Wahi Pana (sacred place) Auwahi is the newest exhibition at Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao. The show features invited artists as well as juried artists in all formats. Congratulations to all who make up this excellent exhibition that comes together to “bring the forest to the people through art.”
Comprised of volunteers, the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project originated in 1997 as a collaborative community effort to save the endangered Auwahi dry forest on southwest Haleakala. Many culturally important Hawaiian species can be found in this biological sanctuary, one of the last representations of an endangered Hawaiian forest type. I hope the Hui No’eau will continue to support this small nonprofit and the important work that they do.
Similar to the restoration project working quietly in the background is the large backdrop of this exhibit. The installation that stole the show was the Juror/Artist in Residence, Mazatl’s site-specific piece. He painted the entire room behind the area where the receptionist greets everyone. Very rarely are we treated to such a powerful and magical presentation.
The walls and ceiling, doors and shelves are consumed by the painting. Every viewer becomes part of the piece, turning in the room to see the space surrounded by the installation, looking dwarfed next to the main characters. In Japan they ask you to not talk when you enter the museum so everyone can enjoy the artwork in silence. Good plan. Silence is better for this viewing. If I tried to find the words to describe the work it would dilute the experience. Go see it before August 3rd at the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center.
To learn more about the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project, visit their website.
Meet Ryan Anderson. He is one of the remarkable residents on Maui that contribute to making living here extraordinary! He is a geometry teacher at Haleakala Waldorf, professional beekeeper and co-director of Samba Maui. The Ryan I know is a performance artist who reaches his audience through rhythmical drumming. Months of rehearsals go into his performances but it goes beyond practicing on the drums. He and his mixed age troop went out to gather waste material on the beach for their costumes for the Art of Trash in April. While they spent time together, it was also for the purpose of building their experience of being part of a group. Drummers come together individually and eventually play as a whole, as one heart beating. Their intended goal is to beat as one and collaborate with the audience through their piece. His desire is to move the audience to participate and become part of the event.
My personal experience as part of the audience was energizing. I was calmly waiting for 6pm when Ryan and his group were to start playing at Wailuku’s First Friday. He was waiting for me to give him the signal to start. When I nodded he started, “BOOM, BOOM, BOOM de BOOM…” and the rest of the group chimed in. He and his student drummers began dancing and drumming down Market Street. Immediately, the First Friday audience turned around to see what was happening. I watched as many had the same reaction as me…I couldn’t stop smiling and my feet insisted on joining in! People moved their bodies, bounced to the beat and raised their arms in time. Most of their faces were asking, “can anyone join this parade?”
Once the drumming and music began, I was forced to stop thinking in my head and my spirit filled my body. The music put me in the here and now. I wanted to dance before this good feeling stopped! It made me so happy to see the reactions of other people feeling good. People were not expecting to throw their heads back and laugh loudly, grab their little kids and run into the street and dance with us. “This drumming thing is primal isn’t it?” I asked Ryan. “Sure is,” he agreed. “Everyone has a beating heart, and everyone is rhythmical. Itʻs our job to come together and celebrate our collective abilities.”
I wonder if next time I can be more than an enthusiastic audience member. Ryan encouraged me to join the open group. Any age is the requirement. Samba Maui will teach anyone, any age – No experience necessary. That’s the kind of requirement I qualify for!
Arriving at Tim Gunter’s house, first you’re overwhelmed with the variety of blooming plants outside. Next you notice that amongst almost all the plants sit objects that draw your attention. Is it a piece of junk? Is it supposed to be there? It looks like an elephant!
Everywhere there’s a space, there sits some animal or art design made of trash. Tim’s yard is a literal wonderland…and it’s made of recycled items that many people would toss in the rubbish.
The inside of his house is much the same, an artist’s gallery of discarded materials that have been given new life.
Tim Gunter at home with his artwork
The message of Tim Gunter’s artwork is all about repurposing. “To me, everything looks like art if you get the right angle, or close one eye, or draw a face on it,” Tim explains. From an early age, he always liked turning something that someone didn’t want into something different.
“Think twice or three times before you throw it away,” he says. He feels better when he does have trash because he always knows he’s looked at it long enough to decide if it’s not usable to him.
