‘Lahaina Spirit’ coffee table book created to help fire survivors, honor town’s memories

Inspired by the devastation of the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires, Makawao artist and gallery owner Jordanne Perkins picked up her brushes and painted her Lahaina Strong Series — 45 paintings in 52 days to honor Lahaina residents and memories of their historic town.

From the series of paintings, she put together a 164-page, 12-by-11-inch coffee table book, “Lahaina Spirit.” Of the first 1,000 copies sold, 50% of profits went to the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Maui Strong Fund, to help survivors. Of the next 500 copies sold, 50% of the profits will be shared with the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. So far, more than 1,200 copies have sold.

“To be able to help through art from my heart to my hand, to the canvas… it’s incredible,” Perkins said.

“This book was a labor of love,” she said. “I truly felt a calling that I was supposed to paint these paintings of Lahaina to keep its spirit alive. My hope is that this project will continue to remind us that Lahaina’s spirit is within each one of us and hope that the restoration of Lahaina will be decided with the spirit of Lahaina in mind.”

After book sales are complete, Perkins expects to donate $30,000 to the people of Lahaina, she said.

Perkins will host a “Lahaina Spirit” book signing and reading from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 at Jordanne Gallery, located at 3625 Baldwin Ave. in Makawao. Books will be available for purchase as well as specialty items such as limited edition Lahaina prints and coasters of Lahaina. Books are also available at jordannefineart.com.

Much of Perkins’ artistic work has been creating landscape and seascape oil paintings of Maui, capturing Maui beaches, Upcountry Maui with its winding roads and vistas and other memorable landscapes of Maui in a plein air style with heavy brushwork and texture.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Perkins has made Hawaiʻi her home for more than 22 years. Perkins has been a self-sustained, successful artist ever since 2003, selling thousands of paintings to date. She established the Jordanne Gallery in 2009.