SMALL TOWN BIG ART

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SMALL TOWN BIG ART

All artists welcome!

SMALL TOWN * BIG ART is a County of Maui creative placemaking project to position Wailuku, Hawaii as a public arts district that is focused on its distinctive sense of place, history and culture.

04/10/2026

Hoʻomau: Inspired by 300 sketches created by ʻĪao Intermediate School and by conversations with those working to develop the Maui County Children’s Peace Center, Wailuku-based Kirk Kurokawa completed this mural in acknowledgment of April 2021’s Child Abuse Prevention Month. For its unveiling, the surrounding space was adorned with Pinwheels for Prevention by Girl Scout Troop 162 from St. Anthony Church. The artist selected two proverbs to connect his mural to a sense of place, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: He lei poina ‘ole ke keiki (A lei never forgotten is the beloved child), and a proverb which originates from the Japanese community: Nana korobi ya oki (fall down seven times stand up eight). Learn more at smalltownbig.org/kurokawa.

02/11/2026

The Legacy Series: Avi Molinas + SMALL TOWN * BIG ART (Feb 2021)

“Legacy is not only what you do, but it’s where you call your identification to ‘āina.” — Kumu Hula Hōkūlani Holt

Enjoy this past project film exploring the stories behind Maui artist Avi Molinas’ public art installation. For a two-month run at First Hawaiian Bank’s Wailuku Branch, large-scale replicas of Molinas’ oil portraits looked out onto Market Street, honoring three Wailuku icons: Judge Noa (Auwae) Kepoikai (1862–1911), Rose (Daniels) Kepoikai (1864–1956), and living treasure Hōkūlani Holt (1951– ).

Designed to spark conversation during a time of distance, this film brings together artist, descendants and subjects to discuss the deep bonds of ancestry. Hayden Aluli, the great-grandnephew of Judge and Rose Kepoikai, reflects on the power of seeing his ancestors’ faces in modern Wailuku: “It is an inspiration... to want to live up to their legacy and try to contribute with the work that we do as Hawaiians for our community.”

For Molinas, a Spanish-born artist who found his home in Maliko Gulch, the project is a humble contribution to perpetuating the history of his adopted home. “I think it’s important for people like me, visitors, and even people who are born and raised in the islands to learn more about the everyday lives of the people who are indigenous to this land.”

Watch the full film to see how art can bridge generations and keep the stories of our kūpuna alive: smalltownbig.org/avi

HawaiianHistory Legacy PublicArt

10/25/2025

All artists welcome.

https://www.mauipublicart.org/apply.html

09/27/2025

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Mickey Pauole.

In 2022, we were honored to work together with him when we commissioned him as lead artist for the SMALL TOWN * BIG ART “Humans of Wailuku” photo-essay. Under his lens, 22 Wailuku community members were invited to share their thoughts on the question: “Why do you think it is valuable to connect each Small Town * Big Art project to a specific proverb from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau?”

Each subject was photographed in a place in Wailuku that held meaning to them, while their reflections were recorded. The resulting collection offers a vivid and humble look into how community, place, language and cultural wisdom can be woven together in art. (You can see the participants’ responses and images here: smalltownbig.org/feedback)

Through this project, Mickey helped us deepen ties between visual storytelling and Hawaiian language and culture. His work gave voice and visage to people’s relationship with place - and through the invocation of kūpuna proverbs, rooted that connection in generations of wisdom.

The feedback Mickey helped to collect highlights how meaningful this anchoring was to participants: it enriched their experience of Wailuku, anchored the artworks with cultural weight, and allowed viewers to feel both the power of place and the weight of ‘Ōlelo No‘eau.

I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Mickey for his kindness, generosity, and the way he approached this work - with sensitivity, respect and integrity. He was a consummate professional, with a truly remarkable eye, and his gentle approach created a space for people to open up.

May his spirit and his contributions continue to inspire. His legacy lives on in the images he left behind, and in how we remember Wailuku through his art.

Rest in peace, Mickey. You will be greatly missed.

08/01/2025

In 2019, the mural Eli by Canadian artist Emmanuel Jarus became one of the first public artworks commissioned through SMALL TOWN * BIG ART, a creative placemaking initiative led by the County of Maui, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/Maui Historical Society, and now Maui Public Art Corps. The mural was created through a process of community consultation, cultural guidance, hands-on workshops, and lived experience, with Jarus joining a local family on a fishing expedition that inspired the final image - a spear diver preparing to enter the water. Grounded in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau “ʻIke aku, ʻike mai, kōkua aku, kōkua mai, pēlā ka nohona ʻohana,” the mural speaks to the values of reciprocity, ʻohana, and connection to ʻāina. Located in the parking area behind 808 Old Town between Main Street and Wells Street, it directly supported the goals of the Wailuku Town Improvement Project, a multi-phase County initiative focused on revitalizing infrastructure, walkability, and public spaces in Wailuku’s historic core. The mural served as a visible marker of cultural identity and community participation during a time of significant investment in streetscapes, civic space, and downtown redevelopment. It helped establish Wailuku as an emerging arts district rooted in history, local voice, and place-based storytelling.

