FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept applications from visiting artists, or just those from Wailuku?
All artists are welcome. Please keep in mind, however, that we do not offer accommodations, ground transportation or other residency needs (e.g. a handler or production assistant), which should be included in your proposal budget.
I've never been to Wailuku before. How can I craft a proposal that speaks to the sense of place?
Selected artists will undergo a period of project development with community members in order to align their initial idea with feedback and perspectives that directly address your theme. To view past artist's community consultations, visit the FILMS page of our website.
What should I do if my proposal requires indoor workspace and/ or additional talent?
We love seeing project budgets that include line items for locally sourced support, which have included workshop space, donations in exchange for tours and site visits, kahu for traditional blessings, transportation for class trips, halau performances, artist assistants and drivers, surface primers and more.
Do I need to hire a professional photographer to capture my artwork?
All projects will be professionally documented by our team. The County shall retain ownership of the video/ photo documentation and may choose to promote or display the work publicly, at a later date. Artists shall retain ownership of the copyright of the works. We're happy to share watermarked images with you!
Is ST*BA a grant making organization?
Nope, we are a County initiative that contracts panel-selected artists to create collaborative works of public art with our community.
Why do you specify that applicants be professional artists?
For a number of reasons that include experience creating budgets, being open/ flexible to pivots and changes necessitated by revitalization work or key community consultants, limited human resources, understanding of the approval process associated with public art and accountability in translating complex themes or issues into a final composition. If, however, proposals exhibit a track record of success in creating communal or public art, we have made exceptions!
Are the budget caps listed for my artist fee or for my entire project?
For all line items, including your artist fee, which is generally up to 20% of the overall budget.
Will my mural/ sculpture/ installation be temporary or permanent?
We consider all public artwork temporary.
I’m seeing Wailuku has been transformed into an arts district featuring visual, performance and “experiential” works. What are experiential works/ can you give examples?
Experiential public art is a form of art that is created for and displayed in public spaces with the intention of engaging and interacting with the viewers or participants in a unique and immersive way. It often goes beyond traditional choreography, scripts, and static sculptures or paintings/ murals by inviting people to actively engage with the artwork, fostering a deeper connection between art and the public. Examples of experiential public art include:
Interactive Installations: These may include interactive sculptures or installations that respond to the movements or actions of the viewers, such as E ala! E alu! E kuilima! (Up! Together! Join hands!) by Lori Hepner, which distributed LEDs to individuals to light paint together at both ʻĪao Intermediate School and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House. Local musicians and performers provided the inspiration for each resulting artwork that Lori captured with her real‑time, light painting system that is used to draw with light using the body: smalltownbig.org/hepner.
Light and Projection Art: Artists use light and projections to transform buildings or public spaces into dynamic, ever-changing works of art. Andy Behrle's Lost & Found engaged 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: smalltownbig.org/behrle.
Participatory Art: This involves art that encourages the public to actively participate in its creation. For instance, ʻAlalā Renaissance artist Michael Takemoto brought pre-registered, socially-distanced artists together to create hundreds of brightly colored chalk ʻalalā silhouettes throughout Wailuku Town in an expression of hope, rebirth and healing following COVID-19. 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): smalltownbig.org/takemoto.
Performance Art: Some public art involves live performances that engage with the environment or surroundings, often challenging the audience's perceptions. The Wailuku Dance Crawl by Adaptations Dance Theater 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): smalltownbig.org/adt.
Per guided tours, are they available only to school and nonprofit groups or can visitors arrange one too?
Donors at the $100 level and above are offered a guided tour by Maui Public Art Corps as a benefit.
All artists are welcome. Please keep in mind, however, that we do not offer accommodations, ground transportation or other residency needs (e.g. a handler or production assistant), which should be included in your proposal budget.
I've never been to Wailuku before. How can I craft a proposal that speaks to the sense of place?
Selected artists will undergo a period of project development with community members in order to align their initial idea with feedback and perspectives that directly address your theme. To view past artist's community consultations, visit the FILMS page of our website.
What should I do if my proposal requires indoor workspace and/ or additional talent?
We love seeing project budgets that include line items for locally sourced support, which have included workshop space, donations in exchange for tours and site visits, kahu for traditional blessings, transportation for class trips, halau performances, artist assistants and drivers, surface primers and more.
Do I need to hire a professional photographer to capture my artwork?
All projects will be professionally documented by our team. The County shall retain ownership of the video/ photo documentation and may choose to promote or display the work publicly, at a later date. Artists shall retain ownership of the copyright of the works. We're happy to share watermarked images with you!
Is ST*BA a grant making organization?
Nope, we are a County initiative that contracts panel-selected artists to create collaborative works of public art with our community.
Why do you specify that applicants be professional artists?
For a number of reasons that include experience creating budgets, being open/ flexible to pivots and changes necessitated by revitalization work or key community consultants, limited human resources, understanding of the approval process associated with public art and accountability in translating complex themes or issues into a final composition. If, however, proposals exhibit a track record of success in creating communal or public art, we have made exceptions!
Are the budget caps listed for my artist fee or for my entire project?
For all line items, including your artist fee, which is generally up to 20% of the overall budget.
Will my mural/ sculpture/ installation be temporary or permanent?
We consider all public artwork temporary.
I’m seeing Wailuku has been transformed into an arts district featuring visual, performance and “experiential” works. What are experiential works/ can you give examples?
Experiential public art is a form of art that is created for and displayed in public spaces with the intention of engaging and interacting with the viewers or participants in a unique and immersive way. It often goes beyond traditional choreography, scripts, and static sculptures or paintings/ murals by inviting people to actively engage with the artwork, fostering a deeper connection between art and the public. Examples of experiential public art include:
Interactive Installations: These may include interactive sculptures or installations that respond to the movements or actions of the viewers, such as E ala! E alu! E kuilima! (Up! Together! Join hands!) by Lori Hepner, which distributed LEDs to individuals to light paint together at both ʻĪao Intermediate School and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House. Local musicians and performers provided the inspiration for each resulting artwork that Lori captured with her real‑time, light painting system that is used to draw with light using the body: smalltownbig.org/hepner.
Light and Projection Art: Artists use light and projections to transform buildings or public spaces into dynamic, ever-changing works of art. Andy Behrle's Lost & Found engaged 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: smalltownbig.org/behrle.
Participatory Art: This involves art that encourages the public to actively participate in its creation. For instance, ʻAlalā Renaissance artist Michael Takemoto brought pre-registered, socially-distanced artists together to create hundreds of brightly colored chalk ʻalalā silhouettes throughout Wailuku Town in an expression of hope, rebirth and healing following COVID-19. 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): smalltownbig.org/takemoto.
Performance Art: Some public art involves live performances that engage with the environment or surroundings, often challenging the audience's perceptions. The Wailuku Dance Crawl by Adaptations Dance Theater 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): smalltownbig.org/adt.
Per guided tours, are they available only to school and nonprofit groups or can visitors arrange one too?
Donors at the $100 level and above are offered a guided tour by Maui Public Art Corps as a benefit.