He is making artwork all the time, partly so that he doesn’t end up with so much stuff. “It is also fun to see people shake their head when looking at some of the art,” he says. Right now he’s working on a full size person made out of broken auto glass, a project that is three years in the making. He’s hoping to finish that one by next year.
He creates works in other mediums too. “I also like to use wood and rocks, mostly for my own enjoyment.”
Gunter often shows his pieces in the Art of Trash annual exhibit, winning juried awards and delighting viewers with his fun take on reinventing.
E-Cycling’s Marty McMahon congratulates Gunter on his Art of Trash win (2014)“Dream Boat Annie” (Art of Trash 2017)Tim Gunter with his piece “Dream Boat Annie”Art of Trash 2012 Third Place Winner “My Plants are Falling Down and My Growing Hurts”Tim Gunter with his Art of Trash prize (2012)
Look for more interesting artwork by Tim Gunter in upcoming Art of Trash shows, and remember to think about your own inspirations as you’re sorting through your junk pile. There might just be something different waiting to be transformed.
The Art of Trash is an annual exhibition of repurposed materials transformed into art by Maui County artists. This year’s show runs from April 7th through the 28th at 1980 Main Street in Wailuku. Don’t miss Opening Night and the Maui Trashion Show on Wailuku First Friday, April 6th at 6pm. For more info visit Art of Trash on Facebook.
Every three years, the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s gallery holds one of the most fascinating exhibits on island. The Schaefer Portrait Challenge is a juried exhibition that gives viewers a moving glimpse into the many unique people here in Hawaii. Since 2003, artists throughout the state have been challenged to create works that truly capture the inner spirit of their friends, family, neighbors, mentors, and even themselves through portraiture. This year’s show features fifty-seven talented artists from five islands.
Gallery visitors can get a real feeling of connection with the community by taking the time to explore each portrait and reading the artists’ statements about what inspired them.
Edd Tokarz Harnas’ “What Grande Could Mean” is an oil painting of Roland, a man who “embraces a stylish and tasteful lifestyle that is overlooked today” by enjoying his corporate coffee in a vintage porcelain teacup with coordinated china, teapot, and linens.
“What Grande Could Mean” by Edd Tokarz Harnas (oil on canvas)
“The Ancient Reptilian Man” by Patrizia Arroyo paints the story of her neighbor, kahuna Ed Kaiwi’s travels into the spirit world. Kaiwi is caretaker of the sacred birthing temple, Anahola Heiau, on Kauai.
“The Ancient Reptilian Man” by Patrizia Arroyo (oil on canvas)
Amanda C. Scott’s “Lady of the Forgotten Forest” is a beautiful painting of a longtime friend of the artist. “I dreamed of how to interpose her in the world I imagined she truly belonged in,” Scott describes.
“Lady of the Forgotten Forest” by Amanda C. Scott (oil on canvas)
In the center of one gallery area is Ingrid Fregeau’s earthware ceramic piece “Long Live Love, Portrait of Rainbow.” The artist explains that her friend, Rainbow, embodies unconditional love that “shines through him, and bathes all around him with joy and warmth.”
“Long Live Love, Portrait of Rainbow” by Ingrid Fregeau (earthware ceramic)
Lynette Pradiga chose her husband as the subject of her piece titled “My Power Washer of Love,” describing him as her “favorite person in the world.” Sadly, it is also noted that he passed away just weeks prior to the exhibit opening.
“My Power Washer of Love” by Lynette Pradiga (acrylic medium and paper collage)
Several self-portraits can be seen throughout the gallery. Bon Moore’s “The Song That I Hear” is an intriguing combination of clay, coconut fiber, and the artist’s own hair. “When I am working with these materials,” she says, “I feel connected to nature.”
“The Song That I Hear” by Bon Moore (clay, coconut, human hair)
“From the Ground Up” is a mixed media self-portrait by Jennifer J. Stephens that conveys her challenges through life. She says, “I chose this medium to connect these physical elements from my surroundings and my youth, while portraying the continual process of my own growth.”
“From the Ground Up” by Jennifer J. Stephens (mixed media assemblage)
Penny Nichols’ “Self Portrait with Too Much Information” is a collage of raw emotion that communicates the artist’s personal experience with parental alienation and the transformative power of art in her life. “The creative process has helped me heal from something that appeared a hopeless tragedy,” she says.
