Maui Public Art Corps hosts four public events this April

Maui Public Art Corps will host four public art unveiling events in April, including the unveiling of a mural in Kahului, an artist meet and greet at Hui No‘eau, a sculpture blessing in Makawao, and an animated Hui Moʻolelo Film Festival.

Participants can help by relaying the impact of the collective’s work through a new nine-question survey.

The Maui Public Art Corps’ April events include the following:

Kahului Mural Project

• Artist: Oscar Lett
• Story: Aunty Nanifay Paglinawan (Listen)
• Site: Ceramic Tile Plus & Exclusively Yours (25 Kahului Beach Rd.)
• Public unveiling: April 6, 2024 at 2 p.m.

On Saturday, April 6, the collective will host a blessing and public unveiling of a new large-scale mural in Kahului resulting from its Hui Mo‘olelo program. Inspired by the story of Women Helping Women lifetime achievement awardee Nanifay Paglinawan, panel-selected artist Oscar Lett brings her extraordinary talent to this project, having created more than 100 murals globally.

Painting begins on March 20 on the exterior of Ceramic Tile Plus & Exclusively Yours, at the intersection of Kahului Beach Road and Kaʻahumanu Ave. facing Harbor Lights and Kahului Harbor, with the blessing to be led by Uncle Bill Garcia.

Makawao Sculpture Project

• Artist: Matthias Neumann
• Story: Scott Fisher & Kim Thayer (Listen)
• Site: Makawao Public Library (1159 Makawao Ave.)
• Public event: April 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center (artist meet & greet)
• Public unveiling: April 20 at 10 a.m. at Makawao Public Library (sculpture blessing followed by artist & storytellers panel discussion)

On Friday, April 19, the collective will host an artist meet & greet event at Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao. From April 17 to April 20, Neumann will create a sculpture at the Makawao Public Library’s front lawn amid the site’s striking jacaranda trees. Inspired by the story of Kim Thayer of Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership and Scott Fisher, director of ʻĀina Stewardship at Hawaiʻi Land Trust, the sculpture’s intricately woven plywood pattern was designed as an expression of the interconnectedness exhibited in the relationship between Thayer and Fisher that unfolded throughout the 80-minute “Hui Mo‘olelo” recording. 

On Saturday, April 20, a blessing of the newly completed sculpture will be led by Uncle Bill Garcia at the Makawao Public Library. Immediately following the blessing, artist Matthias Neumann and storytellers Kim Thayer and Scott Fisher will participate in a panel discussion inside of the Library. This event aligns with the Library’s 55th anniversary and will additionally include the debut of Maui Public Art Corps’ “Little Free Art Gallery” at the site, where the public can leave a work of art and/or take a work of art. The Little Free Art Gallery was constructed during Seabury Hall’s Winterim session, of which both Thayer and Fisher are alumni. Maui Public Art Corps is currently collecting local artworks to initially stock the Gallery, with the hope that the broader arts community will keep it well stocked into the future.

Animated Stories of Maui

• Artists: Richard O’Connor and team + Sasha Hercik
• Stories: Seven intergenerational Maui stories by 14 participants will be interpreted
• Site: Following the public premiere, all films will be shared online (Free)
• Public event: April 27 at 3 p.m. at ProArts Playhouse, 1280 South Kīhei Rd. (first come, first seated, max: 150 guests)

On Saturday, April 27, the collective will host its third “Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival” from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at ProArts Playhouse in Kīhei. The public is invited to this premiere of a new collection of animated film shorts that celebrate Maui history, culture and sense of place. The result of its most recent call to artists, the works stem from our Hui Moʻolelo program partnership with the County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society.

Led by kumu Leilehua Yuen, a cohort of 21 storytellers were trained, then paired with intergenerational partners to audio-record memories rooted in special places throughout Maui County. Selected by a community panel, artists Richard O’Connor (Brooklyn, NY) and Sasha Hercik (Kīhei, HI) have worked with the team for months to bring a collection of new stories to life.

The event will be emceed by Sissy Lake-Farm of Hale Hōʻikeʻike, beginning at 3 p.m. The event is free to the public and audience members will experience the premiere of seven individual animated talk-story films, each between three to five minutes in length, as well as an offering by Maui Public Art Youth Task Force leader Kekaulaiwi Farm. Audience members and story participants will be invited to share their reflections for a Q&A to conclude the event.