Proposals sought for Maui Public Art

Maui Public Art Corps, in partnership with the County of Maui + Hale Hō‘ike‘ike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society, is seeking artist proposals for participatory public art projects. The deadline to apply is Feb. 4, 2024. 

The collective is seeking artist proposals that interpret stories from its Hui Mo‘olelo program as works of visual, performance or experiential public art. 

Upon selection by a community panel, artists are paired with Maui community members to integrate feedback into the initial proposal; actively shaping the resulting artwork into a site-specific, collaborative piece. The project development period includes a process of identifying a unique proverb from Mary Kawena Pukui’s “‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings” with cultural consultant, Kumu Sissy Lake-Farm, to provide historical and cultural significance of the specific Maui County installation site for ongoing educational efforts. 

Artists must apply via Call For Entry and Application Management for the Arts (CaFÉ), which is the industry standard call for entries submission and online jurying system for the public art field.

There are SIX separate categories from which applicants may choose:

1. Harbor Lights Mural: Select a Hui Mo‘olelo recording to interpret as a mural composition on a 40′ x 34′ surface area at Harbor Lights, Kahului. 
2. Kapalua Coastal Trail Sculpture Walk: Connect your sculpture to a story for a temporary/ 3-6 month period at the coast between Kapalua Bay and Honokahua Bay.
3. Kalama Park Footbridge: Reimagine this Kīhei footbridge with physical enhancement or a hybrid visual-digital experience.
4. Keōpūolani Regional Park Walking Path: Temporary sculpture installation at Wailuku park site.  
5. Pop-Up Performance: Select a Hui Mo‘olelo recording to interpret as a work of performance art.
6. Hui Mo‘olelo Animated Short Films: Interpret one or more Hui Mo‘olelo story into short, animated films that utilize the recordings as a soundtrack.

Details regarding the initiative’s process, application criteria, budget and more are available online at mauipublicart.org/apply. Applications close at 8:59 p.m. on Feb 4, 2024.