Robena, who owns and operates a gallery by the same name in Makawao, spearheaded the painting of a mural on the retaining wall of the Makawao Municipal Parking lot last month. The 100 foot long by 10 foot high wall had been completely defaced by graffiti.
Robena is known for her beautiful, large-scale paintings depicting life in the islands, so she was a natural choice for Lisa Rodrigues, director of the Boys & Girls Club in Makawao. Robena was thrilled to be asked by Rodrigues to coordinate the effort and set about making the painting of the mural a true community event.
In addition to the participation of young people from the Boys and Girls Club of Makawao, Robena secured help from art students attending Kalama Intermediate, King Kekaulike High School, Seabury Hall and UH Maui College. She also organized help from amateur and professional artists, including Joseph Fletcher, Christine Halton and Wayne Pak.
Article Photos
The community came together Sept. 22 to transform a graffiti covered retaining wall at the municipal parking lot in Makawao into a beautiful mural.
Photos courtesy Robena
After receiving input from members of the Boys & Girls Club, its director and the County of Maui liaison, a theme and images were agreed upon. Robena compiled the information to create an image for the mural; a symbolic representation of the essence and roots of life on Maui.
The artists were scheduled to paint on Sept. 22, based on their skill level, progressing from beginner to intermediate to advanced talent. Large areas of color were laid down first, with detail being added and enhanced as the day went on.
Over 60 artist participated in the day-long event with enthusiasm and excitement, resulting in a beautiful symbolic depiction of life on Maui in a mural filled with pride and aloha.
The project was sponsored by the County of Maui with a number of area businesses contributing. Business partners included Ace Hardware in Pukalani, Service Rentals & Supplies, Surf Rents Trucks. Stopwatch Bar & Grill served lunch to the artists.
The Department of Housing and Human Concerns and the "Be a Jerk" campaign to discourage underage drinking, under the auspices of Community Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol, were all sponsors of the project.
