōkua mai. Pēlā ka nohona ‘ohana (Watch, observe. Help others and accept help. That is the family way), the piece depicts a local fisherman that the artist spent time with at Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge. 
• Día de los Muertos: The brainchild of Wailuku Coffee Company owner Jackie Goring and Wailuku artist Tamara Li, Wailuku Town’s November 2019 First Friday was adorned with festive street decorations, a street procession, participatory art installations and an altar at Kīpuka Square in a festival celebrating Día de los Muertos. An opening chant was offered by Uncle Bill Garcia, member of the Royal Order of Kamehameha and of the Bailey Family at Hale Hō’ikeʻike, also serving as its resident kahuna pule/ kahu for the museum. The public was encouraged to join the procession ready to eat, dance, play and celebrate: What is remembered, lives.
• Pō Meke‘au: This mural at the Omura Building facing Wells Park was painted from November 18-30, 2019 by Maui artists Elmer Bio, Amanda Bowers, Kirk Kurokawa and Noble Richardson, known as a foursome as EHA. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia (no task is too big when done together by all), the team hosted school visits, live paint days and presented during a public blessing at the site. Mural elements include kukui (symbolizing flavor, varnish, fishing techniques, medicine, la‘au lap‘au and fuel to sustain fire), po (night, blackness, original darkness), haku (to make or invent) and kālai pōhaku (stone-on-stone carving), featuring Hōaka Delos Reyes, one of the rare people on the planet who can do this type of carving.

2020

• Hīnaʻi: Installed at Kīpuka Square on New Years Day, this 6-foot reclaimed steel sculpture by Maui-based Jessica Bodner was inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia (no task is too big when done together by all). In a unique collaboration with Boy Scout Troop 40 and local artist Amanda Joy Bowers, a Little Free Library was simultaneously erected at the site with the proverb painted on it. Through site visits with the troop, at her studio and a public unveiling and blessing ceremony, Bodner engaged hundreds of Wailuku residents and visitors. Together, these projects illustrate the proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
• Chinese Take Out, Super Size: Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: O ke aloha ke kuleana o kahi malihini (love is the host in strange lands), Wailuku artist Sean Baba unveiled his sculpture in collaboration with Au’s Shaolin Arts Society's February Chinese New Year performance outside of the County Building before installing it at both the Mayor’s Office and the grounds of Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society for extended public access.
• Birds of a Feather: This original play by Maui Academy of Performing Arts' Kathy Collins, Logan Heller, Carlyn Leal, and Kiegan Otterson - with musician Gilbert Emata - was seen by thousands of school children throughout Maui before its public ST*BA performance during the February 2020 Wailuku First Friday. The story follows Moa (the Hawaiian chicken), Pīkake (the peacock), and Manu’aipilau (the mynah) who struggle to accept and appreciate their differences. To their great surprise, they learn that they are actually more alike than not, and they ultimately discover that their community is stronger because of their diversity.

In March, the COVID-19 pandemic drove an NEA-approved project extension to December 2020, and all ST*BA programming was put on hold.

In October, the County of Maui Pre-Travel Testing Program prompted a reopening, and ST*BA installations resumed with new, virtual-based engagement. 

• Ma kāhi o ka hana he ola malaila: Following a pause necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Philadelphia-based muralist Eric Okdeh created Ma kāhi o ka hana he ola malaila (where work is, there is life) at the Main Street Promenade in October 2020. The artist hosted virtual talk story sessions with dozens of community members, 15 live exhibition days and presented at a blessing ceremony in November. 
• ʻAlalā Renaissance: Re-imagined for a post-COVID community, Maui-based Michael Takemoto’s ‘Alalā Renaissance brought pre-registered, socially-distanced artists together to create hundreds of brightly colored chalk ʻalalā silhouettes throughout town in an expression of hope, rebirth and healing. Performing artists from Wailuku-based arts organizations recited collaborative poems for a video documentary of the artwork that has been shared with the public, and featured on Akakū Maui Community Media. A 1-day only event that took place in November 2020, the project was inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hoʻolaukanaka i ka leo o nā manu (the voices of birds give the place a feeling of being inhabited).

Through these preliminary COVID-era public art projects, ST*BA pivots from hands-on, collaborative project development with community members to virtual participation. Community consultations hosted via recorded, video meetings and made accessible on the ST*BA website plus micro documentaries that capture the conversations that build each cumulative artwork significantly enhance participation. Through this alternative approach of collecting community impressions, ideas and context, we leaned deeper into the watchful process of capturing each story; setting the stage for future storytelling projects. 

With the NEA-funded pilot project set to conclude on Dec 31, County of Maui extends the program into 2021. The positive community response to the ST*BA pilot creates a show of demand for this work in neighborhoods beyond Wailuku. Maui Public Art Corps is established as a new, 501c3 to expand this work countywide. 

2021
In January, ST*BA releases its second call-to-artists while continuing to manage selections from the previous community panel meeting. 

• The Legacy Series: Created by Maui-based artist Avi Molinas, this series features large-scale replicas of three oil painted portraits depicting Wailuku icons Hōkūlani Holt (1951- ), Judge Noa (Auwae) Kepoikai (1862-1911) and Rose (Daniels) Kepoikai (1864-1956) at First Hawaiian Bank’s Wailuku Branch, displayed to face Market Street for a two-month run. A short film was designed to get the momentum flowing for conversation and continual exchange that presents the artist; Hayden Aluli, who is the great grand nephew of Judge Kepoikai; and Hōkūlani Holt, great grand niece of Rose Daniels, as they speak to the topic of legacy. 
• Hoʻomau: Inspired by 300 sketches created by ʻĪao Intermediate School and by conversations with those working to develop the Maui County Children’s Peace Center, Wailuku-based Kirk Kurokawa completed this mural in acknowledgment of April 2021’s Child Abuse Prevention Month. For its unveiling, the surrounding space was adorned with Pinwheels for Prevention by Girl Scout Troop 162 from St. Anthony Church. The artist selected two proverbs to connect his mural to a sense of place, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: He lei poina ‘ole ke keiki (A lei never forgotten is the beloved child), and a proverb which originates from the Japanese community: Nana korobi ya oki (fall down seven times stand up eight).
• Makai to Mauka: Nearing the end of 2020, County of Maui created a temporary parking area over one of the Wells Park baseball fields to mitigate the stalls being displaced during the Wailuku Town Improvement Project construction. Using the temporary chain link fence between the parking area and ʻĪao School as a canvas, Maui artist Jaclynn Sabado-Eitel was inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Ka i’a mili i ka poho o ka lima (the fish fondled by the palm of the hand). Her work was complemented by an outing with Uncle Skippy Hau of the Department of Aquatic Resources as well as hands-on workshops with St. Anthony Church Cub Scouts (Pack 40) and Girl Scouts (Troop 162).
• Mana Wāhine: In June 2021, four Maui-grown artists selected by ST*BA's community panel created a collection of temporary murals to serve as the construction wall surrounding the Wailuku municipal parking lot. Alexandra Underwood painted Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua (unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers); Amanda Joy Bowers painted Haʻahaʻa inspired by ʻōlelo noʻeau E noho iho i ke ōpū weuweu, mai hoʻokiʻekiʻe (remain among the clumps of grasses and do not elevate yourself); and Bailey Onaga and Courtney Chargin painted Wailuku i ka malu he kuawa (Wailuku, in the shelter of the valley). Each artwork was developed over the course of four months as artists, community consultants, construction teams and supporters came together to plan logistics, stimulate the composition. Bowers painted her mural directly on-site along Vineyard Street while Underwood, Onaga and Chargin worked on individual wall panels off site at the Yokouchi Estate’s Imua Discovery Garden, among the grounds where Maui’s last ruling Chief Kahekili once lived. 
• The Value of Storytelling: Following two years of planning and research, artist Leilehua Yuen of Hilo, HI, presented a series of virtual Edutainment workshops between April - June, with a final in-person event in July 2021. Joined by haumāna from Maui Academy of Performing Arts, Kamehameha Schools Maui, Mauna Kahālāwai, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission​ and Lahaina Restoration Foundation, the group explored the purposes of storytelling, the value of the search for knowledge, and encoding that knowledge in moʻolelo. This work prompted new partnerships with StoryCorps, Akakū Maui Community Media, and Ball State University’s Center for Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD) to explore the creation of an oral histories archive by and for the larger community.
• StoryCorps DIY: In July, we coupled The Value of Storytelling workshop participants with community kūpuna to participate in a talk-story exchange. Seven pairings of two individuals met from July through October for a 40-minute, audio-recorded conversation with the goal of “capturing an authentic moment of connection.” Akakū Maui Community Media condensed the recordings into a collection of short story segments that became the basis for an October request for proposals wherein artists were asked to bring a story to life through a work of visual, performance or experiential public art. 
• Up! Together! Join hands! Beginning in September, artist Lori Hepner worked with ʻĪao Intermediate School, Hālau Makana Aloha O Ka Lauaʻe and the band Kūikawā during an educational Wailuku Light Painting residency. Her workshops resulted in an outdoor video projection, two wall mural decals, and superimposed imagery via a free augmented reality app. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: E ala! E alu! E kuilima! (Up! Together! Join hands!), participants used LEDs to light-paint silhouette portraits of one another. Wailuku Coffee Company hosted open studio days throughout her residency that invited the public to become a part of the artwork design process and to learn more about the Pittsburgh-based new media artist and Penn State Professor of Integrative Arts.