“Self Portrait with Too Much Information” by Penny Nichols (collage)
The 2018 Schaefer Portrait Challenge runs from January 16th through March 18th at the MACC’s Schaefer International Gallery. The exhibit is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am-5pm (closed on Sunday, March 4th). Viewers can vote for their favorite piece now through March 7th, and the winning artist will receive the Marian Freeman People’s Choice Award of $5,000. For more information about the show, visit the MACC website.
Saturday’s 32nd Annual Waldorf Holiday Faire was a great way to get into the spirit of the season. The faire was first started in 1985 and has become a fun yearly tradition. Folks from all over the island made their way Upcountry to spend the day shopping, eating, and enjoying the festive activities. Tents, classrooms, and outside areas were set up throughout the campus, giving it the feel of a Christmas village. With live entertainment, food booths, a silent auction and more, this was such a charming event that gave the community a way to support Waldorf school and its programs.
Artists and vendors offered locally and internationally made gifts and goods. Lots of original shopping ideas could be found, with everything from jewelry to artwork, clothing, pottery, toys, and plenty of one of a kind handmade items. There were also several unique holiday decorations, wreaths, and plants.
The “Holiday Cafe” offered a nice selection of locally made options with lots of vegetarian foods. Some of the choices this year included burgers, pad thai, poke bowls, handmade pasta, and fresh lemonade.
The Silent Auction had a wide range of interesting items, and 100% of the proceeds went directly to the Waldorf School’s Tuition Assistance Program.
My favorite spot is always the Bake Shoppe. So many tasty treats to choose from…cookies, candies, cakes…even vegan and gluten free goodies.
This year’s entertainment featured students and local musicians. Onstage were hula, Japanese dance, live music, and of course Christmas songs. Throughout the faire, there were also plenty of keiki and family activities like holiday crafts, candle dipping, a puppet show, and face painting. Best of all, it was a zero waste event! Manned areas for separating and composting rubbish and recyclables were organized by Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawaii.
The Haleakala Waldorf School’s Holiday Faire is held every year, usually on the first Saturday in December. This year’s admission was $3 with free entry for children under twelve. If you get the chance to visit Upcountry next season, don’t miss this festive Maui holiday event. For more info, visit the Waldorf Maui website.
Every year during the holiday season, Maui’s Hui No‛eau Visual Arts Center presents their festive boutique of artwork, crafts and handmade gifts. The historic Kaluanui Estate’s gallery space is decorated like an island style winter wonderland with its beautifully designed display of lights, trees, and treasures. If you’re looking for unique, locally made finds, the Hui is a great place to shop. Proceeds from the annual sale support the Hui No‛eau’s mission of unlocking creativity through arts education and preserving the history of Kaluanui.
In the seasonal shop, you’ll find a delightful assortment of ornaments and decorations.
There are also many lovely jewelry pieces in a wide range of styles.
A variety of gifts made by Maui’s talented artists are featured, with everything from paintings to prints to clothing and more.
Don’t miss the paper gown display created by Maui designer Koa Johnson of Kojo Couture and Ry-n Shimabuku.
The Hui No‛eau’s annual holiday boutique is open daily from 9am-4pm through December 24th. On Wednesday, November 29th the Hui will host their “First Night” event, a special evening opening of shopping, music, and celebration. Over the next few weeks, the Hui is also offering fun holiday art workshops with themes like ornament making, card printing, and wrapping paper printing. There will also be three Pop-Up Night Market events on December 6th, 13th, and 20th featuring family friendly entertainment, a Keiki Holiday Workshop, and a special appearance by Santa. For more info, visit their website at huinoeau.com.
The end of the summer signals it’s that time of year when many people in Kula attend the Kula Shofukuji Mission bon dance. The bon dances are scheduled at Buddhist temples all over Maui, every weekend, all summer.
What is a bon dance? It’s Taiko drums and shakuhachi bamboo flute playing folk music from different parts of Japan. The purpose is to honor those who have departed in the last year and show the ancestors that all is well.
My grandparents came from Hiroshima, Japan around 1907 with very few belongings. They brought their language and bits and pieces of their culture. One of the festivals the Japanese immigrants recreated was the bon dance. I’ve been attending them all of my life!
