Please enjoy James' artist Q&A below:

How did the community consultations contribute to your revised artwork design? Sissy Lake-Farm demonstrated some hula hand gestures, which were traced and incorporated into the mural artwork. Aunty Kekoa Enomoto noted that Kahului is hot and like a desert with its sand dunes. Importantly, she said that the existing Kanahā Pond was once part of two royal Hawaiian fishponds. This story led me to research this history and to include two ponds in the mural, as well as the native 'ama'ama or stripped mullet fish. A culturally important fish, the species is a staple of fishpond cultivation. Kauwela Bisquera noted that the color palette of the artwork, to her, captures the feel of Kahului in general and Kahului Community Center Park specifically. Art Vento reiterated that sand dunes once covered Kahului. This observation guided me further to include in the mural plants that are endemic to this unique environment. In response to a suggestion by Mary Kielty, the 'iwa or great frigate bird is incorporated in artwork. The bird is native to Hawaii and has a recognizably distinctive tail and wide wingspan. In addition to the live meetings with the community consultants, I also watched a past interview with Tamara Sherrill, the Executive Director of the Maui Nui Botanical Garden. She noted some plants that are unique to the sandy landscape, such as naupaka kahakai and pōhuehue (beach morning glory). The plants' distinctive flowers were incorporated into the mural.

How did the community engagement process impact your approach as an artist? As someone who has never been to Maui, the community engagement process was crucial for my learning about the landscape, culture, and history that are specific to Kahului.  The insights generously provided by the consultants piqued my curiosity to engage in further research into different topics that I would otherwise never have thought about. 

What did you learn about Kahului through this process that stands out to you? Hawaii is often represented and advertised as a lush tropical paradise. I learned that, unlike this idealized representation, Kahului was once covered with vast sand dunes, which were habitat to rare native plants and insects. Only small patches of this landscape remain. Reputedly, the dunes were also burial places for Hawaiians because sand was easier to dig than volcanic soil. 

What do you hope your artwork will convey to those coming into contact with it in the park? With its many colors and flowing, sweeping forms, the artwork will attract people to walk up to the mural. Upon closer inspection, they will see a rich array of details such as flora and fauna that are unique to Kahului and Hawaii.  I hope the artwork will convey not only the beauty of the Kahului landscape but also the deep attachment that Hawaiians have to this land and the interconnectedness between people and place. 

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Learn more about James and his artwork development at mauipublicart.org/kcc.

​SMALL TOWN * BIG ART partners Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society + Maui Public Art Corps + County of Maui are  proud to announce the unveiling of an extraordinary public art exhibit at Wailuku Coffee Company. 

Showcasing five years of projects geared to celebrate the history, culture and sense of place of Wailuku Town, the exhibit features 64 artworks led by professional artists and informed by more than 200 community partners to date. 

"We believe that public art has the power to enrich our lives and ignite conversations," says Maui Public Art Corps Chair Kelly McHugh-White. "This exhibit is a testament to the talent and spirit of our local and visiting artists and a reflection of our commitment to fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and culturally rich environment in Wailuku"

Developed through a 2018 Our Town grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, SMALL TOWN * BIG ART is a collaborative creative placemaking initiative of the County of Maui + Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society + Maui Public Art Corps working to develop an arts district that celebrates the distinctive sense of place, history and culture of Wailuku, Hawai‘i. 

Professional artists are paired with community consultants to co-create visual, performance and experiential art installations that align with ‘ōlelo from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings. 

Through many hands and many voices, these creative interpretations represent a revitalized identity for this small town with the BIGGEST heart. 

​In the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, the County's artistic community faces significant challenges in our economic and social recovery. This sector, renowned for its creative and inspirational contributions, will soon confront the task of rebuilding in the wake of a devastating natural disaster. In this context, it is essential to share and exchange practical resources and support mechanisms available to Maui's artists. By continually offering these elements, we hope to provide a clear understanding of the resources available as we embark on the journey of resurgence, fostering not only personal recovery but also the revival of Maui's artistic vibrancy.