In October, ST*BA releases its third call-to-artists for 2022 projects while continuing to manage selections from the previous community panel meeting.

• Wailuku Dance Crawl: Postponed from its August 2021 debut due to Maui’s voluntary deferment of non-essential activities, socially distanced, pre-registered participants joined contemporary dance company Adaptations Dance Theater for the Wailuku Dance Crawl in November. Much in the spirit of a treasure hunt or pub crawl, company dancers Ali Pineo, Hallie Hunt, Emily McKeon and Katie Istvan traveled throughout five distinct Wailuku Town outdoor locations offering performances to encourage (re)engagement with these spaces as well as new memories and shared experiences for the community. As a collection of three-minutes dance phrases, the work was inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: E kūlia i ka nu‘u (strive to reach the summit).

2022
​In January, Maui County was awarded a $30,000 grant by the National Endowment for the Arts' Grants for Arts Projects program, in partnership with Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society and the newly formed Maui Public Art Corps. ​Public art projects from the previous panel selection continue as the team embarks on its new plan to A) sustain and develop place-based, culturally rooted public art collaborations in Wailuku; B) design and implement public art activities in up to three new Maui County neighborhoods; and C) deliver a public art master plan for the County of Maui. [Grant term: Jan. 1, 2022 - Dec 31, 2023 | $30K | National Endowment for the Arts (NEA Grants for Arts Projects) | Offer letter dated 11/9/21].

In February, ST*BA initiated a strategy to coalesce interested players under an umbrella called Wailuku Arts District in order to coordinate facility and public space planning, management and maintenance. A Wailuku Arts District Management Plan Advisory Committee is organized, and meets monthly in 2022 to deliver a draft proposal to the County of Maui. 

• Return to the Source: Located at 2121 Main Street, this mural by artist Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum is his interpretation of a recorded talk-story between Clifford Naeʻole, Cultural Advisor at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua and Hōkūao Pellegrino of Nohoʻana Farm. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hoʻi ka ʻoʻopu ʻai lehua i ka māpunapuna (The lehua-eating ʻoʻopu has gone back to the spring. Said of one who has gone back to the source), the artwork “encourages us to follow the teachings of the original people who lived with this land, and to always look towards the natural environment to learn the lessons that can guide us through life,” according to the artist. This work was complemented by four community consultations and a blessing ceremony led by Uncle Bill Garcia. 
• The Bits Left Behind: Created in collaboration with Taum’s Return to the Source mural, this contemporary dance work by Adaptations Dance Theater is grounded in the talk-story between Clifford Naeʻole and Hōkūao Pellegrino. It was performed for a public audience at the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary Building Hoapili Hale courtyard on March 11, 2022. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: I ka nānā no a ʻike (By observing, one learns), the piece reflects communal childhood memories of old Wailuku, as shared by community consultants throughout the project development process. Choreographer Ali Pineo shares, “From the sweet smell of bananas and the sound of St. Anthony’s church bells to watching the festive parades and swimming alongside ʻoʻopu in the ʻĪao river, the dancers weave through the imagination and whimsy of the personal stories told by longtime Wailuku locals. The piece reminds us of what has changed and what has stayed the same in Wailuku; it honors this town’s legacy, the strong bones of a place that still has many more stories to be told.”
• Public Art Inspired by Wailuku Storytellers: On April 1, 2022, a collection of six animated short films premiered at ʻĪao Theater by Oscar-contending director Richard O’Connor and artists Anne Beal, Alex Fyock, Natalie Greene, Alexandra Reshanov, Winnie Wu, and Taisiya Zaretskaya. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: E lauhoe mai na 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. Pitch in with a will, everybody, and the work is quickly done.), O’Connor’s Brooklyn-based Ace & Son Moving Picture Company team worked under his direction for three months to create the collection of short films utilizing our intergenerational talk-story recordings as the soundtrack and Wailuku-sourced photographs as visual prompts. A monthlong display of animation stills was exhibited at Wailuku Coffee Company, the collection was featured at the 2022 Maui Film Festival, and two virtual workshops were held at Baldwin High School. 
• Small Town, Big Stories: On April 1, 2022, Indiana-based Ball State University, Center for Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD) presented their yearlong Master’s thesis project at Wailuku’s historic ʻĪao Theater in tandem with artist Richard O’Connor’s story animations premiere. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: I hoʻokāhi ka umauma, hoʻokāhi ke aloha (All abreast together, one in love. All united in harmony and love), this graduate student consortium of transmedia storytellers and experience designers worked with ST*BA and dozens of Wailuku champions to create a public mechanism for a Maui oral histories collection and catalyst for creating connection through storytelling. Drawn to our StoryCorps DIY and Talk Story programming, the cohort submitted a project partnership working agreement in April 2021 that invited ongoing review of low, mid and hi-fidelity project prototypes, ultimately resulting in a collection of free postcards that pull viewers into an online storytelling experience. Under the leadership of Faculty Advisor Kevin Moloney, Ph.D., students Penelope Baggs, Ashleigh Goodrich, Erin Salyers, Frank E Sanabria II, Michaela Tangeman, Raquel Pratas, Lisa Kemp, and Lindsey Overstreet invented a unique and playful means of generating, capturing and perpetuating the stories that sustain us as a community.
• Wailuku Wings: Sculptor Bobby Zokaites developed this piece through four months of research and community consultations, both virtually from his Tempe, AZ studio as well as in Wailuku during a February site visit. Composed of steel framing and colorful polyurethane paneling, the eight-foot sculpture is located at at Imua Family Services’ Imua Discovery Garden, who partnered with ST*BA to inspire potential, inspiration and discovery through this work of public art. ​Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: I mohala no ka Lehua i ke ke’eke’ehi ‘ia 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), the design within the wing panels incorporates the native Koa and Kamehameha butterflies, a lauhala pattern and an aerial view of the ahupuaʻa within the Moku ʻO Wailuku. The graphic was created with a significant measure of translucency in order to interact with the site and the changing light of the day. 
• Of the Land: Created by artist Sachelle Dae, this super-sized collection of three oil paintings is grounded in two talk-story recordings: one between Anuhea Yagi, Student of Hawaiian Life Ways and Roselle Bailey, Kumu Hula, KaʻImi Naʻauao O Hawaiʻi Nei Institute, and another between Kalapana Kollars, Hawaiian Cultural Programs Director, Lahaina Restoration Foundation and Wallette Pellegrino, host of the ”Preserving Our Recollections” oral history TV program. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Ua mau ke ea o ka `āina i ka pono (the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness), Sachelle spent three months meeting with the storytellers and taught a free youth painting workshop in Wailuku to set her intentions for how the work would interact with the public. Exhibited facing Market Street from First Hawaiian Bank Wailuku Branch (27 North Market Street) from June 21 to August 31, 2022, the work was unveiled with a public event during which artist Anuhea Yagi performed a spoken piece inspired by her participation in the project. 
• Work in Progress: Written and performed by Maui artist Anuhea Yagi in two parts: one at the historic ʻĪao Theater in April and two, fronting First Hawaiian Bank Wailuku Branch in June, this piece was inspired through the expansive experience of interviewing Kumu Roselle Bailey through ST*BA's developing storytelling projects. Conducted in three acts: Fish Story, Water Shares the Shape of Time and The Bridge, the interactive performance began by distributing pōhaku (stones) found by the artist to attendees to set the artist's energetic intentions and ended with an open-ended conclusion, encouraging listeners to engage in their own intergenerational stories with community members. A window into Anuhea's creative process was captured in a ST*BA micro documentary that was later shared on Akakū Maui Community Media.
• Hui Moʻolelo: Due to the strong resonance of the 2021 Talk-Story project within our community, we invited artist Leilehua Yuen to take on a 2022 Hui Moʻolelo cohort in order to expand our network of storytellers, capture new stories and inspire potential works of public art for upcoming requests for proposals. Armed with Leilehua’s teachings, as well as best practices from a wide range of storytelling and oral history experts, the Hui’s intention is to capture an authentic moment of connection through stories that are embedded in a Maui County sense of place. Through new grant partnerships extending our public art process into neighborhoods countywide, participants represented a wide range of special places and stories that met from April to June 2022. 12 storytellers participated in 3 workshops, resulting in 9 self-recorded story submissions (video) and 13 Talk Story sessions (audio). 
• ​Wailuku Ho’okele: Inspired by an audio recorded talk-story between Cultural Historian & Resource Specialist Kepā Maly of Kumu Pono Associates LLC and Lopaka White of the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission, Maui-born and Los Angeles-based artist Edwin Ushiro designed this mural from June — August, 2022. Located at 33 Market Street in Wailuku, the piece depicts water within the building’s recessed window shapes in an attempt to place the viewer on the open sea. Each of three windows contain a constellation: 1) Iwikuamoʻo bone back lizard, Hōkūleʻa shines in orange-red; 2) Ka Lupe o Kawelo, Lupe or sting ray; and 3) Ka Makau Nui o Māui, Māui’s Fish Hook with Māui. Rooted in ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: 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), Ushiro’s work was supported by six community consultants and eight art assistants, and celebrated during a public blessing and unveiling. Learn more at smalltownbig.org/ushiro.​
• Humans of Wailuku: Upon panel selection, each SMALL TOWN * BIG ART project undergoes a period of project development geared to fortify the artwork’s connection to Wailuku history, culture and sense of place. Together, the artist, program partners and project collaborators gather community input on a project proposal in order to create a revised blueprint through such activities as free artist workshops, community consultations, live paint days, huakaʻi and storytelling events, among other experiences. Simultaneously, artists work with Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society to connect community input with ‘ōlelo from Mary Kawena Pūkuʻi’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings. Each SMALL TOWN * BIG ART project is tied to a unique excerpt from this text, which — in the words of Sissy Lake-Farm, “help to root this work in the mana‘o of our kūpuna.” In July 2022, we partnered with Moloka‘i-based photographer Mickey Pauole to capture 22 Humans of Wailuku as they responded to the question: “Why do you think it is valuable to connect each SMALL TOWN * BIG ART project to a specific proverb from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings?” Each individual selected a favorite Wailuku place to be photographed while their feedback was collected. The results were shared widely on social media and posted at smalltownbig.org/feedback. 

