Lau Ke Aloha invites Maui residents to celebrate native species through art

The Aloha Makena Foundation, in partnership with Mākena Golf & Beach Club, present the “Lau Ke Aloha: Kinolau Native Species Art Creation Day” on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Mākena’s Hale Pili. This free event provides a unique opportunity for Maui residents to create and submit artworks celebrating the island’s native species under the guidance of local artists.

“Through art, we express the respect and aloha inherent in recognizing native species as family,” says Mākena Golf & Beach Club’s Community Engagement Director Leahi Hall. “Kinolau (multiple forms, bodies) reminds us that we belong to our ecosystem as kin, that my kino (body) is not separate from the kino of the native species. Our Lau Ke Aloha event focuses on art’s ability to inspire deeper connections to our ecosystems, creating pieces that reflect our shared wellbeing with ʻāina.”

All artworks created at the event will have the opportunity to be showcased online and displayed at Mākena’s upcoming May 24 Ua Ikea fundraising dinner benefitting Maui Nui Botanical Gardens and Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center. Additionally, Mākena Golf & Beach Club will donate $5 to each of these community organizations for each artwork submitted by Maui residents with a goal of 300 submissions.

Participants unable to attend can still engage through online video tutorials and submit artwork via the Lau Ke Aloha website by May 17, 2025.

For event details, tutorials, and submission guidelines, visit: https://www.makenainfo.com/laukealoha.