Aloha <<First Name>>,
SMALL TOWN * BIG ART would like to thank you and the Wailuku community for welcoming our Mana Wahine artists this June to create three new public artworks with and for our beloved town:
- Haʻahaʻa by Amanda Joy Bowers, inspired by ʻōlelo noʻeau: E Noho iho I ke ōpū weuweu, mai ho’oki’eki’e (Remain among the clumps of grasses and do not elevate yourself)
- Wailuku i ka malu he kuawa (Wailuku in the shelter of the valley) by Bailey Onaga and Courtney Chargin
- Mōhala I ka wai ka maka o ka pua (Unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers) by Alex Underwood
On June 29, "Haʻahaʻa" was unveiled on Vineyard Street between Church & Market during a blessing ceremony led by Uncle Bill Garcia. Created by Maui-grown artist Amanda Joy Bowers, the mural was developed over the course of four months as artists, community consultants, construction teams, County partners, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society supporters and others came together to plan logistics, create the composition and select ‘ōlelo from Mary Kawena Pukui's ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Political Sayings to firmly root the piece in its sense of place.
"I included the youthful portrait of Mary Kawena Pukui to represent ha’aha’a," shares Bowers, "Her life itself was a dedication to the preservation of Hawaiian language and culture. I fell in love with her story and acts of humility. She knew that one day her people would need the resources to help keep themselves grounded. I am grateful for her long life on this earth and I hope that she is proud of this piece."
The remaining 100-foot Mana Wahine pieces, which were created on the grounds of the Imua Discovery Garden (formerly the Yokouchi Estate) in the Historical Wailuku District, will later be installed as a continuation of the temporary construction wall surrounding the Wailuku Municipal Parking Lot.
Please enjoy this 8-minute documentary to learn more:
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Click to view a short documentary by Matt Pierce
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- County of Maui
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Maui Nui Botanical Gardens Executive Director Tamara Sherrill and Board Member Robert Hobdy
- Hawaiʻi Land Trust Chief Conservation Officer Scott Fisher, Ph.D.
- Father Robert "Moki" Hino, Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
- Artist Phil Sabado and his family: Christine and Jackie
- Imua Discovery Garden's Dean Wong and team
- Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society Executive Director Sissy Lake-Farm
- Uncle Bill Garcia
- Kellen Mira & Eric Takamine of Austin Tsutsumi & Associates
- Giant easels: Bruce Uʻu, Mike Young, Kamu Kiesling, JD Pahukoa and Darrin Johnson
- The brawn: Patrick Fukuda, Kona Wolfson, Katie Douglas, Elijah Douglas, Josh, Aki Sword, Tioni Acain, Lopaka White, Ian Wade and the Wade Braddahs
- Kevin Gavagan & Four Seasons Resort Maui
- Artist assistants Joey Rose & Lianna Rosa
- Our champions at County of Maui who make this program possible!
- Kimo Guequierre, Bailey House Museum
- Photographer Sean Hower
- Filmmaker Matt Pierce
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In July 2021, participants of our recent ST*BA storytelling exchange led by artist Leilehua Yuen will be paired up with community kūpuna to engage in an open talk story session. Ten matchings of two extraordinary individuals will meet independently at Akakū Maui Community Media studios for a 40-minute, audio-recorded conversation. Completed recordings will become part of the Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society archive and uploaded to our StoryCorps page and archive. Akakū’s professional editing team will condense a collection of stories into 3-minute segments that will become the basis for our next ST*BA call-to-artists process, wherein applicants will base public art proposals off of a story of their choosing. Then, Ball State University’s Center for Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD) will assess and evaluate this pilot to help us frame the process for next steps. Exciting things happening! Learn more.
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Developed through a 2018-2020 Our Town grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, SMALL TOWN * BIG ART is a creative placemaking collaboration of County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/ Maui Historical Society that aims to develop Wailuku, Hawaiʻi as a public arts district focused on its distinctive sense of place, history and culture.
Engaging the public in both the process and the product, monthly art installations such as plays, murals, sculptures, storytelling events and more are created with community input that align with ‘ōlelo from Mary Kawena Pukui's ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Political Sayings. Each artwork is spearheaded by professional artists that have submitted project applications exhibiting exceptional quality, style, experience in creating communal or public art and significance to Wailuku. Through many hands and many voices, these creative interpretations represent a revitalized identity for this small town with the BIGGEST heart. |
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