The following installations are part of our efforts to pilot SMALL TOWN * BIG ART in three new Maui County neighborhoods beyond Wailuku Town, as a response to community demand. A public call for nominations and subsequent Hui Moʻolelo participation led to the selection of Kahului, Lānaʻi City and Kahoʻolawe as our focus areas and our fourth call-to-artists. Because SMALL TOWN * BIG ART is, and always will be, a Wailuku Town initiative, we promoted these collaborations under the umbrella of Maui Public Art Corps -- which was developed specifically to expand this work countywide. All work was completed in partnership with County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society. As public arts programming takes root in these and other neighborhoods, a new inoa will evolve. 

• Ka Wahine o Kekoa: Located at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului, this mural is the artist’s interpretation of a recorded talk-story between Aunty Kekoa Enomoto of ʻAhahui Kaʻahumanu and Queen Kaʻahumanu Center’s Kauwela Bisquera. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: I ka noho pu ana a ‘ike i ke aloha, (it is only when one has lived with another that one knows the meaning of love), the artwork “is meant to represent warrior women,” according to the artist. She continues, “Traditions embodied in kapa, hula, lei, paʻu riders and canoe. Standing together, generations between them. Sturdy like mountains, gentle like flowers that blow in the breeze.” The artwork design was further supported through nine community consultations, two hands-on workshops at Imua Immersion Preschool, Kahului campus, and celebrated during a December 13 public blessing and unveiling led by Uncle Bill Garcia. 
• Lānaʻi Story Animations: As part of our summer 2022 call-to-artists, we partnered with Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center to capture audio recordings with three Lānaʻi kūpuna. Upon selection by a community jury, animation studio artist Richard O'Connor entered a period of project development to infuse his designs in the history, culture and sense of place of Lānaʻi -- ultimately resulting in freely accessible artwork created through community engagement. Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: 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 resulting collection of animated film shorts was unveiled in December 2022 as part of the Center's observance of 100 years since Lānaʻi was purchased by the Dole Corporation (1922) and later at Wailuku Town's ʻĪao Theater for our Hui Mo'olelo festival. They were painted by Taisiya Zaretskaya, with compositing done by Natalie Greene. (include Job Corps' photo + fine print) >> Artists' statement: We connect with one another in the space we share and the actions we take to build that space. These works reflect the voices who once labored in those spaces. They echo to current generations. Through these reverberations we create ties to the past and a path to the future. People. Places. Work. >> Storytellers: Dean Del Rosario, Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi + Shelly Preza, Executive Director, Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center; Soon Yai Amaral, Elder kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi + Diane Preza, Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi; Anthony Pacheco and his father Henry Eskaran, Jr., Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi
• Dive and The Receding Waters and Waves: In April 2022, individuals with close ties to Kahului and Kahoʻolawe participated in our Hui Mo‘olelo program, led by kumu Leilehua Yuen. Upon completion, each were paired with an elder to generate audio-recorded stories about these unique areas of Maui County. Professional artists were then asked to submit a proposal bringing these stories to life through a work of public art. Selected by a community panel, artists Rose Stark, Natalie Greene and Taisiya Zaretskaya worked with our team for six months under the direction of Oscar contending artist Richard O'Connor. Their visual animations were presented in alignment with the recorded talk-story excerpts about Kahoʻolawe and Kahului for our Hui Mo'olelo festival in December 2022. The free event included a reading by Aunty Kahoiwai Belsom, who was inspired to write a book as a result of this experience, an audience Q&A to generate story reflections, and an exhibit of Maui Satellite Job Corps Center student paintings created under the guidance of teaching artist Jana Ireijo. (include storytellers + proverbs + artist statements, if can, for publication)

