NEWS RELEASE
Kapālama Kai Welcomes New Murals From Local and Visiting Artists Participating in Hawai‘i Walls 2023
Posted: May 15, 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.
