Inaugural Ka Ulana ʻIe Maui Junior Cohort Hō‘ike & Panel Discussion set for June 28

Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center will host the celebration of its first Ka Ulana ʻIe Maui Junior Cohort Hō‘ike and panel discussion from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 28. The culminating event honors the center’s pilot program dedicated to the practice and perpetuation of ulana ʻie — a sacred Hawaiian tradition of weaving with the aerial roots of the ʻieʻie plant.

Led by Oʻahu-based cultural practitioners Kumulāʻau Sing and May Haunani Balino-Sing, through an open enrollment process, the Junior Cohort brought together three Maui-based high school students for a four-month-long journey rooted in ʻike kupuna (ancestral knowledge), Hawaiian language, storytelling and hands-on artistic practice. Each session opened with pule (prayer) and oli (chant) and centered cultural values such as kuleana, aloha, and mālama — reminding students that weaving is not just a physical skill, but a spiritual and cultural practice passed down through generations.

The Hō‘ike will feature an exhibition of student works, a panel discussion with haumāna and mentors, and a community gathering to uplift and recognize the future of Hawaiian art and identity. Visitors are invited to view the students’ completed woven forms, hear their reflections on the process, and engage in thoughtful pāpāʻōlelo (conversation) around cultural continuity.

• Artists: Terrance Kalima Kanaloa Davis, Keolaonākaiʻelua Mather and Leah Nāpua Sardine
• Cultural practitioners Kekai Kapu and Gayle Miyaguchi
• Moderated by Kumulāʻau Sing and May Haunani Balino-Sing

Ka Ulana ʻIe Maui Junior Cohort is made possible through generous support from the Laila Twigg-Smith Art Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, with funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Admission is free and all are welcome. The student exhibition will remain on view in the gallery through July 25 during regular Hui hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Visit https://www.huinoeau.com/art-events/2025/5/ka-ulana-ie for more information.

For more information, visit www.huinoeau.com. The Hui is a nonprofit, community-based visual arts education organization.