​2023

• Wailuku Arts District: Key to the success of creative placemaking work is involving the arts in partnership with committed governmental, cultural-based nonprofit, and private sector leadership. As SMALL TOWN * BIG ART approached its 5-year anniversary of Wailuku Town programming, the need to evolve from a pilot public art initiative to the driver of an integrated arts district emerged organically, and a new Wailuku Arts District project grant was secured. Throughout 2022 & 2023, a management plan advisory committee comprising Wailuku arts organizations, supporters, researchers, stakeholders and institutional contributors met regularly to design a cohesive document outlining a situational analysis, core objectives, community assets and an action plan for a new Wailuku Arts District entity. Community involvement included surveys, focus groups, a marketing and social media campaign, huakaʻi to the various spaces where the arts are primarily hosted via Da Bee — which is a free Wailuku shuttle service that is being offered throughout the Wailuku Improvement Project period, an open house event, and individual committee member engagement opportunities. With a plan slated for delivery in 2023, this massive effort to coordinate facility and public space planning, management, maintenance and collaborative programming will result in an interconnected destination that maximizes the public’s opportunities to experience, learn and celebrate the arts. 
• Partnership requests: In FY23, we received a high volume of outreach requests to share SMALL TOWN * BIG ART with the larger community. Visit smalltownbig.org/participate for ways to get involved. Baldwin High School students created a film for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai’i based on the prompt, “Disruption Sparks Change”– presenting ST*BA as a catalyst to maintain the identity of Wailuku Town throughout its revitalization phase. Their news feature reached a statewide audience on PBS Hawai’i and a worldwide audience on pbshawaii.org. Through a developing partnership with University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, a Hui Mo‘olelo traveling exhibit was developed and exhibited at the Pā‘ina Market. The collection includes fine art still frames from each of the 12 kūpuna talk-story animations created by artist Richard O’Connor and team to date, as well as QR codes that lead to the full animations. We additionally offered a classroom lecture for the Visual Arts Department and have been invited back by their STEM Department. Akakū Maui Community Media’s Akakū Upstairs public salon series invited our team to present project documentaries and lessons learned for a live, studio audience. Hundreds of students from Kamehameha Schools Maui and ʻĪao Intermediate School, as well as teams from Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Hawai‘i Community Foundation and others, participated in guided Wailuku public art tours. 
• We are for the Future: In May 2023, Wailuku-based singer, songwriter, author and poet Tanama Colibri performed a public pop-up performance featuring original songs inspired by both Kahoʻolawe and Wailuku at the Kalana O Maui Building Front Lawn. Grounded in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: He poʻo ulu ko na mea kanu (Plants have heads that grow again. An assurance that if you break off the top of a plant, it will put forth a new one), Colibri’s music and lyrics were developed through a 4-day volunteer access with the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission, recorded consultations with community members, and an interactive workshop with the sixth grade class of ʻĪao Intermediate School. Resulting songs included Aki Aki, We Are For The Future, Kaho’olawe, Blessed ‘Īao, and Kaho’olawe Anthem. The event opened with a pule by Uncle Bill Garcia of Hālau Nā Hanona Kūlike O Piʻilani and included collaborative performances with 15 sixth-grade ʻĪao students and three teachers from King Kekaulike High School.
• Glow in the Garden: Developed in partnership with Imua Family Services, the Glow in the Garden juried exhibition took place on Saturday, May 27, 2023 from sunset through 8:30 p.m. at the Will Smith Imua Discovery Garden 2023 Butterfly Festival, free and open to the public. The Butterfly Festival was launched in 2022 with the unveiling of the SMALL TOWN * BIG ART Wailuku Wings project, featuring sculptor Bobby Zokaites. The event hosts games, food vendors, live entertainment and more as an opportunity to gather as a community in support of children and families with developmental needs. Artists of all ages were invited to submit pre-fabricated work featuring a wireless light component for consideration to be on view for this one-night-only event, with awards distributed by Imua Family Services for their top selections in the amounts of $2,500, $1,000 and $500. ST*BA led the artist recruitment, application and jurying process while Imua produced the event and distributed awards. Glow in the Garden is the region’s only free curated outdoor public light-art experience, and is expected to continue in 2024.
• E Ola ʻĪao: In June 2023, Nā Hōkū Hanohano finalist Anthony Pfluke performed a public pop-up performance featuring original songs inspired by Kahoʻolawe and Wailuku, Maui. Following a 4-day volunteer access with the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission, Anthony worked closely with community members with special ties to this place to write Kū Kīaʻi Kanaloa. Through community consultations with Wailuku sources, an artist huaka’i of the Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge with Hawaiʻi Land Trust, and study of Mary Kawena Pūkuʻi’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings in partnership with Sissy Lake-Farm, Pfluke composed E Ola ʻĪao. The one-time-only pop-up performance was held at Kīpuka Square in Wailuku, and additionally featured music celebrating the distinctive sense of place, history and culture of these special Maui places — the majority of which were performed in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. All conversations and project developments may be found at mauipublicart.org/pfluke.
• Wailuku Garage Wayfinding: In June 2023, artists Matthew Kawika Ortiz and Roxanne Ortiz — who paint under the name Wooden Wave, created 6 large-scale artworks within the Wailuku Garage to function as directional signage; offering a wayfinding element that draws people to entry and exit points and also helps distinguish the varying floor levels of the space (our 5th call-to-artists). Working in collaboration with design teams and community members, they spent 3 months participating in community engagement activities that resulted in a design of distinct landscape elements, a color palette, and animal species unique to each floor: 1) lo‘i kalo, auwai and ‘ōpae ‘oeha‘a; 2) mountains, waterfalls and ‘o‘opu alamo‘o, which are arranged vertically to hint at their journey upstream to climb waterfalls; and 3) clouds and pueo, referencing several community consultations that spoke to Wailuku’s strong connection to mo‘olelo about pueo. Through additional huaka’i and a free talk-story event at the Wailuku Public Library, they developed and interpreted the connections between their artwork design and the Wailuku ahupuaʻa, ultimately rooting the collection in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka (the land is a chief; man is its servant). BLESSING = NOV 17, 2023
• County of Maui Public Art Master Plan: In January 2022, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced a 2-year grant award to the SMALL TOWN * BIG ART collective to design a public art master plan for the County of Maui; a project proposed in response to the rapid demand for high quality, community involved public artwork programming beyond Wailuku. Delivered to the County in December 2023, the plan provides a framework for the development and acquisition of public art, participation in the selection and outreach process, areas of opportunity, maintenance and conservation, and recommendations for the future. In FY23, we piloted public art projects in 3 new County neighborhoods, conducted a Maui County Public Art Community Survey for residents of Maui, Moloka‘i and Lānaʻi, as well as staff and volunteers affiliated with Kaho’olawe, conducted case study site visits with public art entities recommended through the NEA and Americans for the Arts, and drafted guidelines to help provide a clear roadmap with criteria on how to thoughtfully approach opening up our public spaces to artwork. 
• Sticker Buffet: Immediately following the August 8, 2023 wildfires, numerous artists reached out to Maui Public Art Corps to determine how they might be of service. A friend of ours with the Student Services Coordinators (SSC) for Maui DOE shared the news that large donations of hydro flasks and school supplies were being donated for 350 displaced students. We asked the artists if they would be willing to donate stickers or artwork designs to decorate these new personal items. The response was so strong that we posted the opportunity via social media and received stickers and artwork from 100+ artists globally. Maui Waena Intermediate School crafted a "Maui Strong" artwork activity for participating students to exchange for stickers. With the support of a #MauiStrong grant, we were able to develop a collection of hands-on Sticker Buffet activities for interested schools to design their own “Maui Strong” inspired artwork in exchange for artist stickers. The activity offered a creative outlet for students reassigned to new schools while helping them regain a sense of ownership, identity, and normalcy during this challenging time. 911 students participated from September to November 2023. 
• ​Hui Moʻolelo: Following the August 2023 wildfires, several groups and individuals reached out to request the Hui Mo‘olelo workshop and story recording process as a way to process the experience. We crafted a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) tutorial featuring links and excerpts from Leilehua Yuen's 3-part workshop series for interested community members, as well as for our current cohort through a collection of 2023-2024 grants made to Maui Public Art Corps. 10 new stories were added to the collection in 2023 by 20 participants, many of whom opted to share stories about special Maui places beyond Lahaina - noting that more time was needed to be able to express a Lahaina-focused memory. These Hui Mo‘olelo recordings became the basis for our collective's 7th call-to-artists, which was released in December 2023.  
• SMALL TOWN * BIG ART Exhibit: (Sept 1 - 30, 2023) As we prepared for the unveiling of our Wooden Wave wayfinding murals at the Wailuku Garage, Wailuku Coffee Company offered us the use of their exhibit space to tell our @smalltownbigart story. Five years prior, we began to plan our first call-for-artist proposals to celebrate Wailuku history, culture and sense of place. Today, we have more than 70 works completed and a new nonprofit to scale this initiative countywide. With so much uncertainty at this moment, we find stability in these collaborative stories inspired by Mary Kawena Pukui and by the many, many community members that have worked together to make each one happen. 
• Hānau ka ‘āina, hānau ke ali‘i, hānau ke kanaka: In October 2023, artist James Dinh completed the design of a 224 square foot mural backing a new fitness court for Kahului Community Center Park. ​Through a new partnership (our 6th call-to-artists) with the Hawaii Medical Service Association, the National Fitness Campaign, and the County of Maui - Department of Parks & Recreation, the piece enhances and enriches the site while also addressing the public input received in our recent Maui County Public Art Community Survey to produce art that preserves local stories, environment and history. What began as an artwork proposal centered on the silhouette of children joining hands across a patchwork quilt of Kahului-focused geographical elements has developed into a composition featuring hula hand gestures depicting aloha, ʻāina, and pua connecting Kanahā fishponds and an array of flora and fauna native to the surrounding area. The design was supported by 5 community consultations over the course of 4 months, and will be unveiled in 2024. 
• O ka pono ke hana ʻia a iho mai na lani: In November 2023, artist Courtney Holland completed a 5-month mural design project in collaboration with Maui Public Art Corps, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society, County of Maui, Hawaii Medical Service Association, National Fitness Campaign and Kahului community consultants informed by the history, culture and sense of place of Keōpūolani Regional Park. What began as an artwork proposal centered on the image of the he’e becoming one with mauka (mountains) and makai (sea) has beautifully and organically developed into a composition featuring the koa'e kea (white-tailed tropicbird) moving through the canvas space in a representation of past, present and future.  "Listening to people tell their stories about Kahului has made me feel proud of where I come from," shares the artist, "Focusing heavily on the idea of following the footsteps of our elders. I wanted to encapsulate the idea of wanting to become a better person for the people that raised us as well as personal wellbeing." Backing a new fitness court to be installed in Keōpūolani Regional Park, the mural will be unveiled in 2024. 
• ​Ola I Ka Wai ʻO Maui: In November 2023, we produced the Arts & Resilience event on the Great Lawn of the University of Hawaiʻi-Maui College Campus. Offering resource tables by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement’s Kākoʻo Maui Resource Hub, a pop-in artmaking activity with Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center, shared storytelling on stage and a hands-on mural exercise with UH Faculty Michael Takemoto and Marc Antosch, the event's headline feature was a collaborative performance by Adaptations Dance Theater and musician Stephen Henderson inspired by a Hui Mo‘olelo recording with Aunty Sally Ann Delos Reyes of Lahaina. The performance was further developed during a hands-on workshop with kūpuna of Alu Like's Kumu Kahi Department. More than 100 community members participated, many leaving with a complex emotion of refuge, sadness, and hope; in catharsis – an emotional cleansing of the soul. (View 6-min documentary HERE). 
• Maui Strong: In December 2023, we unveiled “Maui Strong,” showcasing the artistic talents of 600 students who dedicated their creative efforts to convey resilience amid the August Maui wildfires. Following the success of our Sticker Buffet activities with Lahaina Intermediate School, Baldwin High School, Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School, ʻĪao Intermediate School and Maui Waena Intermediate School - which generated hundreds of "Maui Strong"-inspired student artworks - we were granted a Maui Strong grant to transform the student designs into a 1,000-foot mesh barrier fence and install it along a perimeter of the Lahaina  burn zone. We believe this artwork installation will serve as a symbol of resilience, unity, and the promise of a brighter future amidst challenging times while simultaneously safeguarding individuals from the elements and potential hazards of the cleanup site. Students are actively contributing to their community by creating meaningful artwork that is displayed prominently, fostering a sense of pride and ownership. Further, the barrier fence will become a reminder for visitors of the area to act with respect as our community grieves and heals, further enriching their experience on the island.​

In late 2023, the NEA announced its third biennial grant to the County of Maui in partnership with public art program partners Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society and Maui Public Art Corps. Now recognized as a local arts agency, the grant will support the collaborative's Hui Mo‘olelo initiative. 2024 grants made directly to Maui Public Art Corps will augment this work. 