Growing up in Hilo on the Big Island where there’s not much to do at night when they roll up the sidewalks at 7, the bon dance in the summer was a very popular place to be. We watched the lead dancers with the beautiful kimonos and fans and copied their every move. When we played too much and laughed too loudly they kicked us out of the big dance circle. We couldn’t fool anyone. We were there to see our high school friends that we didn’t see all summer except at the bon dances around town. It was a big social event to us and we were disrespectful of the meaning and purpose of honoring our ancestors.
The food at every bon dance was different. At the Hilo Hongwanji we had to have the teriyaki sticks because we could smell them grilling all evening. Corn on the cob, saimin and chow fun were very popular too. This year on Maui the Kula bon dance featured chow fun and nishime (stew). The Paia Rinzai Zen Mission is popular for the live music and their excellent Okinawan speciality food. The Paia Mantokuji Mission sells the best little pies. The line to purchase the pies will tell you how everyone agrees with me!
Wrapping up the summer by attending the Kula Shofukuji Mission bon dance is a tradition. Families with graves at this temple on the steep slope put up lanterns, light incense and leave flowers. The sun was setting as grandma and auntie walked a little energetic 2 year old to their family’s gravestone. They were introducing him to grandpa’s grave and helping him to leave a can of soda. Some years the clouds roll in and lay a mist over the lanterns. This year the sun was setting on a day that was clear and warm. All that was left to do was dance.
Over 250 youth were a part of the Hui No‛eau Visual Arts Center’s summer arts program this year. With weekly themes covering various styles and subjects, the nine week Camp Kaluanui offered a chance for participants to work with a team of experienced artists, learning new skills and mediums for expressing their imaginations. The 2017 Youth Exhibition at the Hui No‛eau showcases the creative works of some of Maui’s youngest talents.
Claudio Marchetti’s Paper Flowers from the Sea study inspired the use of recycled paper and textured layers symbolic of the ocean environment. Imagery was based on botanical drawings of sea anemones by German Botanist/Artist Ernst Haeckel.
Underwater Adventures: Creativity Under the Sea
Maria Dougherty’s Polynesian Art project taught tribal design, repeating patterns, and oil pastel blending to ages 8-11.
House of the Sun: Hawaiian Habitats, Myths, and Legends
Students learned about artist Louise Nevelson’s abstract expressionism style of using abandoned objects to create sculptures. Teaching Artist Katie Peterson encouraged each young artist to find their own narrative, and the final pieces were spray-painted in a uniform color similar to Nevelson’s work.
100 Years of Kaluanui: Celebrating Famous Artists from 1917-2017!
An interactive activity table invited gallery viewers to create their own works of art by coloring coffee filters and crafting them into butterflies to be hung on the Hui wall.
“Watch your colors move!…Let’s soar into the next century…”
More advanced projects included Tania Arens’ Adventurous Printmaking Exploration, a teaching of the process of drypoint etching using plexiglass. Collaborative artist Kelly Foss showed students how to draw their own faces, and the portraits were then transferred to the plexiplates for printing.
Visiting Artists David & Andrea Peterson’s enameling workshop demonstrated the use of powdered glass sifted onto copper shapes and fired in a hot kiln. Layers, masking, and scratching were used to make unique patterns.
Emilia De Castro’s “The New Wave” project was a study in Japanese artist Hokusai’s woodblock print “The Wave.” Students painted their own interpretations with acrylic on canvas.
The New Wave
The 2017 Youth Exhibition is a fun look at the creative abilities of Maui’s bright young artists. The show runs through August 24th, and the gallery is open daily from 9am-4pm. For more info, visit the Hui No‛eau website.
One hundred years ago, celebrated architect C.W. Dickey designed the historic Kaluanui Estate for Harry and Ethel Baldwin. Now the site of Maui’s Hui No‛eau Visual Arts Center, the iconic property is being honored this year with the Kaluanui Centennial 10×10 Exhibition, a juried gallery showing of 100 selected works. Artists were challenged to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces that fit within a defined space of ten inches (10″x10″x10″).
With artwork in a variety of mediums – from painting to photography to ceramics and more, this gallery exhibit is a delightful look at the many ways creative minds interpret the ten inch space.
