Giva Salutes: Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center
At Giva we search for organizations, large and small, that are doing a great job of changing the world around them for the better; and we are pleased to salute them here!
Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center, a small nonprofit based in Maui, Hawaii, preserves local island heritage and celebrates the spirit of art for all ages. Hui No'eau offers programs for lifelong learning in the arts with initiatives such as public workshops, classes, lectures, exhibitions, art events, historical tours, and education outreach programs for schools.
The historical estate that houses this nonprofit, the Kaluanui Estate, serves as an innovation space for artist teachers and students of all ages, mediums, and experiences; the 25-acre land provides fine arts equipment and technical supervision year-round, and it is the only art nonprofit in Hawaii which provides such a generous service. The nonprofit promotes local artists and unites people through artistic expression.
The home of Kaluanui Estate traces its roots back to 1917 when architect C.W. Dickey built the estate for Hui No'eau founder, Ethel Baldwin. Looking back, Kiersten Faulkner, the Executive Director of the Historic Hawai'i Foundation, called this estate, "a treasure in the architectural history of Upcountry Maui." The estate became the official home of Hui No'eau in 1976 when the nonprofit was founded. Kaluanui Estate had an annual rent of $1 until June 2005 when it purchased the remaining 25-acre lot for a cost of over $3.5 million. How did this nonprofit manage such an incredible feat? The simple love and care of a community began a campaign to support the buyout of the lot as a public asset for the community. With the success of the "Save the Hui - Buy Kaluanui!" campaign, locals realized this dream.
Today, there are weekly exhibitions, galleries, and classes offered by Hui No'eau. This nonprofit's mission is to "unlock creativity through exceptional visual arts education," and they accomplish this while promoting local artists. The art builds cross-cultural awareness, artistic sensitivity in those who view it, and encourages all to pursue their curious passions for this type of creativity. Classes are offered in oil-painting, drawing, photography, digital art, jewelry, ceramics, and many more mediums. Locals praise this cultural gem as a hub that captures a long and important history, improves the present community, and empowers the leaders of the future Maui through art.