County of Maui supports historic Pāʻia Sugar Mill revitalization with mural, OED grants

Community members, cultural leaders, artists and government officials gathered recently at the historic Pāʻia Sugar Mill to bless and unveil a new large-scale mural celebrating public art shaped through listening, collaboration and a shared commitment to place.

The County of Maui is the main funder for the new mural, “Tide Together,” by artist Efren Rebugio Jr., a first-generation Filipino American muralist and spray-paint artist raised in Hawaiʻi.

His artwork points to a broader County of Maui effort to help revitalize the former sugar mill and strengthen the local economy. Through the County Office of Economic Development (OED), the County awarded a $550,000 grant to Pāʻia Mill LLC to help restore historic mill buildings and lease them to local small businesses focused on manufacturing and value-added production.

“My family had three generations of welders at Pāʻia Sugar Mill before it closed down,” Mayor Richard Bissen said. “Investing in the revitalization of Pāʻia town and the historic mill highlights our broader commitment to strengthening Maui County’s kamaʻāina economy by supporting local businesses, cultural practitioners, artists, educators, farmers and community organizations while creating opportunities for residents to connect through shared experiences and traditions.”

The new “Tide Together” mural reflects Pāʻia’s enduring connections among people, industry, the ocean and community.

“Public art helps transform shared spaces into places of connection,” County Deputy Managing Director Erin Wade said. “When we invest in artists, culture and community voices, we invest in belonging. This mural and the County grant demonstrate our commitment to creating opportunities for economic growth and revitalization for this generation and for generations to come.”

Hosted by Pāʻia Sugar Mill and the Maui Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, the July 16, 2026, ceremony touched on the mill’s ongoing revitalization as a place rooted in its past while looking toward the future.

“The buildings matter, the history matters — but it’s the people and the stories that give this place its soul,” Wayne Thibaudeau, co-owner of Pāʻia Sugar Mill said at the event. “Our hope is that the mill will once again be a place where people can create, build, learn and work together.”

Kahu Wayne Higa of Kaʻahumanu Church led the blessing. Remarks were also shared by Rebugio, Wade, cultural leader Sissy Lake-Farm, Dr. Andrea Kealoha and community leader Brian McCafferty.

Following a competitive selection process, Rebugio spent months meeting with cultural practitioners, community leaders and longtime residents. Inspired by a Hui Moʻolelo (“gathering of stories”) conversation between oceanographer Dr. Andrea Kealoha and her father, Sheldon Kealoha, the mural draws on generations of family memories tied to Pāʻia’s shoreline, fishing traditions, craftsmanship and plantation history.

“This mural is about all of us and the role we each play in caring for the places and the communities we call home,” Rebugio said. “I’m grateful to have been a vessel for even a small part of this knowledge.”

The mural was commissioned through the County of Maui’s public art program, a public-private partnership between the County of Maui and Maui Public Art Corps, the County’s designated local arts agency recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts. The partnership commissions visual, performative and experiential works that reflect, uplift and unite Maui County communities through a listening-first, community-centered process.

For more information about the Maui Public Art Corps and the work behind “Tide Together,” visit https://www.mauipublicart.org/kealoha.html. For general information about County OED, visit www.mauicounty.gov/OED.