From the hippie-era enclaves of upcountry Maui to the rustic byways of Lanai City and Kaunakakai, it’s apparent that artists are in residence throughout Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Water colorists, glass blowers, jewelry makers, photographers, ceramicists and a vast variety of performing artists are as much a part of these islands as surfers, snorkelers and beachcombers.
"There’s a big artistic community here—Maui tends to draw a lot of people who are interested in the arts," says Charlene Kauhane, spokesperson for the Maui Visitors Bureau. "It started back in the 1960s and ’70s. Towns like Lahaina, Makawao, Paia and Wailuku are art destinations, with not only lots of galleries, but working art studios."
In addition to offering a thriving visual arts scene supported by over 50 galleries, Maui also boasts two theater companies, a symphony orchestra and an international film festival.
For groups, the ways to incorporate art into a meeting agenda are only limited by the imagination. Art workshops, arts and crafts demonstrations, live performances by local Grammy-winning musicians and even film screenings under the stars are just a few of the ways that local artistic resources can be mined for unique and memorable experiences.
Artistic Venues
Two standout arts venues on Maui are evidence of the island’s claim to being a first-rate arts destination: Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center and the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Both not only showcase the work of island artists, but offer a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for events.
Located in upcountry Maui with views of the north shore and West Maui Mountains, Hui No’eau, which translates to "Club of Skills" in English, is housed in a gracious 1917 plantation manor house surrounded by 25 acres of rolling lawns, Cook Island pines, guava trees and outbuildings containing classrooms and studios.
For large gatherings, the estate offers a solarium and front lawn that can accommodate receptions of up to 250 people. The manor house, which is the scene of changing art exhibitions throughout the year, contains spaces for board meetings, conferences, lectures and other indoor events.
Art workshops conducted by artists in a variety of disciplines, including photography, ceramics, jewelry making, painting and drawing, can be arranged for groups, says Keri Meyer, sales and event coordinator for Hui No’eau.
"We work with groups on a one-on-one-basis to provide a customized program," she says. "The programs can last for a few hours or one or two days. We work with a lot of DMCs on this, and the interest is steadily growing."
Devoted to both the visual and performing arts, the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) in Kahului presents scheduled shows by performers from around the world and is home to the Maui Pops! Orchestra. Among its spaces available to groups are a 1,200-seat theater, an intimate 250-seat theater, a 4,100-square-foot visual arts gallery, a 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, meeting rooms and courtyards.
"Since it’s a performing arts center, you can bring in any sort of name entertainment that you want," says Colleen Reyes, director of sales for MC&A, a DMC based in Honolulu that provides services throughout the state. "The acoustics and equipment are all state of the art. We also like to use the gallery for cocktail receptions or dinners."
MACC is also part of Maui’s vibrant film scene, hosting "First Light" screenings and cafe theater events for film buffs. The center serves as a location each June for the Maui Film Festival. The festival, which draws top film celebrities, also takes place at outdoor venues such as the Wailea Golf Course, which is transformed into a huge open-air movie theater known as the Celestial Cinema.
"Watching the films at Wailea is an amazing experience—it’s like sitting in a huge bowl with Mt. Haleakala as a backdrop," Kahane says. "Groups can arrange with the Wailea Resort to have private screenings there at times other than the film festival."
Show Time
When night falls on Maui, there is no shortage of special concerts and theatrical performances to keep attendees entertained while also imparting a sense of the island’s cultural traditions.
When it comes to finding talent to perform at group events, Reyes says the Hawaiian music scene is loaded with possibilities. Among her favorite performers for events is Henry Kopono, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter whose music reflects both rock and Hawaiian influences.
"He’s multitalented and really knows how to read a crowd and draw in the audience," Reyes says. "He’ll start out with traditional Hawaiian and then roll over into covers like Mustang Sally or Stairway to Heaven. He’s equally good with Hawaiian and contemporary."
Kathy Clarke, president of Kathy Clarke Hawaii, is another DMC who finds the local performing arts scene to be a valuable resource for events.
"The options for entertainment here are endless—you can have any kind of music and dance that you want," she says. "There are fire dancers, acrobats, fabulous vocalists and musicians. Among my favorite is Puanama, a group consisting of three sisters from Lahaina who are superb vocalists and have a stunning act."
Convenient sources of entertainment are the resort hotels on both Maui and Lanai. Among locally favorite events is the weekly Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Concert Series at Maui’s Napili Kai Resort. Combining music from local artists with Hawaiian "talk story," live performances from the show formed the basis for a Grammy-nominated CD Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2.
Another unique resort offering is Lanai’s Visiting Artists Program, which brings in a series of internationally acclaimed artists, authors and performers to the Lodge at Koele at various times throughout the year. In the past, the program has provided visitors with the chance to meet and mingle with the likes of novelist Larry McMurtry, painter Guy Buffet, filmmaker David Wolper, chef Emeril Lagasse, jazz great Arturo Sandoval and many others.
When it comes to permanent theatrical offerings, Maui offers several crowd-pleasers, including Ulalena at the Maui Theater in Lahaina. Inspired by Cirque du Soleil, the 75-minute performance by a troupe of dancers, singers and musicians mixes traditional Hawaiian rhythms and stories with acrobatics and special effects.
