Bright Spot: Holualoa Elementary School Murals
Keiki adds handprints to the mural. Photo courtesy of Lydia8.
It’s always exciting to see art, community, and culture in schools. This Bright Spot features a project doing all this and more!
This spring, Holualoa Elementary School has been getting a powerful makeover. It’s all thanks to a collaboration between the school and its parent-teacher organization, the grassroots art nonprofit Lydia8, and the community-based organization Aloha MAP. We are so impressed by how it’s coming together so far!
The school built partnerships to help involve students, staff, and community in a mural project to brighten the campus and bring people together. They’ve already completed Phase 1, which gave everyone a chance to place their handprints on a wall on the school’s field. Around 200 people from the community came — including some Hōkūpaʻa members! — in addition to over 500 students and staff. Working alongside Lydia8’s artists, students then used locally-gathered rainwater to cover the handprints with a light color wash. Lastly, artist Kukui Mahoney painted stunning images honoring the area’s history and natural beauty.
The moʻolelo incorporated into the artwork help students learn about the ʻāina and its history. In preparation for the murals, the project planners spoke to local kupuna. Their stories became the basis for the designs. Now with the art as a visual reminder, students can take their turn as curators and storytellers. Through these murals, the artists (students included) promote healing and connection to Holualoa, its past, and the people that live there now.
Video courtesy of Lydia8
Although the major community-involved phase is completed, there is more art to come! Phase 2 will create more murals around the school, thanks to local artist Brandy-Alia Serikaku. Everything should be ready in time for this year’s May Day celebration.
Beyond this being a great project in and of itself, we are so grateful to everyone involved for helping to address a critical community need: young people in West Hawaiʻi have limited options for healthy connections and outlets. Given the chance, students are excited to make a lasting impact on schools and communities. We hope this Bright Spot encourages others to find ways to malama community alongside its youth.
Mahalo to Lydia8, Aloha MAP, and everyone at the Holualoa Elementary School: staff, students, PTO, and community!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS:
Lydia8 is a Hawaii-based wāhine artists’ nonprofit that accepts donations to further its work. Visit https://www.lydia8.org to connect with them if you are interested in supporting a project for your school, community, or business anywhere on Hawaiʻi Island. Lydia8 works with all ages, and particularly wants to reach schools that do not have art or Hawaiian programs. They are a great organization not just for creating art, but also getting young people working alongside established artists so they can experience this potential career pathway.
Aloha MAP is a program of Friends of the Future, who is also Hōkūpaʻa’s fiscal sponsor. They do hands-on work for West Hawaiʻi’s students to promote things like post-secondary preparation, Hawaiian culture, and community connection. Visit http://alohamap.org/ to connect with them and see their opportunities for students.
