The festival aligns with Kamehameha Schools’ efforts to foster a creative industries
footprint throughout its lands in Kapālama Kai
KAPĀLAMA, HAWAI‘I (May 11, 2023) – Kapālama Kai joins the Kalihi and Pālama neighborhoods to welcome more than 80 local and visiting artists to paint 70 new murals as part of Hawai‘i Walls 2023, formerly known as POW! WOW! Hawai‘i.
Having established its roots in Our Kaka‘ako, the festival is celebrating its 11th year and has expanded to the Kapālama-Kalihi-Pālama area from May 8 through 14. The festival aims to engage the community by showcasing the creative process of public art at various locations throughout the region, including several commercial properties owned by Kamehameha Schools in Kapālama Kai.
“We’re excited to be a part of Hawai‘i Walls 2023 and to have these incredible works of art on display in Kapālama Kai,” said Bobbie Lau, senior asset manager at Kamehameha Schools. “This festival presents future opportunities to showcase artists and promote the various career paths within Hawai‘i’s growing creative industries.”
Hawai‘i Walls founder Jasper Wong spent a lot of his childhood in the Kapālama Kai area working in his mother’s grocery store and bakery across Farrington High School. He hopes the festival will help uplift the community that has been a part of his own personal history.
“Public art has been known to transform areas creating excitement and a renewed sense of pride in the community,” said Wong. “It is an honor to align with partners like Kamehameha Schools who sees the importance of supporting the artists and other professionals in the creative industries.”
Kamehameha Schools’ commercial properties in Kapālama Kai will feature 14 murals on walls at Dillingham Plaza, Waiakamilo Industrial Complex, and its 641 Waiakamilo Road building.
Los Angeles-based artist Trav MSK will be painting one of the larger murals in the festival, measuring 200 feet long and 20 feet high at the 641 Waiakamilo Road location. His dynamic collages pull together artifacts and inspirations from the golden era of retail and entertainment, both real and imagined, while paying homage to the stylized iconography of a bygone era.
At Dillingham Plaza, a total of nine murals will be painted by both local and visiting artists, including Ken Flewellyn, Dak1ne, Nyte, Ellemsee, Mae Waite, Lauren Hana Chai, Jana Lam, 7Sketches, Boz Schurr, Mae Waite, Lauren YS and Hiero Veiga.
Lastly, murals by artists Jessico Serrano, Abel Gonzales, and Roman Cesario will be featured at the Waiakamilo Industrial Center at Kalihi and Kalani Street.
“Art has the power to bring people together and to create positive change in our communities,” added Lau. “All forms of art are vital to our vision for an innovative and inclusive Kapālama Kai community. As the district evolves, so will the artwork as we look to honor the place and diversity of this community.”
For information on Kapālama Kai, visit www.kapalamakai.com or connect via Facebook and Instagram @kapalamakai.
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About Kapālama Kai
Made up of 104 acres of Kamehameha Schools commercial lands in the Kapālama ahupuaʻa, Kapālama Kai is an area of imminent renewal contributing to community resiliency within and beyond the region. It is a place of innovation based on the area’s existing connectivity and relationships, with ʻāina and culture as a foundation for realizing a safe, inclusive mixed-use community. Kamehameha Schools envisions stimulating Hawaiʻi’s food systems and creative industries, and adding much-needed housing for kama‘āina. Learn more at www.kapalamakai.com and connect via Facebook and Instagram (@kapalamakai).
About Kamehameha Schools
Founded in 1887 by the legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, Kamehameha Schools is a private, educational, charitable trust committed to improving the capability and well-being of the Native Hawaiian people through education. In 2015, Kamehameha Schools embarked on a bold voyage that envisions, in one generation, a thriving lāhui where learners, grounded in Christian and Hawaiian values, achieve postsecondary educational success and become leaders who contribute to their communities both locally and globally. For more information, visit www.ksbe.edu and connect via Facebook and Instagram (@kamehamehaschools) and Twitter (@ksnews).
About Hawai‘i Walls
Hawai‘i Walls is a gathering of contemporary artists that engages with the broader community in the process and creation of art. POW! WOW! Hawai‘i, now known as Hawai‘i Walls, is celebrating its 11th annual festival in Hawai‘i and will surpass over 65 total festivals worldwide this year. Established in 2011 in Hawai‘i, the organization has evolved into a global network of artists, hosting gallery shows, lecture series, art and music schools, mural projects, and live art installations across the globe. More information is available by contacting [email protected] or following @worldwidewalls on Instagram.