This application is now closed. If you are interested in registering your child for the waitlist, please email us.
Important Dates:
- Saturday, April 6: Application Submission Deadline
- Saturday, April 20: Families notified of application status
We will have three summer programs. Find more about other programs here:
Schedule: Monday - Friday, June 10 - July 12 from 9:00am - 3:00pm *There will be no class Friday, July 5, 2024
Description:
KIPUKA
ʻO ka makamae a mālama ʻia
The Precious and Protected
Imagine you are a great winged creature soaring above our island of Hawaiʻi, of lands untouched by humans. Stretches of barren lava, dark oceans of aʻa and pahoehoe for as far as the eyes can see. In the distance, islands of ancient forests emerge as olivine gems, an oasis, a kipuka.
In this five week program, young artists ages 6-12 years old will explore various ideas of kipuka through the lens of self, ohana, our island community, and global awareness. Through interdisciplinary art practices, mixing drawing, painting, fiber arts, malama ʻāina, sculpture, music, movement inspired by stories rooted in place, young artists will learn from nature and imagine their own sense of kipuka. What can we learn by acknowledging and immersing ourselves in these protected places we call kipuka?
This program will culminate with a Young Artist Exhibition, curated by Mina Elison, featuring original works from the summer program. An artist reception, awards ceremony and presentation will be held for families on Friday, July 12 from 12:30 - 3:00pm.
About the Teaching Artist
Puakea Forester was born in Kahuku, O‘ahu to a woodworker, and an arts and religions professor at BYU-Hawaii. Puakea attended Ka‘a‘awa Elementary School where her kumu hula (teacher) Aunty Kawai Aona-Ueoka, instilled in her a love for hula, and a kuleana (responsibility) in making the kapa.
“There is profound mana held in the memories of our childhood. One such memory was of being a young girl in the mid 80ʻs, watching my kumu singing with the rustling leaves of her wauke as she plucked the side shoots to make for good clean kapa, caressing them, as you would tending to your loved ones.”
When a child bares witness to those in their community tending reciprocal, loving relations between themselves and ʻāina, they see where they too have a familial place amongst the natural world - thereby reducing the impact of colonizing extractive mentalities - resulting in a whole and meaningful sense of self to continue the work of healing and mending broken relationships with nature for our kūpuna (ancestors) & our mo’opuna (grandchildren). Puakea firmly grounds her life work centered upon these principles. With almost 25 years of teaching ages 2-101, Puakea brings with her a bold and joyful background in theater for social change, global & indigenous women's studies, ethnobotany, and fiber arts.
