Sending Aloha to Maui
As some of you may know, I just returned from a Hawaiian vacation—in Lahaina, Maui to be exact. Maui's beauty was beyond my expectation. So magnificent in fact that one of my favorite photos is of a parking lot in Lahaina. Only in Maui could a parking lot be so breathtaking! I was excited to return home and share my stories of adventure, art, and inspiration.
And then the fires hit—exactly one week after we left that magical island. So, I've struggled with what to share. It doesn't feel right to highlight the good fortune of my vacation when the residents have lost their town and more. But it also doesn't feel right to say nothing when Lahaina Town feels so close to my heart right now.
After some thought, I can not think of a better way to honor Maui and its people than to shares work from a public art project on the island.
I'm a big fan of street art and I was pleasantly surprised to find a mural project called, Small Town, Big Art, in Wailuku, a is a sleepy town in the middle of the island and now the home of well over a dozen murals. The project even has an app with a self-guided tour. The murals focus on Hawaiian culture, nature, community, and human responsibility to care for the land—a message we are reminded of more and more each day. If you ever find yourself in Maui (once the island is ready and able to host visitors again), I highly recommend checking out this project.
Below are a few highlights and excerpts from artist statements.
Wailuku Ho’okele / Wailuku Wayfinders (August 2022) by Edwin Ushiro
"Like the connecting stars in the sky that form a constellation, the moments of working on the mural has connected all my loved ones from my past to present. Working together reinforcing our bonds to leave something behind that symbolizes what makes a community."
Native Protector (February 2019) by Joey Rose & Alexandra Underwood, Pangeaseed Foundation
“Ocean acidification, an issue largely unknown, is a serious and growing threat to our oceans. CO2 pumped into the atmosphere from man-made carbon emissions is being absorbed by the ocean, making the water more acidic.
Everything made of calcium carbonate is impacted by highly acidic ocean water including shellfish, plankton, and coral.
But there is some hope: although not a permanent solution, studies show that replanting certain species of native coral help reduce the effects of ocean acidification.”
Kaulana Nā Wai ʻEhā (February 2019) by Cory Kamehanaokalā Taum, Pangeaseed Foundation
“This piece is my tribute to the four famous streams of west Maui and the importance of the Ahupuaʻa system in both traditional times and even more so, today. The idea is to give the viewer the "birds eye view" of the Wailuku valley and river, and the sea at Kaʻehu bay. I believe in these crucial times we must look from this view to realize and understand the effects of our actions and the importance of protecting what precious resources we still have before it is too late."
I hope you'll join me in sending continued aloha to Maui over the months and years to come as they recover and rebuild—whether in the form good thoughts or donations. If you are interested in making a financial donation, these are some of the fundraisers I've found that people and organizations in Maui are endorsing:
You can view more highlights from my trip on Instagram.
Mahalo,
Cara