The Lahaina Think-Space & Student Voice Project is a sanctuary of art and story designed to honor the voices of our community. Built on the foundation of the Hui Mo‘olelo storytelling program, this immersive installation invites residents—particularly our youth—to explore Lahaina’s rich heritage and directly shape the vision for the permanent Lahaina Memorial Project for the Office of the Mayor.

Audio

Our iPad audio stations feature curated clips from the Hui Mo‘olelo intergenerational archives—stories of favorite smells, sounds, and traditions that define Lahaina.

Visual

From the 1,000-foot student-led "Maui Strong" artwork to the King Kamehameha III Elementary murals, we showcase how public art reflects collective memory. 

Contribute

Learn how to capture & contribute your own intergenerational audio recording to our story archive, which will be an important part of the Lahaina Memorial Project. 
Through this partnership, students will explore a pop-up exhibit of our Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina archives & Lahaina public art projects; inspire their own reflections on favorite Lahaina traditions & memories; and activate as community leaders by recording "Talk-Story" sessions with alumni and ‘ohana. Ultimately, this project ensures that the torchbearers of our community directly shape the future by providing foundational manaʻo for the permanent County memorial designs. To ensure zero disruption to school operations, MPAC provides all staffing, adheres to strict visitor protocols, and schedules all outside guest recordings for weekends to eliminate parking and security concerns.
  • No Pressure: Come and go as you please.
  • Your Pace: Listen, write, or just sit and reflect.
  • Your Voice: Share only what you want to share.
The Think Space Journey
  1. Listening as Foundation: Visitors will learn about the design, application, and impact of Hui Moʻolelo — how carefully facilitated story-sharing becomes meaningful guidance for decision-makers and artists. This section illustrates how stories move from conversation to insight, and from insight to action.
  2. Stories Into Public Art: Guests will experience how Hui Moʻolelo stories have been interpreted into public artworks created with many voices and many hands. These projects model collective authorship; where community members participate not only as storytellers, but as co-creators.
  3. Listening Station: Students and faculty can select specific Hui Moʻolelo stories to hear in a quiet listening area. These recordings feature Lahaina elders and community members, offering space to learn through presence and attention.
  4. Films & Animations: At dedicated viewing stations, visitors can watch short documentaries and animations that feature Hui Moʻolelo voices as their soundtracks, demonstrating how story can shape multiple artistic forms.
  5. Envisioning a Memorial: The final station invites students to consider what a future Lahaina memorial might offer: What should it feel like? What should it make possible? How can it honor many voices? This invitation focuses on collective vision and care, rather than personal experience.
To date, our work in and for Lahaina has included the following 6 projects and related public artworks. Elements of these pieces will inspire the Lahainaluna Think Space experiences, visuals and activities that best align with student and teacher capacity. 

1. Sticker Buffet

Immediately following the August 8, 2023 Maui wildfires, artists from around the world reached out to Maui Public Art Corps asking how they could help. When we learned displaced students were receiving donated hydro flasks and school supplies, we invited artists to contribute sticker designs so students could personalize these new belongings, and more than 100 artists responded. With leadership from Maui Waena Intermediate School and support from a $5,000 Hawaiʻi Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund grant, we created hands-on “Sticker Buffet" activities that invited students to make their own artwork in exchange for donated artist stickers, offering a creative outlet and helping restore a sense of identity and normalcy during a difficult transition. In total, 911 students participated from Lāhainā Intermediate School, Baldwin High School, Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School, ʻĪao Intermediate School, and Maui Waena Intermediate School. More: mauipublicart.org/mauistrong
“We are immensely proud of our students and their commitment to expressing the spirit of ‘Maui Strong’ through their art. This project not only showcases their creativity but also stands as a symbol of solidarity and resilience for the entire community.” — Jayme Kahoohalahala, ʻĪao Intermediate School