Here are some of the best resources we've uncovered so far. Please share additional recommendations below, and we will continually update this section. 

On Friday, June 16, 2023, Maui artist Anthony Pfluke presented a new set of original songs in Wailuku Town’s Kīpuka Square for an audience of 80 lucky listeners. 

Commissioned through grants made to Maui Public Art Corps, Pfluke participated in a volunteer access of the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission and consulted with former Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) cultural resources specialist Kapono'ai Molitau to create mele dedicated to its history, culture and sense of place. Prominent in that discussion, which is available at mauipublicart.org/pfluke, Molitau spoke about a collection of known rains of Kaho'olawe, which he created a chant for entitled Mele No Na Makani O Kahoʻolawe. Pfluke wrote Kū Kīaʻi Kanaloa in response to these key experiences. 

The June 16 event began with pule offered by Uncle Bill Garcia, who is a member of of Hālau Nā Hanona Kūlike O Piʻilani under Kumu Kapono'ai, as well a 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

Through the organizations’ SMALL TOWN * BIG ART program, in partnership with Hale Hō‘ike‘ike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society and the County of Maui, Pfluke met with Sissy Lake-Farm and was connected with traditional slack key guitarist and Hawaiian vocalist Kevin Brown, leader of the popular Maui group Ola Hou, as well as Kumu Kealiʻi Reichel, who was the director of Hale Hō‘ike‘ike at the Bailey House in the early 1990’s. Additionally, he was part of a SMALL TOWN * BIG ART artist huaka'i of the Waihe'e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge with Hawaiʻi Land Trust led by Chief Conservation Officer Scott Fisher, Ph.D. Through these community consultations and experiences, he created original mele celebrating Wailuku. 

“I was so humbled and overjoyed to share all new original music ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi for Kahoʻolawe & Wailuku respectively in Kīpuka Square. Mahalo nui to Small Town Big Art, kumu hula Kealiʻi Reichel, kumu hula Kaponoʻai Molitau, kumu Sissy Lake-Farm, Pueo Pata, Uncle Scott Fisher, and Uncle Kevin Brown, for teaching & guiding me with amazing knowledge of Maui and Kahoʻolawe. Mahalo nui kākou a pau.” 

Earlier this year, Pfluke’s proposal to create music dedicated to Wailuku and to Kaho'olawe entered project development. The mele performed yesterday included E Ala ma Luna, Kū Kīaʻi Kanaloa, Kuʻu Lei Lokelani, Hoʻōla Kākou, E Ola ʻIao, Free the Wai, Waves, and Kaulana ʻO Haleakalā – each written by the artist, with encore Hawaiian Cowboy, by Sol Bright. The set was written almost exclusively in ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i, and Pfluke was joined by musician Ethan Villanueva for the pop-up performance. 

Born and raised on Maui, Anthony has been rooted in Hawaiian music from an early age, forging an original path perpetuating the music of his home. Performing Hawaiian, contemporary, and reggae-influenced music on the piano, ‘ukulele, 12 & 6 string kīho‘alu (slack key guitar), he is continuing his education in Hawaiian Studies at UH Hilo while following music wherever it takes him – which includes many sites throughout the State of Hawai‘i, the west coast, and Japan, playing with some of Hawai‘i’s most iconic musicians, and garnering the following praise from the Henry Kapono Foundation: “this Nā Hōkū Hanohano finalist is a rising star in the islands and definitely one to watch!”

On Thursday, May 11, Wailuku artist Tanama Colibri led a free pop-up performance of music and spoken word at the Kalana O Maui Building front lawn as the latest installation of SMALL TOWN * BIG ART; a creative placemaking initiative of the County of Maui, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society and Maui Public Art Corps celebrating Wailuku history, culture and sense of place. The event opened with a pule by Uncle Bill Garcia of Hālau Nā Hanona Kūlike O Piʻilani.