Another popular entertainment option in Lahaina is Warren & Annabelle’s Magic Club, which presents a two-hour interactive show featuring sleight-of-hand magician Warren Gibson and other performers. Guests first assemble in Annabelle’s Parlor for appetizers and cocktails before heading into the intimate theater for the show.
"For smaller groups of 80 or less, Warren & Annabelle’s is a great experience," says Kurt Wright, president of The Wright Company, a Maui-based DMC and meeting planning firm. "It’s an incredible show that is unique to Maui."
Wright also recommends the Feast of Lele, an evening of Polynesian food and dance presented in an open-air setting on the Lahaina waterfront.
"It’s a very upscale and gourmet evening, with food served in courses that complements each dance performance," Wright says. "The location is great, too—when the show is over people can walk around Lahaina and browse among the shops and galleries."
Maui’s newest spectacle is Cirque Polynesia, a 75-minute show where members of the Wallenda family perform contortions, aerial acrobatics, balancing acts and aerial illusions. The show takes place at the Monarchy Showroom at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali.
The historic Iao Theater in Wailuku is home to Maui OnStage, one of the oldest community theater groups in the U.S. Along with enjoying scheduled performances, groups can rent the 375-seat Spanish Mission-style theater, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, for special events.
Galleries Galore
Maui, Lanai and Molokai all offer an eclectic assortment of art galleries, where attendees can enjoy special exhibitions, shop for locally made gifts or view catered receptions. In many cases, tours of local art studios and even artists’ homes can be arranged for groups by local DMCs.
In Lahaina, which has the largest concentration of galleries on Maui, Friday night is Art Night, a time when gallery browsers are offered music and complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. In addition, the Lahaina Arts Society sponsors year-round arts events, including the weekend Art Mart held under the banyan tree by the old courthouse.
"We do events for groups at the Lahaina art galleries all the time," Reyes says. "People can enjoy champagne or mai tais at a gallery, take a stroll through town and then go to a restaurant for a dine-around evening."
Another artistic hot spot is the upcountry Maui town of Makawao, where visitors can watch glass-blowing demonstrations at Hot Island Glass, shop for paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) items at the Piiholo Ranch Store or browse for local artwork at Viewpoints Gallery.
"On certain days in Makawao you will find artists on the street with easels," Clarke says. "We can contact artists and set this up as a walk-around town with artists’ demonstrations."
Also art-friendly is the island of Lanai, where the charming plantation-era town of Lanai City offers art galleries and boutiques around the pine-shaded main square. Among them is the Lanai Arts Center, where the works of over 20 artists, all of them island residents, are on display in a gallery and gift shop. Another is Mike Carroll Gallery, where award-winning artist Mike Carroll exhibits his oil paintings of Hawaiian landscapes and themes.
"For as tiny an island as Lanai is, the arts scene here is very active," says Mary Charles, founder of MC&A and president of the newly formed Lanai Hospitality Partners, a DMC. "The Lanai Arts Center promotes local artists and sponsors a lot of activities for visitors, including a bead hui several times a week where participants can make jewelry."
For groups on Lanai that want customized arts programs, the choices are abundant, according to Charles.
"We have photographers on the island who will give digital photography classes, showing people how to create gift cards from their digital photography," she says. "Mike Carroll will give painting classes, either at his studio or at local sites. Woodworking and silk scarf painting are also among the possibilities."
Lanai can also be the setting for fashion shows featuring local designs, adds Charles, who recently presented the work of designer Anne Namba at the Hotel Lanai’s outdoor courtyard.
"We did a lunch and fashion show using local models," she says. "Anne is a wonderful designer who uses antique kimonos and obis to make contemporary clothing,"
On Molokai, the main town of Kuanakakai offers several galleries devoted to the works of artists drawn to the secluded island. They include Molokai Fine Arts Gallery, which displays the work of over 100 local artists, and Kamakana Gallery. Both include paintings, sculpture, ceramics and jewelry, as well as traditional Hawaiian items such as handmade drums and ukuleles.
For More Info:
Feast at Lele
808.667.5353
www.feastatlele.com
Four Seasons Resort Lodge at Koele
808.565.4000
www.fourseasons.com
Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center
808.572.6560
www.huinoeau.com
Hyatt Regency Maui
808.667.4440
www.maui.hyatt.com
Iao Theater
808.244.8680
www.mauionstage.com
Kathy Clarke Hawaii
808.661.1029
www.kathyclarkehawaii.com
Lanai Arts Center
808.808.565.7503
www.lanaiart.org
Maui Arts and Cultural Center
808.242.2787
www.mauiarts.org
Maui Theatre
877.688.4800
www.mauitheatre.com
MC&A
808.589.5500
www.mcahawaii.com
Napili Kai Resort
808.669.6271
www.napilikai.com
Warren & Annabelle’s
808.667.6245
www.warrenandannabelles.com
The Wright Co.
808.572.1160
www.thewrightcompany.com