2024
In February 2024, we reviewed proposals from our 7th call-to-artists (open 12/31/23 > 2/4/24) with 6 project categories: 1) the Kahului mural project; 2) Kapalua Coastal Trail Sculpture Walk; 3) Kalama Park Footbridge; 4) Keōpūolani Regional Park Walking Path; 5) Pop-Up Performance; 6) Hui Mo‘olelo Animated Short Films.
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• From the darkest coals are born the brightest stones: From February to April 2024, we worked with artist Oscar Lett to bring the story of Women Helping Women lifetime achievement awardee Nanifay Paglinawan and Pualani Enos of the UH Mānoa Matsunaga Institute for Peace to life as a large-scale mural in Kahului. Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Pipili no ka pīlali i ke kumu kukui (The pīlali gun 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), the artwork resulted from our Hui Mo‘olelo program, which Pualani completed under the guidance of Leilehua Yuen in 2022. Her recorded story with Aunty Nanifay recounts harsh persecution and punishment endured for speaking ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i, reflecting a stark contrast to today’s celebration of Hawaiian culture, a mere 50 years later. When asked what it means to have her story transformed into a work of public art, Pualani responded “It makes me as a Hawaiian, as a tiny blip on our 4,000 year history of being and knowing, feel seen rather than invisible. Hawai’i treasures, our value, displayed as invincible for all to see.” The mural was supported by the Maui Public Art Youth Task Force and celebrated during a public blessing and unveiling at the Kahului site led by Uncle Bill Garcia on April 6. 
• The Makawao Sculpture Project (LINK): In April 2024, sculptor and architect Matthias Neumann created an 8 x 8 x 11 foot sculpture on the front lawn of the Makawao Public Library inspired by the story of Hui Mo‘olelo participant Kim Thayer of Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership and Scott Fisher, Director of ʻĀina Stewardship at Hawai’i Land Trust. Community engagement included the introduction of "Little Free Art Galleries" at two Makawao Town areas, which were fabricated by Seabury Hall's Engineering student body; an artist talk-story event at Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center, a public blessing and unveiling event, a panel discussion at the Library with the artist and storytellers, and exchanges with the Maui Public Art Youth Task Force. Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi (All knowledge is not taught in the same school), the sculpture will be on view through July 2024. Makawao Public Library Branch Manager Dakota Cotton was thrilled by the idea, as the installation also aligns with the library’s 55th anniversary, sharing “I see this art installation in coordination with our 55th anniversary as a great opportunity to highlight how integral the Makawao Library is to the Maui community and that our local Maui staff is very dedicated to serving local people as best they can. We are grateful to host this new work, which will reflect back some of the beauty of the people and place which make our community so unique. We hope to continue to be a gathering place for learning and creativity for many years to come.”
• Little Free Art Gallery Project: Maui Public Art Corps is proud to unveil a community engagement project in support of its very first Makawao activation: the introduction of Little Free Art Galleries. These unique galleries serve as miniature art hubs where artists of all ages and skill levels are invited to contribute their creations. The concept is simple yet powerful – leave a piece of artwork, take a piece of artwork. It's a delightful exchange that encourages artistic expression and community engagement. Located at the Makawao Courtyard (3620 Baldwin Ave) and the Makawao Public Library (1159 Makawao Ave), artists can submit a painting, sculpture, photograph, or any other form of art; all contributions are welcomed and celebrated. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Seabury Hall for their generous donation of these galleries through their engineering program and to UH Maui College's visual arts department for donating initial stocks of artwork, with the hope that the Galleries will become self-sustaining in the very near future!
• Hands of Stone (LINK): On April 27, 2024, Maui artist Sasha Hercik unveiled a short-film animation inspired by the story of Anuhea Yagi, student of Hawai‘i life-ways & Hōaka Delos Reyes, an expert in the field of stone-on-stone carving (kālai pōhaku). Held at Kihei-based ProArts Playhouse free and open to the public, the event marked our third Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival, with an additional six short-film animations presented by a team of artists working under the direction of Richard O'Connor of Ace & Son Moving Picture Co. A musical performance by Hui Mo‘olelo participants Anthony Pfluke and Uncle Kevin Brown - who met through Anthony's public art project with our team, was shared, as well as a brief presentation by MPAC Youth Task Force members Kekaulaiwi Farm and Kawai Garcia. Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: I ka wā ma mua, ka wā ma hope (The future is found in the past), Sasha titled her piece "Hands of Stone", sharing “You ladies were an absolute joy to work with, you made me feel comfortable and at home while never downplaying how serious and important this project is, and I appreciate your guidance and faith. The community outreach programs were so eye opening and I got to really step outside of my comfort zone and experience something new, and I feel so much more empowered as an artist and fellow community member after this project.”
• The animated story of Kevin & Kukui Gavagan (LINK): Unveiled to the public at the 2024 Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival, artists Natalie Greene, Taisiya Zaretskaya, Elliot Cowen, Alex Fyock and Ruyin Tsai worked under the direction of Richard O'Connor to create 6 animated short films rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Pipi holo ka`ao (It is sprinkled, the tale has fled), which is used at the end of a tale to indicate that it is finished. This piece depicted the story of Mālama i ka ʻĀina Awardee Kevin Gavagan and his daughter, Aloha ‘Āina Leader Awardee Kukui Gavagan - each closely tied to the restoration of Kahoʻolawe. 
  • Animated story of Hōkūlani Holt & Cody Pueo Pata: https://www.mauipublicart.org/hokulani.html
  • Animated story of Michael Takemoto & Andrew Chin: https://www.mauipublicart.org/shadowpuppets.html
  • Animated story of Kevin Brown & Anthony Pfluke: https://www.mauipublicart.org/kevin.html
  • Animated story of Annadelle Yahiro & Mick Bursack: https://www.mauipublicart.org/annadele.html
  • Animated story of Aunty Nanifay Paglinawan & Pualani Enos: https://www.mauipublicart.org/nanifayanimation.html
• Maui Public Art Youth Task Force: During February, March and April 2024, we developed the Maui Public Art Youth Task Force as an internship project of 10th-grade Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Kekaulike ma Maui student Kekaulaiwi Farm. Working closely with our partners, Farm extended an invitation to Maui County students in grades 9-12 to join the Task Force and designed opportunities to directly engage with accomplished public artists selected by our community panel. Task Force Members actively contributed to public art projects that celebrate Maui's rich history, diverse culture, and unique sense of place as their opinions, ideas, and suggestions directly shaped these works of art, leaving a lasting impact on our community's artistic legacy. The Task Force offered a presentation to a packed house of 150 attendees at the 2024 Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival. 
• Maui Strong: Art for Hope: In June 2024, we launched the "Maui Strong: Art for Hope" exhibition at the Lahaina Recovery Permitting Center Satellite Office, inspired by the 2023 "Maui Strong" artwork installation in Lahaina that features contributions from 600 Maui students. This new exhibition includes works by professional Hawaiʻi artists, symbolizing resilience, unity, and hope in the aftermath of the August wildfires, and aims to provide a visual testament to the community's strength and the promise of a brighter future. Artists were asked to look to the student work as direct inspiration for their designs. 

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• FY24 (July 1, 2023 > June 30, 2024) stats: 33 artworks (3 murals by J. Dinh, C. Holland, O. Lett + 5 contemporary dance works by ADT + 5 mele composed by S. Henderson + 1 Maui Strong installation + 1 sculpture by M. Neumann + 7 animated film shorts by R. O'Connor & S. Hercik + 11 Art for Hope visual works) | 30 professional artists | 4 project documentaries | 10 Hui Mo‘olelo recordings | 4 neighborhoods | 5-year outreach exhibition at Wailuku Coffee Co. 
• Cumulative stats: 99 artworks | 46 projects | 105 professional artists | 6 neighborhoods | 2 master plans | 26 project documentaries | 30 Hui Mo‘olelo recordings. By discipline: 30 murals | 24 digital/ new media | 18 exhibition works | 15 performing arts works | 4 experiential | 4 installations | 4 sculptures​

 

• Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina: Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā welcomed new partner Lāhainā Restoration Foundation to our collective to honor the rich history, culture, and sense of place of Lāhainā through intergenerational narratives. Program goals are to capture authentic moments of connection through shared stories; offer accurate, meaningful accounts of Lāhainā’s cultural legacy; and preserve and pass down local narratives for generations to come. Immediately following the August 2023 Maui wildfires, groups and individuals reached out to request the Hui Mo‘olelo workshop and story recording approach as a way to process the experience. Subsequently, Lāhainā-based school groups, healthcare facilities and nonprofit partners requested public art created through Hui Mo‘olelo to be developed for their sites. Through this new partnership with Lāhainā Restoration Foundation, 2024 Hui Mo’olelo workshops were facilitated by previous cohort participants Kalapana Kollars of the Lāhainā Restoration Foundation and Anuhea Yagi, Student of Hawaiian Life Ways. Together, they trained participants in storytelling and audio recording methods to help collect narratives rooted in Lāhainā’s cultural and personal histories. The resulting stories formed the basis of our summer 2024 artist call, which invited proposals to interpret recordings into site-specific public artworks. As of June 30, 2025, these narratives have inspired nine public art projects across Maui and Oʻahu: five animated film shorts, one utility box artwork, and three mural installations. The Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā project continues to provide opportunities for connection, cultural continuity, and place-based art grounded in local voice. 
• Repurposed Public Art: During the previous fiscal year, artist Matthias Neumann developed a temporary sculpture installation in Makawao inspired by the Hui Mo‘olelo recording of Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership’s Kim Thayer and Hawai’i Land Trust’s Scott Fisher. The sculpture was hosted by the Makawao Public Library and supported through the introduction of Little Free Art Galleries throughout the neighborhood as well as community panel discussions and youth art activities. When the installation period concluded, we had the sculpture deaccessioned and its materials repurposed through a unique partnership with Seabury Hall’s Bill Levien. Under his direction, engineering students carefully dismantled the structure and transformed the materials into sitting benches, now installed at Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School, Kula Elementary School, the Makawao Public Library, and the Waihe‘e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge. Repurposing deaccessioned public art offers a model of resilience, sustainability, and community connection. This adaptive reuse project extended the lifespan of the original sculpture, transformed its materials into functional seating, and strengthened links between public art, education and shared civic spaces.
  • Mahalo to our bench sponsors: Robert & Hazel Hirayama, When We Shine and Dakota Cotton. “What a brilliant idea!! We are inspired by your proposal of repurposing Makawao’s visionary sculpture into intentional benches designed for various institutions to celebrate and acknowledge the arts in our community. What a wonderful way to extend the mana’o of Makawao’s project into our various Maui communities!” — Rae Takemoto
    

