Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 6, 1 May 2008 — MAMo: Maoli Arts Month [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAMo: Maoli Arts Month

Hawai'i's largest celebration of Native Hawaiian arts and artists, MAMo: Maoli Arts Month, features an eclectic mix of people, perfonnance art and demonstrations - and many events are free.

Venues span from Waikiki to Kona - a first for MAMo on the neighbor islands. For a complete event listing, see www.oha.org/kawaiola. Here's a preview:

Maui painter A1 Lagunero worked overtime after receiving word that he was a 2008 MAMo awardee. In two months he produced six paintings especially for the honorees' exhibit show-

ing through August at Bishop Museum's J.M. Long Gallery (Regular admission applies.) But that's not all, he adds with a laugh, "I have about 18 other paintings at Louis Pohl Gallery that I did at the same time." Elizabeth Lee's woven hats onee sold for 20 cents. Now her "fine weave, red hats" ean rake in $1,500. A MAMo awardee, she learned lauhala weaving from her hānai mom, Hattie Kahananui. By the way, the "red" distinction is a remnant from the Hawaiians of old, Lee says, "because they couldn't pronounce 'rare.' " Stones talk to sculptor Henry "Hanale" Hopfe when he gathers them from the Wai'anae

coast. "They tell me their name, and I eall them by their name," says Hopfe, a MAMo awardee who feels deep eonneetions to both land and people. "Ho'ohanohano i nā kūpuna a me ka po'e o Hawai'i nei," he says. "My work honors our kūpuna and people of Hawai'i nei." MAMo awardee David Parker has painted portraits of 200 chiefs and counting. Many of them lived pre-contact and left behind no records of their likenesses, but Parker isn't deterred. He paints from his na'au. "A lot of those people were my ancestors," he says. "We don't know how they looked but no one has ever portrayed them at all, so I did it." Imaikalani Kalahele organizes

a poetry reading, 6-9 p.m. at the ARTS at Marks Garage at downtown Chinatown's First Friday Gallery Walk, May 2. If last year is any indication, expect the unexpected. "We do everything from chant to this crazy kind stuff on the street," he says. "Blew me away these young guys, whoo they swear like hell." Kealopiko sells its new Kū 2008 line at First Friday on a flatbed truck near Kim Taylor Reece Gallery on Bethel Street. The Girlas and other musical friends will stop by to entertain the crowd. Catch Kealopiko's avant-garde and custom creations at the Wearable Art Show May 16, 5:30 p.m., Waikīkī Beaeh Marriott Resort & Spa ($250 per ticket), the Native Hawaiian Arts Market and Keiki Art Festival, May 3-4, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Bishop Museum lawn ($3), and at the free Keauhou Art Market, May 31, from 10 a.m., Outrigger Keauhou in Kona. ■

NĀ HANANA - EVENTS

5 "Maui" by ' Henry Hopfe. - Photo: Courtesy ofBishop Musuem ■-

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