Colibri’s music and lyrics were developed through workshops with the sixth grade class of ʻĪao Intermediate School, community consultations, and research of Mary Kawena Pukui's ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings in partnership with Sissy Lake-Farm, Executive Director of the Maui Historical Society. 

Through additional grants made to Maui Public Art Corps, Colibri’s set also included original songs inspired by Kahoʻolawe. These songs were developed through a 4-day volunteer access in partnership with the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission, as well as consultations with Kaʻonohi Lee, Tanya Lee-Greig and Kylee Mar -- three extraordinary women with unique ties to Kahoʻolawe. 

Throughout the five-song set, Colibri invited 15 6th grade students of ʻĪao Intermediate School to sing along to “We are For the Future,” a piece they co-created during an April 17 workshop at the school. 

“Tanama was able to share how music has impacted her life and inspired her to learn new languages. Students were drawn immediately to her warm personality and positive message. This was a perfect mesh of student and artist collaboration. Magic happened when the kids sang to her and she sang back with her guitar. We are so thankful and excited.”

She also invited 3 teachers from King Kekaulike to sign along to “Aki Aki,” who were with her on Kahoʻolawe during their April volunteer access to plant native species and remove invasives. 

“This experience with Small Town Big Art has been life-changing,” shares Colibri, “I feel like I have grown exponentially as an artist through this process and allowed myself to embrace my gifts. I appreciate everyone that collaborated with me to make these amazing tunes.”

“Tanama is truly a gifted soul who shines such a bright and wonderful light – WOW,” shares Sissy Lake-Farm, “She is simply amazing. So nice that she gets to start this new facet of STBA through mele and song.”

To date the SMALL TOWN * BIG ART initiative has produced murals, animated films, sidewalk exhibitions, contemporary dance performances, experiential installations, an original play, sculptures and a chain link fence installation. This is its first foray into collaborative music and spoken word. 

The next SMALL TOWN * BIG ART pop-up performance will be led by accomplished musician and singer-songwriter on ukulele and slack-key guitar, Anthony Pfluke on June 16, 2023. Save the date and visit https://www.mauipublicart.org/pfluke.html for developing details. ​

Written by Shannon Wianecki (April 2023)

Anyone walking around Wailuku Town can sense it—the creative hum in the streets. It’s evident in the giant murals of octopus and ‘ōhi‘a blossoms stretching several stories high above Main Street. It’s present in the young ballerinas arriving for class at the Maui Academy of Performing Arts and in the hula drums reverberating from Hale Hō‘ikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum. 

This town is abuzz with art and culture, and that’s no accident. It’s the culmination of decades of grassroots efforts by people who love art and love Wailuku. Now the community wants to make it official. SMALL TOWN * BIG ART is leading a movement to formally designate Wailuku as Maui County’s official “Arts District.”

What is an Arts District? 
An Arts District is a small, defined locale—typically a neighborhood, waterfront, or industrial area—with a concentration of art galleries, performance venues, public spaces, and businesses that support the Arts. Arts Districts can emerge spontaneously out of the efforts of resident artists, but more often they are the result of public policy initiatives designed to revitalize a once robust urban area that has lost some of its shine. 

Arts Districts exist in cities and communities across the United States—such as the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon, the RiNo Art District in Denver, Colorado, and “The District” in Nashville, Tennessee. There is no standard model; each Arts District is unique, reflecting its specific cultural identity, environment, and history of land use. 

Why Wailuku?
Wailuku has long been a place of power and convergence. At the base of the West Maui Mountains, nestled against the dramatic peaks and valleys of Mauna Kahalawai, it is the site of royal births and battles. It is fed by nourishing rains and the fresh water of Wailuku River that flows from mauka to makai, from the mountains to the sea. 