In September 2024, we reviewed proposals from our 8th call-to-artists (open Aug - Sep) with 5 project categories, each based on the applicant's selection from our Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā collection: 1) Mural @ King Kamehameha III Elementary temporary replacement campus, 2) Pop-Up Performance, 3) Mural @ Kaiser Permanente Lahaina Clinic, 4) Hui Mo‘olelo Animated Short Films, 5) Open Call.
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• Ka Lei Ola o ka Moana: Located at the temporary site of Kaiser Permanente's Lahaina Clinic, which is a pop-up portable unit located at 2301 Kaanapali Pkwy, Lahaina, HI 96761, this mural is artist Jana Ireijo's interpretation of a recorded talk-story between Mr. Tom Fujita, Lahainaluna H.S. Class of 1962, and Dean Tokishi of the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission. Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau He luelue ka ‘upena e ku‘u ai (The fine-meshed net is the one to let down into the sea) and E lei no au I ko aloha (I will wear your love as a wreath), the artwork shares scenes of childhood fishing trips and family gatherings on the shores of Lāhainā, woven together as a lei. The lei serves as a tribute to Lāhainā’s unique culture, honoring both its people and the natural beauty that defines it. Supported through 5 community consultation meetings, an onsite activity with Kaiser patients and staff, and a free painting workshop at the Royal Lahaina, the work represents the temporary Kaiser Clinic as a place where healing extends beyond physical care, embracing memory, cultural bonds, and of emotional and communal restoration. The mural was unveiled during a November 2024 blessing led by Uncle Bill Garcia, a member of the Royal Order of Kamehameha and also a Kakalaleo, or Kumu in the art of chant, for hālau Nā Hanona Kūlike O Piʻilani.
• Lahaina Memories: A mural series across 17 areas of the temporary replacement campus for Kamehameha III Elementary School, this work is a tribute to the rich cultural history and vibrant memories of Lahaina, as shared by beloved local voices: Theo Morrison, Snake and Myrna Ah Hee, and Tom Fujita. Inspired by their stories, artists Matt & Roxy Ortiz (known as Wooden Wave) sought to weave together a visual narrative that celebrates Lahaina heritage through themes of kalo, ulu, surfing, canoes, and fishing. Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Halau Lahaina, malu i ka ‘ulu (Lahaina is like a large house shaded by breadfruit trees), artists drew inspiration from faculty, staff, and students who fondly remembered the beautiful ulu tree that grew on the original campus. "We hope that these murals bring joy to the students, staff and families of Kamehameha III Elementary. Art and color in community spaces can be a powerful tool for healing, and by depicting these landscapes and memories we want to do our part in helping to make Lahaina beautiful and thriving once again." The project was unveiled during a December 2024 blessing and supported through 43 community consultants, hands-on mural activities with 367 students, and an evening Meet & Greet event for the community. With the help of a group of devoted sponsors, eight 6'x8' mural panels were printed from Wooden Wave's original designs and installed across campus, for a total of 25 mural sites.

2025

• Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Film Festival: In February and March 2025, audiences on Maui and Oʻahu gathered to experience the premiere of the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Film Festival — featuring a powerful new collection of animated film shorts that celebrate Lāhainā history, culture and sense of place. Held at ProArts Playhouse in Kīhei and Waiwai Collective in Honolulu, the free events were emceed by Sissy Lake-Farm and featured the debut of 10 mo‘olelo shared by Lāhainā kūpuna and brought to life by artists Richard O’Connor, Sasha Hercik, Jenna Lee, Syril Pecson, Zach Quemado and Abby Worthley. Storytellers were present at each event, offering heartfelt reflections and personal context behind the stories. Their presence reminded audiences that these are not just historical accounts, but living memories tied to identity, place and community resilience. The atmosphere was intimate and deeply moving, enriched by surprise pop-up performances from Stephen Henderson (Maui) and students of Pei-Ling Kao from the UH Mānoa Department of Theatre and Dance (Oʻahu). Both evenings served as moments of reconnection and reverence, inviting laughter, tears and collective reflection on what it means to mālama the stories of Lāhainā. Read on for more and visit mauipublicart.org/filmfest to view all films. “Thank you to the artists and story cohort who have taken the time to really dig in and listen to our community. If not for this, there’s going to be a generation where they would not have known the Uncle Snakes and Uncle Burts. So this is a blessing. This is going to be something that our daughters will be able to share with their children. Legacy is not materialistic. The house cannot go heaven. All the materialistic things cannot last forever, but these stories will, and they’ll be passed down to generations to come. Thank you so much.” — Darice Garcia of Lāhaina
• ​Lāhainā Stories - ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #1266: I wawā ‘ia ka hale kanaka. Nawai e wawā ka hale kanaka ‘ole? (Voices are heard around an inhabited house. Who hears voices about an uninhabited one? | Where people are. Life is.) As part of the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Film Festival, Maui artist Sasha Hercik created three animated shorts inspired by the voices of Lāhainā kūpuna. Each film is rooted in original audio recordings gathered through the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā project; intimate reflections offered with deep generosity and courage in the wake of profound loss. Guided by these voices, the artist’s creative process was supported by hands-on workshops, a key component of developing public artwork. In collaboration with Maui High School, students explored animation techniques, while a community dance studio hosted a session blending animation, dance, and life drawing — interweaving a previous Hui Mo‘olelo project by Stephen Henderson and Adaptations Dance Theater, Ola I Ka Wai ‘O Maui, with the emerging film work. In The Koa Bench, Theo Morrison’s narration animates the story of a single koa bench and its connection to Waine‘e Church, blending historical imagery and storybook-style illustration. Memories of Pu‘ukoli‘i, voiced by Aunty Sally Ann Delos Reyes, captures childhood recollections through a warm vintage aesthetic and the symbolic presence of a pulelehua (butterfly). Sleeping Town, inspired by Reverend Gensho Hara’s memories of Lāhainā, pairs gentle reflections with visuals of the Lāhainā Jodo Mission, the bodhi flower and ambient sounds that evoke the peacefulness of a pre-tourism era. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/lahainastories. “With the temple, everybody has their own story. That’s one of the things that I’ve often talked to people about. You are participating in this, this is now a part of your story that you are to share with us and with other people. And so, I’m happy about this process, now you all have a story and a connection to the temple as well.” — Yayoi Hara
• Hikari no Michi (Path of Light) - ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #804: He manu ke aloha, ‘a’ohe lālā kau ‘ole. (Love is like a bird- there is no branch that it does not perch upon. Love is an emotion shared by all.) In 2024, Yayoi Hara recorded a Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā story with her father, Reverend Gensho Hara of Lāhainā Jodo Mission that became the foundation for this animated short film titled Hikari no Michi, or Path of Light. The passage reflects on the power of place, memory, and spiritual community built over Reverend Hara’s 60 years of service. A student artist team from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Cinematic Arts: Jenna Lee, Syril Pecson, Zach Quemado and Abby Worthley, was selected by a community panel to bring this mo‘olelo to life. Throughout the process, artists engaged in dialogue with the Hara ʻohana and participated in community consultations and a gesture-drawing workshop with local dancers to inform the tone and visual rhythm of the piece. The completed film was premiered at the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Film Festival on Maui and Oʻahu, where Reverend and Yayoi Hara attended and shared reflections with audiences. Their presence and voices offered a deeply moving reminder of what has been lost and what continues to endure. Path of Light stands as a love letter to the Lāhainā Jodo Mission and a call to remember. It is a public artwork shaped by generosity, community connection, and the belief that stories, when shared, can illuminate a way forward. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/hara. “When I heard about how this project was bringing different artistic mediums, departments, generations and island communities together to celebrate the stories of Lahaina, I felt this was a vision and creative process that had to be shared widely. When Waiwai Collective generously offered to host the Festival, we knew it was meant to be.” — SheenRu Yong, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Outreach College Community Programs Chair
• Ola Na Iwi - ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #2488: Ola na iwi (The bones live. Said of a respected oldster who is well cared for by his family.) Artist Richard O’Connor wove together six intergenerational Hui Mo‘olelo recordings featuring storytellers Jennifer Freeland and her father Haines Burt Freeland, Louis Garcia III and Kaliko Storer, Teva Medeiros and his grandfather Timothy Medeiros Sr., Coach Earle Kukahiko and Kaliko Storer, Abraham “Snake” and Myrna Ah Hee, and Reverend Gensho Hara and his daughter Yayoi Hara, into a single, poignant 14-minute animation. Over five months, he collaborated closely with the storytellers and Maui Public Art Corps team. The result, rich with hand-drawn textures and cinematic scoring, brings each voice to life in a continuous visual journey rooted deeply in Lāhainā’s history and spirit. Visually, the film unfolds like a moving mural, melding archival imagery, expressive linework, and subtle color washes. Each scene responds intimately to the rhythm and tone of its narrator, shifting between personal reflections and collective memory. The animation’s emotional arc ebbs and flows, offering moments of laughter, sorrow, and quiet resilience as the interwoven stories create a communal portrait of remembrance and hope. Ola Na Iwi premiered at the free Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Film Festival, shown to full-capacity audiences in Kīhei on February 22–23 and later at Waiwai Collective in Honolulu on March 27. The storytellers attended both events, shared reflections in Q&As, and witnessed their experiences transformed into public art. O’Connor’s long-standing collaboration — now totaling 19 animated films since 2021, continues to illuminate the Hui Mo‘olelo program through the generosity of those who voluntarily participate. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/lahainavoices. “Thank you for creating a space for these stories to be told and remembered. It was a deeply moving experience, and I am grateful to have been there. I will be sure to look out for future events. This was yet another affirmation that art has the power to carry on legacies.” — Katie Whiticar
• Hui Mo’olelo: Lei Pua ‘Ala: As Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā projects garnered meaningful impact across Maui and O’ahu communities, we were approached by the Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai’i project of the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities to explore whether this story recording and public art approach could also help to foster greater acceptance of queer identities in everyday life. Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ‘Ala became a new chapter in our work. In early 2025, a cohort of queer individuals and allies from Maui and Oʻahu participated in a three-part workshop series led by Sissy Lake-Farm, followed by talk-story recordings rooted in identity and cultural memory. These recordings informed a statewide artist call, inviting literary and performance-based responses to selected stories. This was not an easy task. We honor the courage and vulnerability of the participants who shared their truth: Sean-Joseph Takeo Kahāokalani Choo, Lani Teves, Pualani Enos, Lyz Soto, Kenji Cataldo, Ashley Ancheta Galacgac, Daniel Southmayd, Shannon Wianecki, Hōkū Pavao, Cynthia Cary, and Camille Rockett. Each offered personal reflections and invited others into dialogue — many for the first time in public. Together, they helped broaden community understanding and spark deeper inclusion through story and art. Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ‘Ala stands as a reflection of our present and a call toward a future in which every person is seen, valued and loved. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/leipuaala. “Many voices create a more honest and complex history. The Hui Mo’olelo Lei Pua ‘Ala project helps us honor important community stories that have not been shared, and invites our community to actively create a safer and more vibrant future for all of us.” — Aiko Yamashiro, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities

