August 21, 2024, 5:00 p.m. HST
Student artwork that had adorned 1,000 feet of chain-link fencing in Lahaina was removed last week to make way for a sewer project that supports transitional housing and 29 homes on Fleming Road, the County of Maui said. The artwork was stored for future use, including an installation at the Lahaina Civic Center later this year.
The artwork was commissioned late last year by the nonprofit Maui Public Art Corps, which has worked with over 900 students from across Maui to create artwork designed to teach resilience and strengthen the community, said Erin Wade, director of planning and development for the County of Maui Department of Management.
Last December, the art was printed on 1,000 feet of dust fencing by the Maui Public Art Corps with support from the Hawai’i Community Foundation. The state Department of Transportation offered Honoapi’ilani Highway, adjacent to the Wahikuli neighborhood, as a location to prominently display the students’ art.
With assistance from Goodfellow Bros. and ‘Āina Archeology, the 20 x 8 foot panels were installed along the highway.
“The student art exhibit was an important way to share thought-provoking, inspiring, sad and encouraging perspectives of our island’s youth,” said Kelly White, chair of the Maui Public Art Corps. “After being carefully removed to make way for the sewer line and housing projects, the panels will be safely stored until their future use and serve as a symbol of resilience, unity and the promise of a better future.”