Wailuku has been a significant population center since the reigns of Pi‘ilani and Kahekili in the 1700s—and likely long before. In 1905 it was named Maui County’s seat of government. By the late 1960s island business had largely migrated away from Wailuku, but the town’s rich history is preserved in its architecture: an eclectic mix of Art Deco, Colonial, Plantation, Asian and Hawaiian style buildings set against the panoramic backdrop of ‘Īao Valley and the Pacific Ocean.

Just as fresh water flows through this land, so does creativity. Culture and the Arts have always been part of Wailuku’s landscape, bubbling up to nourish and revive local residents and visitors.

The performing arts in particular have proven to be staples of the community. Maui Community Theater (now known as MauiOnStage) helped preserve the historic ‘Īao Theater from demolition. In 1993 Maui County purchased the building, which was then listed on the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places. Today ‘Īao Theater serves as the home of Maui OnStage, Maui Chamber Orchestra, Maui Choral Arts Association, Maui Pops Orchestra, and Maui Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. The Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) did its part to preserve historic architecture as well. In 1998 MAPA purchased 2027 Main Street—the old National Dollar Store—followed by two additional buildings across the street in 2016. In 2017, Maui’s primary music, dance and theater organizations united under the umbrella of the Wailuku Performing Arts Alliance.

The following year SMALL TOWN * BIG ART​ erupted on the scene. This creative placemaking program transformed Wailuku into a world-class open-air art gallery with dozens of murals, sculptures, and live performance. More than simple street art, each ST*BA piece is rooted in indigenous history and culture. 

The success of ST*BA spread beyond Wailuku into neighboring Kahului, across the channel to Lana‘i City, and as far as the uninhabited island of Kaho‘olawe. To serve this larger demographic, the ST*BA team created the Maui Public Art Corps. This new nonprofit has two additional goals: to establish a countywide “percent for art” program and to pursue formal designation of the “Wailuku Arts District.” 

Existing Assets
Unofficially, Wailuku already is an Arts District. It claims the highest concentration of working artists in Maui County. 

A map of the area’s assets reveals a vibrant assortment of art-centric organizations. The oldest of these is the Bailey House Museum, featuring nineteenth-century landscapes by the missionary Edward Bailey and an impressive collection of Hawaiian antiques and artifacts.

In addition to historic Wailuku landmarks such as the Bailey House and ‘Īao Theater, numerous galleries and art shops exist around the nexus of Main and Market Streets: Paradise Now, Sabado Studios, Fresh Island Art, Request Music, Sandell Artworks, Native Intelligence, and Friends & Faire—to name only a few.

People come from across the island to Wailuku First Friday, a monthly street festival with live music, food, and local vendors. Maui Chamber Orchestra regularly offers concerts at ‘Īao Theater, employing between thirty-five and forty-five orchestra players, plus additional guest artists. Between 2014 and 2019, MAPA impacted an average 35,000 people per year with its creative programming and instruction. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an average of 1,500 dance students attended class at the academy every week.  

Wailuku’s creative community continues to grow. Over the past ten years, art space usage in Wailuku has increased by 27 percent. Since SMALL TOWN* BIG ART debuted its first public art installation in 2019, it has collaborated with 127 organizations and directly engaged with 15,000 community members each year. They have additionally developed walking tours to showcase the numerous public art pieces and historical landmarks throughout town.

Most recently, Maui County officials approved the creation of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art—a groundbreaking Hawaiian cultural center in the early stages of planning by Maui’s most respected kumu hula.

How Will an Arts District benefit the Arts?
Wailuku’s creative entrepreneurs can all benefit from the town’s formal recognition as an Arts District. Independent arts organizations tend to have limited time and resources, which they focus on razor-sharp missions and strategic plans to thrive. Working together, they can create and access new resources and strengthen their overall impact.

