Return to the Source by Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum
Mural at 2121 Main Street, Wailuku 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 Bits Left Behind by Adaptations Dance Theater
Contemporary dance performance at the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary Building Hoapili Hale courtyard Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: I ka nānā no a ʻike (By observing, one learns). |
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In 2021, participants of our ST*BA storytelling exchange led by artist Leilehua Yuen were paired up with community kūpuna to engage in an open talk story session. Drawing on our training through StoryCorps DIY, pairings of two individuals met for a 40-minute, audio-recorded conversation with the goal of capturing an authentic moment of connection. This collection became the basis for an RFP (request for proposals) wherein artists were asked to bring a story to life through a work of visual, performing or experiential public art.
This conversation between Clifford Naeʻole, Cultural Advisor at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua and Hōkūao Pellegrino, Sustainability & ʻĀina-Based Learning Designer & Facilitator of Kamehameha Schools Maui drew the attention of exceptional applicants, two of whom will collaborate to share their artistic interpretations of what was heard. |
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Click for our 6-minute project documentary
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On March 11, 2022, community members gathered to celebrate this artistic collaboration between Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT) and Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum. Inspired by a 3.5 minute audio excerpt of an hourlong Talk Story between Clifford Naeʻole and Hōkūao Pellegrino, the artists worked as a team to create two works of public art steeped in the history, culture and sense of place of Wailuku: 1) a 100 sq ft mural located at 2121 Main Street in Wailuku entitled "Return to the Source" by Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum, and 2) a 20-minute contemporary dance performance at the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary Building Hoapili Hale courtyard entitled "The Bits Left Behind" by Ali Pineo, Jen Cox, Katie Istvan, Hallie Hunt and Sarah Bauer. Please enjoy this short project documentary to learn more about this story, that is very close to our hearts. Event MAP.
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ARTISTS:
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Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum is a Hawaiian artist who lives and works in Hawaiʻi. He is an active cultural practitioner and mural artist sourcing his inspiration from the many stories and teachings of his ancestors and their relevance in today's drastically changing Hawaiʻi. Cory is fascinated with the masterful, bold and powerful visual forms and patterns developed by the original people of Hawaiʻi. He is best known for his iconic, large-scale paintings on a wide range of surfaces from rusted metal to moss covered concrete to an invasive Albezia tree. With the surfaces he chooses as his canvas, he hopes to encourage the viewer to question the current state of urbanization and its effect on the health of the land and the people of Hawaiʻi. Cory has worked on numerous large-scale community murals as well as participated in multiple artist residencies and international mural festivals throughout the Pacific.
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Incorporated in 2013, Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT) is Maui's contemporary dance company that creates groundbreaking work to spark new energy in the local dance community. By producing original works and creating professional performance opportunities on an annual basis, ADT addresses a specific need to create and sustain a home for professional contemporary dancers on Maui so that they may create, collaborate, and grow in their artistry without having to leave their island home to do so. Simultaneously, ADT fosters a space where the general public can regularly experience this performing art, presented by artists trained locally and abroad. Please visit our ARTISTS page for individual dancer bios.
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SAMPLE WORK:
Kaulana Nā Wai ʻEhā (Feb 2019)
Mural at 2085 Main St., Wailuku
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The Wailuku Dance Crawl (Nov 2021) Market St., Wailuku
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ARTIST STATEMENTS:
Return to the Source by Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum
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 mural 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. In this “modern-day”, the ʻoʻopu have been presented with a new challenge, being forced to pass through the concrete to fulfill their life cycle. Some of them are able to survive this journey, yet it is our responsibility to make the changes necessary so that this land and all its unique Hawaiian lifeforms can “thrive, not just survive,” as referenced by Clifford Naeʻole.
The Bits Left Behind by Adaptations Dance Theater
Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: I ka nānā no a ʻike (By observing, one learns).
The work is grounded in the authentic moment of connection captured in a conversation between Clifford Naeʻole, Cultural Advisor at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua and Hōkūao Pellegrino, Sustainability & ʻĀina-Based Learning Designer & Facilitator of Kamehameha Schools Maui. From that conversation, a major lesson and theme emerged for the ADT artistic team: silence and observation as a powerful teacher. The Bits Left Behind is a new dance work that reflects the communal childhood memories of old Wailuku. 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. (Below: audience comment cards)
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 mural 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. In this “modern-day”, the ʻoʻopu have been presented with a new challenge, being forced to pass through the concrete to fulfill their life cycle. Some of them are able to survive this journey, yet it is our responsibility to make the changes necessary so that this land and all its unique Hawaiian lifeforms can “thrive, not just survive,” as referenced by Clifford Naeʻole.
The Bits Left Behind by Adaptations Dance Theater
Inspired by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: I ka nānā no a ʻike (By observing, one learns).
The work is grounded in the authentic moment of connection captured in a conversation between Clifford Naeʻole, Cultural Advisor at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua and Hōkūao Pellegrino, Sustainability & ʻĀina-Based Learning Designer & Facilitator of Kamehameha Schools Maui. From that conversation, a major lesson and theme emerged for the ADT artistic team: silence and observation as a powerful teacher. The Bits Left Behind is a new dance work that reflects the communal childhood memories of old Wailuku. 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. (Below: audience comment cards)
COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS:
State Judiciary Team (2/22/22)
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Aunty Wallette Pellegrino (2/17/22)
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Stephanie Ohigashi of 2121 Main Street (2/2/22)
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‘Ōlelo No‘eau meeting (1/21/22)
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PROJECT TRACKING:
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WAILUKU: A LOOK BACK
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Ohigashi