Several paintings line the walls, and the imagery of island life is a featured theme.
“Views from Artist’s Home” by Jack Hamilton (oil)“Celestial Travel” by Barclay Hill (wood, acrylic & oil)“Island Auto Parts” by Joseph Fletcher (oil on panel)“Chicken Picasso” by Carla Gangini (oil on panel)
Three-dimensional works include sculptural pieces, ceramics, and glass.
“She’s Gonna Blow!” by Barclay Hill (copper)“Ribbon Vase” by Mary Ann Leigh (ceramics)“Hold On! Here Comes Another One!” by Mary Ann Leigh (ceramics)“Ho‛okipa Reef” by Rick Strini (glass)
Photography is given new life through the use of inventive design.
“Cat’s Cradle” by Grace Hazel (string, nail, analog photography)“Goat on a Can” by Keri Meyer (vandyke brown on paper)
Mixed media and collage add a whimsical feel to the gallery.
“Sisters Again” by Sabrina Werkmeister (encaustic, mixed media)“Not So Charmed” by Deybra Fair (mixed media)“Before Time” by Sabrina Werkmeister (encaustic, mixed media)“The Babysitter” by Lynette Pradiga (mixed media collage)
Kaluanui is celebrated through artistic works inspired by the estate.
“Untitled” by Teresa Gleason (low fire clay, glaze with acrylic)“Kaluanui – Entrance to the Next 100 Years” by George Allan (oil on panel)
The Kaluanui Centennial 10×10 Exhibition is a colorful celebration of the artistic community’s appreciation for the historic charms of the Hui No‛eau’s iconic property. The show runs through Saturday, July 22nd and the gallery is open daily from 9am to 4pm.
Hui No‛eau Visual Arts Center’s Kaluanui Estate
The Hui will also be hosting a Kaluanui Centennial Celebration on Saturday, July 22nd from 10am to 2pm. The event will feature a family friendly day with tours of the property and art studios, interactive artist demos, local food trucks, and entertainment. For more info, visit their website huinoeau.com.
Thirty four years ago I took my daughter to her first parade. I thought the Makawao Fourth of July parade would be a good one because it was very small and she would love seeing the horses. Her reaction surprised me. She thought she was supposed to join in and march down the street and be part of the fun. She was confused when I stopped her from running towards the marchers. Good thing it was a small parade then. The horses didn’t disappoint, and it was exciting to see people she knew marching so she could wave at them.
I was reminded of the wonderful community spirit of Makawao’s Fourth of July celebration by the window display at Holiday & Co. boutique. Designed by mother-daughter team Deybra Fair and Melody Koerber, the display takes the art of reuse and repurposing to a new level. Disposable food containers are turned into stars that hang from the ceiling and an old 4H sign cut up into boards directs you to “Nowhere.” Table cloths are elegant dresses and the denim outfit stitched together on the mannequin is turning heads. The Red Rodeo Queen has a crown made from a colander of course and a Rodeo Hipster guy is lucky to have a beard made from hapu’u fern “hair.” Deybra’s little horses in red and blue look on not knowing their importance on this day in this town.
Rodeo Queen with her red crown made from a colander and Rodeo Clown guarding the storeLittle red horse got to be in the window next to the denim dressed cowgirlBehind the scenes looking out at Baldwin Avenue and watching people look in was just as interesting
This window captures it all…humor, imagination and celebration! Kudos to Isabelle Buell, owner of Holiday & Co. for welcoming artists Deybra and Melody to dress the window. Deybra Fair is a versatile Maui artist working in a variety of mediums with a style that is unique and inventive. Her daughter Melody Koerber is a talented costume designer who has worked on the Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lone Ranger movies along with tv shows like Key & Peele.
Deybra Fair at Holiday & Co. in MakawaoMelody Koerber in the Holiday & Co. window
Holiday & Co. is located at 3681 Baldwin Ave. in Makawao. For more information on artists Deybra Fair and Melody Koerber, visit their websites at deybrafair.com and melodycostumes.com.
The 52nd annual Makawao Paniolo Parade is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday July 1st at 9am. The event starts on Baldwin Ave. and continues onto Makawao Ave. For more information, contact Parade Chairman Duane Hamamura at 268-8729 or email dhamamaui@gmail.com.