An Art District can:

• Serve as a magnet attracting new artists and patrons.
• Provide strategic support, assistance with marketing and fundraising.
• Employ a point person to coordinate a central calendar and information hub.
• Tackle neighborhood-scale infrastructure issues such as property development, parking, landscaping, sidewalk repair, signage, lighting, and public safety.
• Create new opportunities for collaboration.

The last item on the list is the biggie for MAPA executive director Carolyn Wright. “We’re really excited to collaborate with the artists who will be attracted to the Art District—from performing artists, to visual artists, to cultural practitioners,” says Wright. “We believe that the Arts are all about breaking down barriers between people. The Arts enrich us as individuals. They tap us into those traits that, that just make us better citizens, like empathy and creativity and communication and collaboration.”

Wright recalls an example of a past collaboration between a MAPA dance troupe and a local hula halau. “They explored the intersection between ballet and hula,” Wright says. “Independently we each have our ideas about what hula is and what ballet is, but looking at them together, you could really see them as foils to each other because they’re so different, and as complements to one another.”

“This idea of artistic collaboration—exploring together to help see our community in a different light—that’s something I’m really excited about.”

How Does an Arts District benefit the Economy?
Business and property owners benefit from the same things that fuel the arts: an increase in customer traffic, coordinated marketing campaigns, and strategic administrative support. 

“The Arts District will revitalize the Wailuku area,” says Kahulu Maluo-Pearson, Hawaiian cultural advisor and Director of Operations of Ka‘ehu. “Right now, you drive through town after six or seven o’clock, and it’s dark. I’ve visited Arts Districts in the continental U.S. and they are always lively.” 

Carolyn Wright remembers when MAPA moved into 2027 Main Street in the late ‘90s. “Back then Wailuku is pretty rundown,” she says. “There weren’t that many places to go before or after class. So parents would come, drop their kids off for a class, and then sit in their car for an hour.”  

Recently she popped into Giannoto’s Pizza for a snack during a MAPA performance. The owner asked what was happening that night and told her that the pizzeria sees a big bump in business during performances. “We read about the economic benefits to other neighboring businesses, but there it was right in my face!” says Wright. “I just loved it.”

“The more arts we have, and the stronger we can develop the creative arts cluster, the better things are in terms of diversification for Maui’s economy, to help build the resilience that we need to withstand another economic disruption. So just from an economic perspective, it’s great for the whole island. It benefits not only Wailuku, but the whole island of Maui.” 

How Does an Arts District benefit the Community?
With the formation of an Arts District, Wailuku can expect to see an increase in public events, cultural tours, holiday celebrations, farmer’s markets, and streamlined transportation options.

Art is more than just an economic engine. It brings people together, strengthens social ties, teaches new skills, offers safe spaces for after school activities, and help cultivate emotional intelligence. These are needs—not wants—for healthy communities. 

Other benefits include:

• Greater sense of belonging and pride in community. 
• Increased neighborhood cultural diversity. 
• Reduction in neighborhood crime and delinquency in at-risk youth.

“I’m excited to see a multicultural group of people sharing space, sharing different arts,” says Maluo-Pearson. “You know, just seeing the community come out in numbers, to celebrate different cultural events—that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

Progress Toward the Goal
The Wailuku Arts District (WAD) advisory committee is made up of representatives from the small business, performing arts, and Hawaiian communities:

• Sissy Lake-Farm, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society 
• Kahulu Maluo-Pearson, KAʻEHU and Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art 
• Kelly McHugh-White, Little Rhinoceros LLC and Maui Public Art Corps 
• John Rowehl, Maui Chamber Orchestra and Maui Choral Arts Association 
• Jaclynn Sabado-Eitel, Paradise Now 
• Carolyn Wright, Maui Academy of Performing Arts

Since its inception, the team has been busy. They mapped Wailuku’s existing arts assets, created the Wailuku Arts District website and management plan, conducted market research, and met with councilmembers. They hosted twenty-two Wailuku arts partners on Da Bee for a huakaʻi. As the bus traveled from stop to stop, the partners each presented their missions, facilities, and needs.