In April 2025, we reviewed proposals from our 9th call-to-artists (open Mar 1 - 31, 2025) with 5 project categories, each based on the applicant's selection from our Hui Mo‘olelo collection (County, Lāhainā or Lei Pua ʻAla) : 1) Pop-Up Performance, 2) Mural @ UHMC, 3) Utility Box Project for Emerging Artists, 4) Beautifying Bins, 5) Open Call. 

• Maui Utility Box Art Project: As a pilot with the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation, this new program uplifts early-career Maui artists by transforming everyday infrastructure into vibrant, place-based artworks rooted in authentic local storytelling. Inspired by Hui Mo‘olelo recordings celebrating Maui County history, culture, and sense of place, community members co-design art grounded in these narratives. The first three utility boxes in the 2025 pilot showcase distinct visual stories:
  • Christopher Carraway’s design honors Reverend Gensho Hara of the Lāhainā Jodo Mission and his daughter Yayoi Hara. Guided by ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #2066 — Mai ka piko o ke po’o a ka poli o ka wāwae, a la‘a ma nā kihi ‘ehā o ke kino (From the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, and the four corners of the body), Christopher’s work layers imagery of the mission and Hawaiian island chain to evoke perseverance and community continuity.
  • Sarah DeYoung’s artwork celebrates Hawaiian Canoe Club’s Kealoha canoe, inspired by storytellers Sissy Lake-Farm and Lopaka White. Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #2268 — Nānā ka maka; ho’olohe ka pepeiao; pa’a ka waha (Observe with the eyes; listen with the ears; shut the mouth), her composition blends paddling figures and ocean motifs symbolizing connection and legacy.
  • Jillian Ikehara’s piece, based on ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #69 — Aia no i ke kō a ke au (Whichever way the current goes. Time will tell.) — celebrates Maui’s past, present, and future through voices Carol Ball and Erin Wade. Inspired by their Hui Mo‘olelo recording, it reimagines Kahului’s transformation into a sustainable “Dream City 2.0” rooted in Native Hawaiian values.
    By connecting emerging public artists with place-based stories, the Maui Utility Box Art Project cultivates a more informed, inspired and connected community — one box at a time. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/box
    • “Mahalo for making this happen in our park. I remember attending the bon dances in Lahaina and the Buddha and now I can come here and remember them with my sons. I hadn’t been able to take them there before the fires and it made me sad but now I can come here and share my memories with them and show them. The lanterns look exactly like I remember them.” — Kahului Resident
•  Pua Liʻiliʻi (small flowers) - Ōlelo No‘eau #1122: Hu‘ea pau ‘ia e ka wai (All scooped up by rushing water. Everything is told, no secrets are kept.) A site-responsive performance by choreographer Christopher Kaui Morgan, this public artwork was born from moʻolelo shared by Hōkū Pavao, Francis Taua, Sean-Joseph Takeo Kahāokalani Choo, and William Haʻo through Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ‘Ala. The work honors resilience, identity, and the courage to be seen — blending hula, contemporary dance, and original music by TJ Keanu Tario. A custom garment by renowned fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan served as a powerful metaphor for concealment and revelation. Upon selection by a community panel, Christopher met with storytellers and cultural leaders, participated in a Talk Story on the Land session with Hawaiʻi Land Trust, and joined a public art walk in Wailuku to help ground his work in place and community. Outdoor, Wailuku-based performances were shared on June 14 on Market Street in collaboration with Aloha Maui Pride, and June 19 at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, where the piece unfolded against Eric Okdeh’s mural Ma kāhi o ka hana he ola malaila — creating a quiet but powerful dialogue between movement and image. Moving between presence and absence, visibility and care, Christopher’s work embodied the quiet strength of queer stories often hidden in plain sight. More than performance, it was a return: art offered back to the people and places that shaped it. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/seen.
  • “This kind of public art, rooted in mo’olelo and place, makes culture accessible. People just walking by could step into something powerful without needing a ticket. It’s a way for us, as Kānaka, to assert ourselves in these artistic spaces - to honor our kūpuna and tell the stories of our everyday lives, which are actually extraordinary.” — Makalani Franco-Francis of Wailuku
  • “Experiencing this story through movement helped me understand more deeply the layers and complexity of the storyteller’s words. The dance performance enhanced the nuances and even accentuated various aspects of the storyteller’s personal journey that I hadn’t caught just listening to the audio. It was truly emotional for me!” — Stephie Garrett of Wailuku
• Between Worlds - ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #2125: Malia paha he iki ‘unu, pa‘a ka pōhaku nui ‘a‘ole e ka‘a (Perhaps it is the small stone that can keep the big rock from rolling down). Installed as part of our Hui Mo‘olelo Mural Project at University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, this public artwork by Jay Gilleard is a powerful reflection of shared listening, trust, and cultural care. The mural draws from two story-collecting efforts — Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ‘Ala (2025) and the Countywide Hui Mo‘olelo program (2022), and honors the voices of Nicolita Garces (Archivist & Librarian), Ashley Ancheta Galacgac (Engagement & Operations Manager, Hawai‘i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations), Hōaka Delos Reyes (master stone carver), and Anuhea Yagi (Student of Hawaiian Life Ways). Each storyteller shaped the heart of this mural through their lived experiences and generosity. The design was further informed by a huakaʻi to Hoaloha Park with Iokepa Naeʻole to honor the Kanaloa Ahu and a Lā’au Lapa’au Garden Tour & Philippine Plant Medicine Workshop at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens led by Namea Hoshino and Nicolita Garces, weaving ancestral knowledge into the visual narrative. At its center, the mural features the face of a māhū — an identity historically revered in Hawaiian culture as a keeper of dual spirit and wisdom. This image stands not as the sole creation of the artist, but as a collective offering shaped by community, grounded in culture and rooted in deep respect for place. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/healers. “All these stories come with different histories and at the same time, our people figured out ways to stay true to our traditions, our language. Even when systems tried to erase or discredit what we carry in our bones, we’re still holding it all - the contradictions, the beauty, the power.” — Ashley Galacgac
• Nature’s Gift - ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #2482: Ola i ka wai a ka ‘ōpua (There is life in the water from the clouds. Rain gives life.)
  Painted by artist Eric Finley (SEVEN), this large-scale mural located at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College in Kahului was created through the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā program. The work honors a request heard early on in our process that Lāhainā-inspired artworks extend beyond Lāhainā itself, recognizing the displacement of many residents following the 2023 Maui wildfires. The mural is inspired by the Hui Mo‘olelo recording of Louis Garcia III and Kaliko Storer. A beloved ulua fisherman, Garcia shared memories of fishing at Wahikuli Park and his deep connection to his grandfather, who taught him the practice. Raised hands in the mural represent Garcia receiving the gift of fishing from his ancestors, while a puka shell necklace symbolizes the spiritual guidance of his grandfather. The silhouette of an ulua fish, infused with the mountain landscape of Mauna Kahālāwai, (connecting Lāhainā to Kahului), anchors the piece — visually linking cloud to sea and honoring the cycle of life and sustenance. Further developed through a community songwriting workshop, the project invited participants to reflect on Garcia’s moʻolelo. Led by musician Sara Jelley, the session culminated in the drafting of an original song Pule, Catch Fish and Share, amplifying themes of kuleana, gratitude, and the importance of passing on one’s blessings. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/louis. “One of our college’s most important missions is to inspire and to help our students find their voices, find their passions, and then to make contributions to our community, just as these artists have and all artists do. These murals assist in that mission. They require those who look at them to put down their phones, look up — instead of down — and to think. Think about where they come from, who they come from.” — Lui Hokoana, Chancellor, University of Hawaiʻi Maui College
• ʻOle Pau - Ōlelo No‘eau #2559: Pa‘a ka waha, hana ka lima (Shut the mouth; keep the hands busy. Never mind the talking; start working). As part of our Hui Mo‘olelo Mural Project at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, Solomon Enos created a vivid mural inspired by the moʻolelo of Uncle “Gaby” Gouveia and Pualani Enos. Rooted in kuleana and shaped through community paddling, hula, and storytelling gatherings, the mural reflects a deep sense of connection, legacy, and place. Enos’ vision presents a “past-future” of Kahului, where a once-industrial harbor is imagined as a thriving ecosystem again—hau trees return, and the water becomes drinkable. At its center, Uncle Gaby is embodied as the hau tree and the ‘iako (outrigger boom), symbolizing the steadfast support he offers to the next generation. Community engagement played a central role in shaping the artwork, including canoe paddling at Nā Kai ʻEwalu and an intimate gathering at Maui Family YMCA, where mele, hula, and spontaneous storytelling honored Uncle Gaby’s enduring impact across generations. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/gaby
  • “My sister was saying this morning, oh brother, you know, I’m so excited for your mural. And I thought, no baby, it’s our mural, you know, and it’s everybody’s mural. Every dot that Brother Solomon put on the wall, I look at them as the people that supported me, and the people that I don’t know was there, as their mural too.” — Uncle Gaby Gouveia
  • “I think this is a great model for how public art can be happening across the state. I’m glad that you folks are leading the way in helping to curate that, so that we don’t just have art for art’s sake. You provide both beauty and nutrition, which is essential.” — Solomon Enos

