Stories of Place panel discussion at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, March 16

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center hosts a panel discussion on Saturday, March 16 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Morgado Hall, marking the close of the Sense of Place/Place of Sense exhibit.

The exhibit at the Schaefer International Gallery is currenlty open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Saturday’s special program marks the conclusion of the exhibition, and features five panelists representing the project’s collaborating organizations. Panelists will share insight into the development of the exhibition, as well as discuss the role that gallery and museum spaces can play in showcasing local histories and engaging the community.

Panelists include:

Jonathan Yukio Clark, Director, Schaefer International Gallery, Maui Arts & Cultural Center: Clark was born and raised on the island of Maui and has been a member of the MACC’s Gallery Team since 2019. He is the curator of Sense of Place / Place of Sense and, as Director, oversees the Schaefer International Gallery’s exhibits programs, which range from local to international in scope. He serves on the board of Hawai‘i Museums Association as Vice President.

Mary Kunmi Yu Danico, Director, Center for Oral History, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa: Born in Korea, Mary Kunmi Yu Danico has lived her life in California and Hawai‘i. After her graduate work, she was a professor of sociology, associate Dean, the endowed Chair for Michi and Walter Wegyn for Multicultural Studies, and the director of the Asian American Transnational Research Initiative at Cal Poly Pomona. Today, she is the Director for the Center for Oral History and Professor of Ethnic Studies at UH Mānoa. She is the author of The 1.5 Generation: Becoming Korean American in Hawaiʻi and co-author of Asian American Issues, among numerous other publications. 

Sissy Lake-Farm, Executive Director, Maui Historical Society / Hale Hō‘ike‘ike: In her role as Executive Director at Maui Historical Society, Lake-Farm leads the direction of the museum as a cultural and historical resource, as well as a gathering place for people of all ages to take part in edcaitonal workshops, presentations, concerts, and community events. She is a Hawaiian cultural practitioner and Kumu Hula who inherited her love for sharing Maui’s past, present, and future from her father, John Keola Lake, a renowned Hawaiian historian, Kumu Hula, and perpetuator of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Kimberly Flook, Deputy Executive Director, Lahaina Restoration Foundation: Flook’s experience includes work at ten historic sites and museums over twenty-three years as a museum professional, including eight years as a museum educator, twelve years as an historic site director, and five years as a museum manager. In these roles, she has specialized in public programing and collections conservation projects. At Lahaina Restoration Foundation, she leads the team that cares for, processes, and digitizes LRF’s collections. 

Kalapana Kollars, Cultural Programs Specialist, Lahaina Restoration Foundation: Kollars has been devoted to Hawaiian life-ways and the study of local history for over 25 years. As a lifelong learner, he actively apprentices under notable Hawaiian leaders. For over a decade, he has led workshops and tours to share Hawaiian culture with residents and visitors alike, first with the Friends of Moku‘ula and then with Lahaina Restoration Foundation. He was also a cast member and musician for ‘Ulalena for 19 years.