Among the WAD committee’s biggest accomplishments was surveying 500 Maui residents. A situational analysis identified the proposed Wailuku Arts District’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Specific recommendations emerged—such as expanding First Friday (“make every day First Friday”) and developing a “Signature” annual Wailuku event. The stated values and goals include observing the community’s kuleana (responsibility) to Wailuku and ensuring the Arts District is an inclusive place for everyone.

The WAD committee conducted extensive research to understand how partnerships of this nature have been successfully codified nationwide. They reviewed city and county codes for twenty different municipalities, identifying six with the most relevant codes: Memphis, TN; Toronto, ON; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Philadelphia, PA; and Fredericksburg, VA. 

Next on the list is delivering the Wailuku Arts District Management Plan to the County of Maui for approval.

“As long as we stay true to the work that we’ve indicated from the very beginning, and invite in additional people who love Wailuku, we are able to represent Wailuku,” says Sissy Lake-Farm. “Where we are from is magical. All we want to do is continue to share with people the beauties of our Wailuku, Maui, and beyond.”

With the establishment of Wailuku Arts District, the world will discover that this “small town with a big heart” truly is “the place where art and culture lives.”

Throughout the final days of 2022, this 100-foot temporary mural by Alex Underwood will be installed along the perimeter of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art construction zone, on Church Street where it intersects with Vineyard Street in Wailuku. 

Upon completion last year, the mural panels were earmarked to temporarily enclose the Wailuku municipal parking lot construction site as part of our Mana Wahine collaboration that resulted in a collection of three murals. However, due to construction updates and new developments — most notably the future Halau of ‘Oiwi Art and Wailuku Arts District projects — the panels were stored until a specific install site could be secured.

Entitled "Mōhala I ka wai ka maka o ka pua (Unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers)" and inspired by its namesake ʻōlelo noʻeau, Underwood chose to highlight Wailuku’s integral connection to water and the unique flora that results from it. Highlighted are a diverse range of plants found throughout Moko ‘O Wailuku - wauke, loulu, pohinahina, naupaka, ma’o, and the rare hesperomannia.

"This goes to represent not only the amazing biodiversity found in Wailuku, but also its beautifully diverse community," shares the artist. She continues, "Woven in between these plants are bright blue kalo, as kalo is so intrinsically connected to water and therefore a huge part of Wailuku’s identity. Wailuku is an extremely resilient and special place - home to such rich history, immense natural beauty, extremely special people, and intense mana'o. As Mary Kawena Pukui said in this Olelo No’eau, 'Mōhala I ka wai ka maka o ka pua - flowers thrive where there is water, as thriving people are found where living conditions are good', which I think is the perfect description of Wailuku."

Learn more at the links below:

• Project webpage
• Community consultant highlight reel
• Mana Wahine project documentary
• 2021 unveiling announcement
• "Wahine energy in Wailuku: Maui murals draw from community input" article
• "ST*BA Collaborates with Maui-Grown Artists for Next Public Art Project in Wailuku" article
• Artist website

Details regarding the third and final 100-foot mural unveiling within this series are forthcoming. To stay up-to-date on the Wailuku Town Improvements Project, visit Wailuku Live. 

​On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, SMALL TOWN * BIG ART partners County of Maui + Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society + Maui Public Art Corps will unveil a collection of film shorts that celebrate Maui County history, culture and sense of place.​

The result of the initiative’s most recent call to artists, the collection stems from its new Hui Mo'olelo program. Through kumu Leilehua Yuen, a cohort of storytellers are trained through a series of virtual, live workshops. Hale Hōʻikeʻike Executive Director Sissy Lake-Farm then pairs workshop students with kūpuna to share their stories. Upon completion of the workshop series and recorded kūpuna sessions, resulting audio excerpts become the basis for annual requests for artist proposals (RFP). After an artist is selected by a community panel, they begin an intensive learning and cultural exchange that is rooted in specific places throughout Maui County.

