​SMALL TOWN * BIG ART is proud to welcome the Sea Walls Maui - Mauka to Makai project as the first large-scale Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans activation in the state of Hawaiʻi.
 
This week, artists from Hawaiʻi and around the world have gathered in Wailuku to offer a voice to our ocean and freshwater resources by creating large-scale art installations parallel to the Wailuku River. Set for completion by weekend’s end, the project places emphasis on the importance of caring for water from Mauka to Makai (mountain to sea), as well as marine environmental topics relevant to Maui and the islands.
 
“My piece will be a celebration of the "Na Wai Eha" stream system. Using the textures of the landscape juxtaposed with a composition of Hawaiian patterns, it will reflect traditional concepts of the importance of the life-giving water that leads from the watershed down the ocean,” shares Cory Kamehanaokalā Taum, a Kānaka Maoli mural artist and cultural practitioner, “The idea is to give the viewer the "birds eye view" of the Wailuku valley and river, and the view of the textures of Kaehu bay. I believe in these impact times we must look from this view to realize and understand the effects of our actions and the importance of protecting what precious resources we still have before it is too late.”  
 
SMALL TOWN * BIG ART provided supplies, airfare, artist honoraria, ground operations, meals, paint and videography to the Sea Walls: Mauka to Makai project, with other partners providing accommodations, ground transportation and additional meals, paint and supplies. Partners include Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii (coordination and execution of a coastal cleanup event); Coral Reef Alliance (integration of their work in watershed restoration as a means for coral ecosystem conservation into mural themes); Hui O Wa'a Kaulua (shared insight into sustainable Hawaiian canoe building, wayfinding, and voyaging arts used by traditional Hawaiian Ancestors as part of our immersive artist excursions); H.P. Baldwin High School (youth outreach programming on H.P.B.H.S Campus during after-school hours in addition to an on-site mural being painted as part of the project); Pacific Whale Foundation (artist honoraria plus donation of whale watch excursions for the artists to provide insight into scientific background and findings on humpback whales); and Aloha Missions.  
 
Scroll down for selected process shots & stay tuned for more!

Saturday, January 26, 2019 marks the Maui arrival date for a team of artists that travel the world creating large-scale public murals and installations to promote the importance of long-term sustainability of natural resources.

PangeaSeed Foundation is an international non-profit organization “acting at the intersection of culture and environmentalism to further the conservation of our oceans.” Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans is a public art program of PangeaSeed Foundation that has created 300 murals in 14 countries with a roster of more than 250 professional artists. The upcoming project will be adding Maui artists to the international consortium.

Discussions with PangeaSeed began over the summer as the County of Maui presented its Small Town, Big Art pilot program for grant consideration by the National Endowment for the Arts.  Small Town, Big Art aims to position the arts as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization in Wailuku. 

PangeaSeed Foundation Founder & Executive Director Tré Packard remarks, "We have hosted Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans projects in 14 countries and are very excited to be hosting our first large-scale Hawaii-based Sea Walls activation on the beautiful island of Maui in partnership with Maui County's Office of Economic Development and Small Town, Big Art program. By taking the oceans into the streets via public art, we aim to inspire communities across the globe to become aware of and proactive about what is happening to our oceans.” 

“We were lucky to cross paths with the Sea Walls team during the research phase of our new Wailuku Town pilot public art program, Small Town, Big Art - which launches later this year,” remarks Small Town, Big Art Project Coordinator Kelly McHugh, “In welcoming PangeaSeed artists to Maui, we encouraged them to work with Wailuku communities to focus their stories on issues extending from the ocean to more of a Mauka to Makai connection; recognized and given remarkable reflection through our forthcoming collaboration with Hale Ho'ike'ike at The Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society.”

Kay Fukumoto, Office of Economic Development Director shares, “By sponsoring Sea Walls: Maui, through our Environmental Program, our goal is to examine the ways in which artists and communities can come together to bring awareness about environmental protection. From Mauna Kahalawai, to Main Street to Rivermouth, our actions impact the native ecosystems and watersheds.”

Erin Wade, Maui Redevelopment Program Planner and Director of Small Town, Big Art offered, “PangeaSeed does outstanding work through its public art program, bringing messages of conservation into streets around the globe. Our goal is to learn from their very seasoned team of artists and collaborators and incorporate any challenges and successes into the forthcoming implementation of Small Town, Big Art."

Packard continues, "Wailuku is a place imbued with rich history and with Maui being home to such a unique marine environment deserving of protection, we look forward to enriching Wailuku's urban landscape by further beautifying the town and creating a real sense of pride and community ownership.”

The Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans artists Lauren Brevner, Joey Rose & Alex Underwood, Gregg Kaplan, Kai Kaulukukui, Dulk, Cory Kamehanaokalā, Noble & Elmer, Mary Iverson, Ben Johnston, Wooden Wave, BirdO, Gavin Murai, Getso and Cracked Ink will be on Maui for 10 days (January 26 – February 4) to complete murals at 4 sites within the Wailuku Redevelopment Area as well as several other sites that have been sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Stay tuned for upcoming activities including opening and closing events, youth engagement opportunities, a beach cleanup, ocean cruise, planting and more with the artists. 

A Call-to-Artists for the Small Town, Big Art pilot program will be distributed online this month, with its first round of artists selected in February. The selected artist(s) will be commissioned to present an innovative work of public art that aligns with 'Ōlelo No'eau pre-selected by Hale Hō'ikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society and addresses the Town of Wailuku’s distinctive sense of place, history and/ or culture. Visit smalltownbig.org for details. 

Wailuku was once an epicenter of power and population in Hawaiʻi; a culturally diverse locus of commerce where thousands immigrated from Asia, Europe and America to work the plantations. Ancient stories are embedded in its soil and streams; whispers of a history that today's Wailuku is eager to amplify.
 
With the 1960’s decline of the sugar industry Wailuku became blighted, which led to the 1965 development of the Maui Redevelopment Agency (MRA). As a division of the County of Maui, five board members are appointed by the mayor and approved by the County Council. Designed to eliminate and prevent the reoccurrence of slum and blight conditions, today's MRA is unrolling a $75M "Wailuku Civic Hub," funded by general obligation bond and designed (and redesigned, and redesigned again over the course of 20 years of visioning!) as a massive community collaboration project. What began as a strong demand for additional street parking has now evolved into a PLACE; a focal point for meeting, presenting, sharing, exploring and celebrating Wailuku.
 
Now that plans are approved and ready to launch as we near our ground-breaking date, the County is determined to engage Wailuku Civic Hub participants (including builders, designers, cultural advisors, business owners, patrons, pedestrians; anyone and everyone interacting with this super-project) in a mutual and continuous dialogue aimed at education, interpretation and understanding. By working together, we hope to tap into the rich, cultural history of Wailuku and to bring its story to light at every step.
 
On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, a team of Wailuku Civic Hub creators joined Department of Public Works Highway Division, Wailuku District Supervisor Gary Ambrose and his crew of more than 20 employees to offer context for the project, which they will be initiating later this month. With dozens of property and business owners situated in very close proximity to the construction site and hundreds of stakeholders with direct and indirect interest in the project potentially approaching any one of these workers throughout their timeline, the goal is to ensure that each has a clear understanding of the “what, why and how” of this work.
 
Cultural Sustainability Planner Ramsey Taum began with, “the history of Wailuku is loud and clear, but the culture is also very evident. Wailuku is the water that roars, the destructive water. By integrating this sense of place into the design of the project you are all about to work on, we emphasized both function and form.” His examples included misters to be built at the site, a depiction of the mist to which the name Waiehu refers; a tiered parking garage with levels indicative of a taro patch; and areas of the site dedicated for gathering, like pools of water giving energy to the site.
 
Archaeologist Eric Fredrickson, who will be overseeing any project digging, and Lawrence Kauhaʻahaʻa, who leads Wailuku Clean & Safe, a program that hires homeless and mental health clients to sweep, clean and maintain the area, offered their introductions to the crew and how each can be of service during the initial phase. “This will not be like many other build sites,” remarked Fredrickson, “this will be slow and intentional. We’ll stop when we need to.” 
 
Erin Wade, small town and redevelopment planner for the County of Maui, suggested “Don’t be here just because you were asked. Know what work you are doing and why you are doing it, and that you are part of the proper archaeological process that this project deserves,” continuing with an overview of the 8-year process that began just as the 2010 plan was about to break ground, (but was ultimately rejected by the community it sought to serve). “Ok, we get it Wailuku. We need this to be a mixed-use facility. The only way we are going to do this is if we work together.” Ambrose’s team was then encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas, which the Supervisor said they wouldn’t do here in front of everyone, “I’m sure they’ll have a lot of questions offline. This is why I made today’s meeting mandatory for the crew. They need to understand that this is a project that has to be treated sensitively - it’s kind of a sensitive situation. We have dealt with the Burial Council and with other archaeologists before, so most know the proper procedure. This is the bigger picture.”
 
Additional exchanges are set to take place in April with the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, the State Historic Preservation Division Burial Council and Kahului Rotary Club.