07/31/2025

Throwback: On this day in 2022, Of the Land by Sachelle Dae was exhibited at Wailuku’s First Hawaiian Bank, facing Market Street. The supersized triptych of oil paintings was inspired by talk-story recordings between Anuhea Yagi and Roselle Bailey, and between Kalapana Kollars and Aunty Wallette Pellegrino. Guided by ʻŌlelo Noʻeau Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono, Sachelle spent months with storytellers and led a free youth workshop to connect with the Wailuku community. The work was exhibited from June 21–August 31 and debuted with a public event featuring a spoken-word performance by Anuhea.

In Aunty Wallette’s story, she and Kalapana reflect on their deep-rooted connection to Wailuku—how knowing your family’s place and stories fosters a profound sense of belonging. Through memories of old streets and songs like Sweet Mariah, they convey the lasting power of cultural inheritance. Listen, learn and enjoy at smalltownbig.org/dae

Since then, SMALL TOWN * BIG ART has grown countywide through Maui Public Art Corps. Our intergenerational talk-story program has evolved into Hui Mo‘olelo, with every artwork now rooted in a community story. To date, we’ve unveiled 129 public artworks across Maui County and beyond. We’d love to hear what you think of this piece!

06/17/2025

Pua Liʻiliʻi: A Pop-Up Dance Performance in Wailuku (June 14 on Market Street at 6:45 pm + June 19 at Good Shepherd at 5 pm)

Witness a powerful performance by acclaimed Native Hawaiian choreographer Christopher Kaui Morgan, blending hula, contemporary dance, and original music by TJ Keanu Tario.

Inspired by moʻolelo shared through the Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ʻAla initiative by Hōkū Pavao, Francis Taua, Sean-Joseph Takeo Kahāokalani Choo and William Haʻo, this site-responsive solo work honors resilience, identity, and the courage to be seen—featuring a stunning custom garment by fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan.

✨ Free & open to all, with RSVP greatly appreciated
📍 More at: mauipublicart.org/seen

04/26/2025

This weekend, we will be at Keōpūolani Regional Park installing a new pilot public art project created through our collaborative Hui Mo‘olelo program with Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society, the County of Maui and Lāhainā Restoration Foundation.

Artists Christopher Carraway & Sarah DeYoung each selected mo‘olelo from our collection to inspire utility box artwork designs that they will handpaint on Saturday & Sunday. We have worked closely together this month to gather storyteller thoughts and ideas,

Pack a picnic, join a free story or yoga session, grab your sun gear and come say aloha. is offering this generous discount for picnickers both days 🧺 because they rule.

03/21/2025

Our current RFP asks artists to select a story excerpt from one of three Hui Mo‘olelo collections that we have developed to date, and to interpret it as a work of visual, performance or experiential public art in collaboration with our community. (We’re with you the whole way through!). Budgets may range from $100 - $20,000.

Projects fall into one of five categories: pop-up performances, murals, utility box projects, recycling bin beautification, and open call.

The deadline is March 31, 2025.

Details at ➡️ mauipublicart.org/apply ⬅️

Pass it on!

03/07/2025

Wailuku Garage Wayfinding (featuring .6thgrade !)

In June 2023, artists Matthew Kawika Ortiz and Roxanne Ortiz — who paint under the name Wooden Wave, created 6 large-scale artworks within the Wailuku Garage to function as directional signage; offering a wayfinding element that draws people to entry and exit points and also helps distinguish the varying floor levels of the space (our 5th call-to-artists).

Working in collaboration with design teams and community members, they spent 3 months participating in community engagement activities that resulted in a design of distinct landscape elements, a color palette, and animal species unique to each floor: 1) lo‘i kalo, auwai and ‘ōpae ‘oeha‘a; 2) mountains, waterfalls and ‘o‘opu alamo‘o, which are arranged vertically to hint at their journey upstream to climb waterfalls; and 3) clouds and pueo, referencing several community consultations that spoke to Wailuku’s strong connection to mo‘olelo about pueo.

Through additional huaka’i and a free talk-story event at the Wailuku Public Library, they developed and interpreted the connections between their artwork design and the Wailuku ahupuaʻa, ultimately rooting the collection in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka (the land is a chief; man is its servant). Learn more at smalltownbig.org/wayfinding.

02/28/2025

Though outside of the STBA collection, this one is close to our hearts! The ‘HOPE’ mural in Wailuku is dedicated to the Maui community and was produced as part of fundraising efforts for Maui based non-profit UVSC (Us Vs Cancer). It is a collaborative artwork with Meggs and Kamea Hadar that represents a bonding of traditional and contemporary Hawaiian cultural practices. The project was made possible with the support the support of Maui Brewing Company, the Frost Family Foundation and Goodfellow Bros., Inc.

Address

Wailuku, HI
96793

Website

http://www.smalltownbig.org/

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