 

• FY25 (July 1, 2024 > June 30, 2025) stats: xxx artworks (xxx murals by xxx + xxx by xxx + ) | xx professional artists | xx project documentaries | xx Hui Mo‘olelo recordings | xx neighborhoods 
• Cumulative stats: xx artworks | xx projects | xxx professional artists | xx neighborhoods | 2 master plans | xx project documentaries | xx Hui Mo‘olelo recordings. By discipline: xx murals | xx digital/ new media | xx exhibition works | xx performing arts works | xx experiential | xx installations | xx sculptures​

Date (2025)	Activity	Participation	Notes
Jan 2025	Hui Mo‘olelo: ​Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi/ HCH partnership	Sasha 1/13 workshop @ Maui High School = 25 Hui Moolelo cohort = 13 (8 self-recorded stories) Partners = 6 (HCH, LPA, MPAC, MHS, COM, UH)	Led by Kumu Sissy Lake-Farm Jan 16, 23, 30
Feb 2025	Conduct story recordings for Hui Mo‘olelo: ​Lei Pua ʻAla  --- ​NEA 2026-2027 application DL --- ​Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Film Festival	Jenna team 2/6 workshop UH Manoa: (33) Omori ADT life drawing session: (42) Film Fest 2/22: (125) Film Fest 2/23 (125) Iao School mural tours 2/25 + 2/27 (200), 5 groups of 20 pax per day	Film Fest @ ProArts Playhouse, Kīhei
Mar 2025	RFP #9: ​Hui Mo‘olelo - inspired public artworks --- ​Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā Film Fest (HNL)	Film Fest Oahu 3/27 (100) RFP deadline 3/31 (52 applicants)	Film Fest @ WaiWai Collective, HNL
Apr 2025	Panel meeting, contracts, project launch, community consultations --- Utility Box Pilot Project	Panelists (6 MHS + 6 HCH) = 12 4/26: Guided Artist Meet & Greet (14) 4/27: Drop-in Yoga (8 am) & Storytelling (12) + Sarah engaged 50; Christopher engaged 25 4/29: Blessing led by Uncle Bill Garcia (22)	.
May 2025	Project development (Lahaina + Lei Pua Ala)	Jay + Solomon + SEVEN + Christopher projects	.
Jun 2025	Lei Pua Ala project unveilings/ performances (Atherton projects DL = Jun 9) --- Lahaina projects DL = Aug 4	Jay + Solomon + SEVEN + Christopher projects	.
July 2025	Hui Mo‘olelo: Recruit 6th cohort	.	.
Aug 2025	Hui Mo‘olelo #6 (session 1 of 3)	tbd	tbd
Sept 2025	Hui Mo‘olelo #6 (session 2&3)	tbd	tbd
Oct 2025	Hui Mo‘olelo #6 (recordings)	tbd	tbd
Nov 2025	RFP #10	tbd	tbd
Dec 2025	Panel #10, contracts, project launch, community consultations	tbd	tbd

Date (2024)	Activity	Participation	Notes
Jan 1 - 30, 2024	RFP	Applicants (33) ​Panelists (10) ​Application consultants (13) ​Funders (6)	6 categories (sculpture *2, installation, animation, pop-up performance, Kahului mural)
Mar 20 - Apr 6	Nanifay Mural	Youth Task Force (2) ​Community consultants (5) Blessing (54) ​Partners (14) Vendors (Zeke, Paint/ supplies, Lift, Ins., Photo/ Video, Sign, Banner, lei, Ace, ads, Uncle Bill = 11) Volunteers (4) ​Daily exposure = 15,000	.
April 17 - 20	Makawao Sculpture	Little Free Gallery (100 artists) Hui No'eau event (14) Blessing + Panel (40) Library meetings (4) Seabury engineers (17) ​Community consultants (3) Vendors (Zeke, wood, ins., Photo, Sign, Banner, fence/ Tommy, Dakota, Bill L, lei, Ace, ads, Uncle Bill = 13) ​​Daily exposure = 5,000	.
April 27	Hui Mo‘olelo Film Fest (7 artwork films + 2 performances + Youth Task Force presentation)	Attendees (150) Artists (Ace: 6 + Sasha + Matt + Anthony + Uncle Kevin + Sissy = 11) ​Youth engagement (12 @ Baldwin, 12 @ UH, 2 Task Force = 26) ​Vendors (ProArts, lei, ads, photos = 4) Online engagement = 12,450 per month	.
Jun 25.	Maui Strong: Art for Hope	Artists (13) 12 + keiki work Attendees (150) ​Vendors (1 print + 2 install + 1 ads + 1 lei + 1 photo + 1 kahu) = 7 Daily exposure = 100	.
Jun & Jul 2024	Hui Mo‘olelo: Lāhainā.	Cohort (9) + 9 addt'l participants Recordings (8)	.
Aug 8 - Sept 8, 2024.	RFP	Applicants (33) ​Panelists (9) ​Application consultants (8) ​Funders (6).	5 categories (KamIII, Kaiser, Animation, Pop-Up Performance, Open)
Oct 29 - Nov 25, 2024	Ka Lei Ola o ka Moana	Marble Drop activity (347 entries) Royal Lahaina painting workshop (14) Blessing (61) ​Community consultants (36 @ 5 meetings) Vendors (Paul (wall), wall materials, insurance, Courtney Holland, sign, banner, Uncle Bill, ads, workshop, paint materials, Matt P = 11) ​​Daily exposure = 200	.
Nov 14 - Dec 17, 2024	Wooden Wave @ KamIII	Faculty theme & proverb surveys (32) Artist Meet & Greet evening event (12) ​Keiki activity (367) ​​Community consultants (43 @ 5 meetings) ​Blessing (400 school + 50 guests) Vendors (magnets, paint materials, banners, insurance, Gregg Kaplan, MHS, LRF, lei, Hoku, Uncle Bill, ads, Matt P, CDS prints = 13) ​​Daily exposure = 400 on campus + TBD H Hwy	.

Feedback:

• Sissy with ADT re Wailuku revitalization 
• Alex highlight reel***
• Kelly with ADT & Luana re fear of change
• How Zeke feels about ST*BA
• Dean re pueo & Lahaina
• Kelly asks Andy about public art advice​
• Sissy with Kirk
• Kauwela re the mural + Sissy about MPAC
• Frank with Eric re pidgin  
• Hokuao & Uncle Cliff snippet​
• Anu in Hui Moolelo re time ships
• Kalapana & Roselle re Sachelle's work
• Yamashita & Dean re community engagement
• Hayden remarks
• Hokuao re stories to tell​
• Kim re forest love
• Lopaka & Donnelle re Tanama
• WAD film intro section 

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