2. Maui Strong

In December 2023, Maui Public Art Corps 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 the Sticker Buffet activities with Lāhainā Intermediate School, Baldwin High School, Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School, ʻĪao Intermediate School and Maui Waena Intermediate School, a new HCF Maui Strong grant helped to transform the student designs into a 1,000-foot mesh barrier fence and install it along a perimeter of the Lāhainā impact zone. The artwork installation served 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 actively contributed to their community by creating meaningful artwork displayed prominently, fostering a sense of pride and ownership. Further, the barrier fence became a reminder for visitors of the area to act with respect as the community grieves and heals, further enriching their experience on the island.​ More: mauipublicart.org/mauistrong

“Our neighborhood got wrapped in love by artwork from students. My mouth dropped open and my eyes filled with tears when I first saw it. Mahalo kids and teachers and artists.” — @theohanamama

3. Art for Hope

In June 2024, we launched a special exhibition in partnership with the County of Maui titled Maui Strong: Art for Hope, which was developed for the County’s Office of Recovery Satellite Office at Lāhainā Gateway. Directly inspired by the impactful 2023 “Maui Strong” student artwork installation, the exhibition continues this celebration of community resilience and unity in the aftermath of the 2023 Maui Wildfires. Hawaiʻi artists enrolled in the Local Public Artist Roster were asked to create new works symbolizing strength and hope, and to draw from the students’ artwork that embodies the community’s collective spirit and commitment to rebuilding and recovery. The resulting collection of 11 super-sized artworks highlights the artistic achievements of both students and professionals, and provides a visual testament to the promise of a brighter future. More: mauipublicart.org/lahainagateway

4. Hui Mo'olelo: Lahaina 2024

Hui Mo‘olelo welcomed new partner Lahaina Restoration Foundation to honor the rich history, culture, and sense of place of Lahaina through intergenerational storytelling. Following the wildfires, schools, healthcare facilities, and community organizations requested our Hui Mo‘olelo workshops as a way to process experience through shared narratives, leading to site-based public art rooted in local voice. Through this partnership, 2024 workshops were facilitated by previous cohort participants Kalapana Kollars of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation and Anuhea Yagi, Student of Hawaiian Life Ways, who trained participants in storytelling and audio recording methods to collect personal and cultural histories. These stories became the foundation of our summer 2024 artist call, inviting proposals for site-specific public artworks. As of June 30, 2025, the narratives have inspired nine public art projects across Maui and Oʻahu, including five animated film shorts, one utility box artwork, and three mural installations. The Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina project continues to foster connection, cultural continuity, and place-based art grounded in community voice. Learn more: mauipublicart.org/lahainamoolelo
Resulting Public Art Projects:

5. Hui Mo'olelo: Lahaina 2025

In November 2025, we completed our seventh Hui Mo‘olelo cohort, advancing the program’s evolution from a storytelling and public art initiative into a vital resource for preserving local knowledge and supporting community-informed dialogue as Lahaina rebuilds. Led by past cohort member Kaliko Storer, participants received training in program history, story-collection methods, and interview practices that honor those who share their hopes and memories of Lahaina. Now undertaking an expanded role, the cohort is collecting richly detailed, intergenerational talk-story recordings—work to be completed by March 31, 2026—that will offer trusted, community-rooted insights for planners, artists, and decision-makers. These recordings will contribute to a living archive that informs future public artwork, supports collective healing, and provides meaningful guidance for efforts such as the Lahaina Memorial Project, the Royal Complex Master Plan, and long-term planning for the Commercial Core, helping illuminate what Lahaina has been and what it can become.

6. The Hui Mo'olelo: Lahaina Exhibit

In 2025, the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina Exhibit debuted at Lahaina Cannery Mall, featuring 21 watercolor portraits by artist Christina Wine of kūpuna and community members who shared their stories through Hui Mo‘olelo workshops, paired with quotations and QR codes linking to full audio-recorded talk-stories. The cohort’s recordings have since inspired public artworks across Maui and Oʻahu, including animated films, murals, utility box wraps, and now this traveling exhibit, which we look forward to bringing onto a high school campus as a living learning experience. Students will be invited not only to engage with these stories, but to record their own talk-story conversations with family members and contribute to this growing public collection, helping honor Lahaina’s past while shaping a future rooted in collective memory. Learn more HERE.