This Kealakehe Ahupua’a project is a collaborative effort in Kailua-Kona on Hawai’i Island, created together with the community to showcase a culuturally-driven education program, guided by Kumu Keala Ching, a well respected educator & practioner here in the Hawaiian Islands & paint this impressive 10 feet high x 37 feet wide (4) panel mural over the course of (15) days.
Our Keep It Flowing team, along with volunteers, faculty & students, developed (4) regions in segmented panels of the Kealakehe Ahupua’a, starting at the top of Hualālai & ending at Alula Beach in Kailua-Kona, County of Hawai’i. During this process Kumu Keala Ching shared knowledge & spiritual wisdom with students of Kealakehe High School, spanning (6) full days.
About 743 students of Kealakehe High School & 467 youth participated in all (6) days of training; out of 1,300 total students. The Youth collaboration on the mural featured 368 students (20% of the school population) & was created over (2) full 6-hour+ days.
This (15) day project was supported by sponsors & was complimented by an Art & Creative Writing contest in collaboration with Akamai Art Supply & Keep It Flowing. Winners received gift certificates for supplies at Akamai.
The Kealakehe Ahupua’a mural is the 3rd featured project with Keep It Flowing at Kealakehe High School. This particular project is part a collective-initiative to provide education & life-skills to youth within the Hawaiian Islands.
A very special MAHALO to Kealakehe High School staff & faculty, as well as all the students that participated as well as Principal Glenn Gray! We could not have done this project without the kokua from Vice Principal Wendy Daniel, Hannah Loyola & Lead Organizer Karen Sheff (Educator of Culinary Arts & PHS), along with Kumu Keala Ching, Lead Artists Nicole Collins, Danielle Burnside & Ira Stivers. As always, we can not do these community projects without our sponsors: Sheraton Keauhou Resort & Spa, Akamai Art Supply, Konatown Brand, Toy Munkee Media LLC & Kona iPhone Repair: THANK YOU ALL!
The timeline of the project was as follows:
Sunday, April 7th:
Mural Co-organizer / Educator Karen Sheff of Kealakehe High School, Kumu Keala Ching & Keep It Flowing staff meet at Building I to discuss all details.
Monday, April 8th:
Lead Artist Kenneth “East3” Nishimura visited Alula Beach to photograph & notate the landscape & Heiau of Alula, which is depicted in panel (4) of the mural. Ken also visited the top of Hualālai, which is in panel (1), to document in preparation of developing the sketch for the mural.
Tuesday & Wednesday, April 9th & 10th:
Kenneth & Kumu Keala Ching meet to discuss the 1st draft of the mural: Kumu Keala Ching share his mana’o & vision to include in the mural.
Thursday – Saturday, April 25th – 27th:
Kellee Kubota sources all supplies & begins the process of hand cutting all plant life sponge stamps to use in for kapala with the youth (kapala-printing in Hawaiian); Keep It Flowing digital designers created visuals to illustrate the stages in which the artist & Kumu could use as a guideline.
Monday & Tuesday, April 29th & 30th:
The team painted skyline for all sections, developed back & mid-ground color way & shading for the panels.
Wednesday & Thursday, May 1st & 2nd:
A total of 467 students participated in the painting of this mural. Local Kona artists Nicole Collins, Ira Stivers & Danielle Burnside guided the youth through the painting process by sharing descriptions of each plant & application techniques. Students painted lava rocks, endemic plant life including Laua’e & Palapalai Ferns, Koa & Lehua O’hia & Naupaka leaves. During the collaboration, students alternated from the designated outdoor classroom to participate in painting the mural as Kumu Keala Ching provided cultural education & rehearsed Hawaiian chants which would be later performed at the mural unveiling.
Friday, May 3rd:
Students from all (7) class periods completed their daily lessons by visiting the mural to rehearse the chant Kumu had shared with them. All artists stopped painting during the chant to honor the spiritual process.
Monday, May 6th:
Ken developed the mid-ground stages of each region of Hualālai Mauna. In panel (1), at the top of the Hualālai, the artists developed the Lehua O’hia trees that were softened & in the background fading in & out of the clouds & mist. Each region had very specific plant life that co-existed with one another & it was the artists’ journey to illustrate this with accuracy & cultural integrity. The artists continued to move to panels (2) & (3) through out the day.
Tuesday, May 7th:
Keep it Flowing artists continued developing each panel of the mural. Our process was to bring completion to the background first, then move towards the foreground of the mural. Hand-painted ferns, flowers & tree leaves were painted by our artists to collaborate with the students’ participation. Milo, Hala, Kukui & Kou trees were completed in the background.
Wednesday, May 8th:
Artists complete the mid-section and begin the foreground of the mural including Pili grass, coconut trees & the development of all ferns, Lehua O’hia & ‘ie’ie. Other areas which included Alahe’e & A’ali’i were also completed. Nishimura completed section (4) which included Alula beach & the Heiau of Alula.
Thursday, May 9th:
Lead muralists, including Nicole Collins, proceeded to complete the mural by focusing on the foreground elements which comprised of painting the mauka & makai Naupaka & Hala tree. Kumu spent most of the class period inside & also visited the mural location to practice chanting through multiple approaches of teamwork & learning practices. The mural is complete.
Friday, May 10th:
After the mural dried for one complete day, artist Ira Stivers applies the UV protective clear coat to the mural as Kumu visits the wall with the students to practice chanting & share his mana’o.
Monday, May 13th:
We hosted the Kealakehe Ahupua’a Mural unveiling in front of the west facing wall of Building I during the morning recess. Students & community members of Kealakehe & beyond came to the unveiling to celebrate the completion of the mural. The celebration began by co-organizer Karen Sheff thanking all involved & introduced Kumu Ching to begin the ceremony of blessing the Ahupua’a Mural. The blessing was followed by the youth from Kumu’s class joining together to chant during ceremony, reciting what they had learned the 2 weeks prior!
We loved all the student submissions! There’s certainly a lot of talent at Kealakehe High School! Thank you to everyone that came together in order to bring this project full circle. Mahalo nui loa for your kokua…
Kealakehe Ahupua’a Press
Ahupua‘a o Kealakehe mural unveiled at Kealakehe High School