Selected by a community panel, artists Rose Stark, Natalie Greene and Taisiya Zaretskaya have worked with Maui Public Art Corps and Hale Hōʻikeʻike since July to bring a collection of stories to life under the direction of Oscar contending artist Richard O'Connor. Their animated film shorts will be presented in alignment with recorded talk-story excerpts about Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe and Kahului. Story participants include Coach John McCandless (aka Johnny Mac) with Dean Tokishi, Ocean Resources Specialist, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission; Anthony Pacheco with his father Henry Eskaran, Jr., kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi; Michael K. Nāhoʻopiʻi, Executive Director of Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission with Kelly McHugh-White, Maui Public Art Corps; Soon Yai Amaral, Elder kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi with her daughter Diane Preza, kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi; Kahoʻiwai Belsom, Attorney with Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., Director of Development, Maui Nui at The University of Hawaii Foundation; and Dean Del Rosario, kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi with Shelly Preza, Executive Director, Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center.

Project talks began in February 2021, soon after Maui Public Art Corps was first established to expand the work of Wailuku Town’s SMALL TOWN * BIG ART (ST*BA) initiative into new neighborhoods countywide. In November 2021, the team was selected for grant funding by the National Endowment for the Arts to pilot related programming in up to three additional Maui County neighborhoods. By April 2022, partners from Kahului as well as the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission and Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center had joined on to participate in Hui Mo'olelo.  

“The Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center is grateful to be working with this initiative to express the intergenerational stories of our community through art,” shares Shelly Preza, Executive Director, Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center, “The SMALL TOWN * BIG ART effort to date, which pairs professional artists with community members to help share stories and values of Wailuku Town, has been impressive, and we are excited to collaborate with their team to share our Lānaʻi stories.”

Preza will join the December 20 event to present three animations about Lānaʻi that she consulted on closely, along with former director Kepā Maly, to help commemorate 100 years since Lānaʻi was purchased by the Dole Corporation (1922).

"Many people are familiar with the island of Kahoʻolawe as a whole, but very few know of the many different special places that comprise it,” shares Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission Executive Director Mike Nāhoʻopiʻi. “This kind of public art and community engagement, allows us to connect people to those places and share the stories of Kahoʻolawe through creative and meaningful experiences, which is at the core of the KIRCʻs mission.” 

The December 20 Hui Mo'olelo film festival event will be emceed by Sissy Lake-Farm of Hale Hōʻikeʻike, beginning promptly at 5:30 PM and ending at 7. Free to the public, audience members will experience the premiere of six individual animated talk-story excerpts, each between 3 to 5 minutes in length, as well as an offering by Hui Mo'olelo featured kūpuna Aunty Kahoiwai Belsom. Arrive early to enjoy a collection of paintings created by Maui Satellite Job Corps Center students, who participated in a free Hui Mo‘olelo workshop with Art Corps' Kelly McHugh-White and teaching artist Jana Ireijo. Together, they listened to the kūpuna audio recordings and created their own visual interpretations, each paired with a link to a recording of their own personal artist statements. Bring your headphones! 

“We connect with one another in the space we share and the actions we take to build that space,” shares artist Richard O’Connor, “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.”

To view the artwork research, listen to the story recordings, and more, visit mauipublicart.org/lanai, mauipublicart.org/kahoolawe and mauipublicart.org/ace. 

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About 
Following a successful three-year pilot program entitled SMALL TOWN * BIG ART — a creative placemaking collaboration of the County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society —  Maui Public Art Corps was established in 2020 in order to scale the positive community response and impacts from Wailuku Town to a county-wide initiative. Its mission is to connect people, place and story through the development of exceptional public art. Learn more at mauipublicart.org. 

Photos: Kelly Pauole

On Monday, August 22, 2022, a new SMALL TOWN * BIG ART (ST*BA) mural dedicated to Wailuku’s distinctive sense of place, history and culture will be unveiled at 33 Market Street in Wailuku by artist Edwin Ushiro. The community is encouraged to join a 4:30 PM blessing of the public artwork and space by Uncle Bill (William) Garcia, which will be followed by remarks from both the artist and community members with whom he worked to design the piece. 

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, Edwin spent two months working with the ST*BA team and community consultants to help root his design in its ultimate sense of place. The work is entitled Wailuku Ho’okele / Wailuku Wayfinders.

“It was interesting to hear from the recording of Lopaka White and Kepā Maly that the true meaning of ʻĪao isn’t fully understood, although we know that one of its meanings is the name for Jupiter,” shares Ushiro, “Knowing that the ancient Hawaiians were phenomenal navigators, one can only assume that they understood the constellations. That idea of the constellations guiding us around would be a great symbol for these stories that help us find our way to our origins and history—our “wayfinders” or ho’okele.”

The artist’s design encases water within the building’s recessed window shapes in an attempt to place the viewer on the open sea. Each of three windows contain an imagined constellation that “acknowledges the oneness with the universe.”  They are: 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 - Maui’s Fish Hook with Maui. 

In preparation for his communal design process, Ushiro met with storytellers Kepā Maly and Lopaka White, Steve Parker of 33 Market Street, Aunty Leola Leong and Ron Muromoto, Archaeologist Erik Fredericksen and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society's Sissy Lake-Farm – with all recordings available on his project page at https://www.smalltownbig.org/ushiro.html. Regarding this intensive community consultation process, the artist shared: 

“The community engagement offered access from many angles on how the importance of a mural can help to preserve history and oral traditions. After that experience, I can see how these engagements allowed me to visually connect the aligning stars to tell the story of how we got here. Kepā Maly spoke of quality over quantity. So I trimmed the fat of information. Lopaka White offered his experience of leading with the gut and the connection and awareness to nature. So the placement in the sea was an obvious solution. Steve Parker revealed that Wailuku town was built on immigrants. There is that ocean reference again. Leola Leong reminded me of the fondness and carefree days of youth. So I thought to draw the outline of the figure as if this were a game of connect the dots. Erik Frederiksen spoke about order and process that allowed me to create structure in this illustration.I hope our community members will be satisfied with this illustration. I look forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts and producing something special for our Wailuku town. Mahalo nui for this opportunity.”

Kepā Maly shares, "While our modern view is that 'the landscape has changed so it is no longer sacred,' that’s irrelevant in the Hawaiian perspective, because the mana is still there. And so, even as the land changes, you go home there’s still something that attracts you to place; those touchstone things, the views that you see in the distance. While the old mom-and-pop store or the home that you grew up in -- while those things may have changed, there are experiences that are  embedded within the landscape that are always there. We might call them intangible, but to those who have been raised in a place, those intangibles are as tangible as the physical remains. Don't forget that you were of this place first."

About the Artist: Edwin Ushiro’s work resonates with the echoes of his boyhood in the “slow town” of Wailuku, Maui. While structuring his work around the narrative tradition of “talk story” native to the Hawaiian islands, he interweaves the uncanny obake tales of his Japanese heritage. After earning a BFA with Honors in Illustration from Art Center College of Design, he worked in the entertainment industry as a storyboard artist, concept designer and visual consultant. More recently, he has exhibited in venues worldwide, including Villa Bottini in Italy, Grand Palais in France, the Museum of Kyoto, HoMA, and the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. A monograph of his work entitled "Edwin Ushiro: Gathering Whispers" was published in 2014 with editions by Zero+ Publishing in the United States and Diagon Alley in China. In recent years, he has participated in several POW! WOW! mural festivals in Honolulu and Long Beach, as well as the Windows of Little Tokyo public art festival in Los Angeles. He lives and works between Los Angeles and Maui.