HONOLULU (HI Now) - To honor the first anniversary of the deadly Lahaina fires, Artist and Conservationist Wyland is sharing his love for Lahaina by painting with young keiki who lost their homes.
The artist known as the “Marine Michelangelo” has made a name for himself worldwide with artwork inspired by the historic whaling town including 103 Whaling walls or murals. “Maui is my favorite island” shares the cause-minded artist. “Maui No Ka Oi!” Breaching humpback whales are a Wyland signature.
“Itʻs one of my favorite images to paint” shared Wyland to HI Now Daily host Rachel Pacarro, as he reflected on the devastating fire that destroyed his famous creations inside Wyland Galleries Lahaina, which called historic Front Street home, for 30 years.
On Aloha Friday, August 9, 2024, the day after the fire anniversary, the artist will collaborate with 10 year old “Iki” Phillips, a 10th generation Lahaina resident, who lost her home, and several relatives on that tragic day. Her father, legendary guitarist and proud Lahainaluna grad Uncle Kaleo Phillips shares heartbreaking stories of unimaginable heartbreak on that day including a rescue of kupuna or seniors trapped inside their burning care home.
We were able to get about 20″ sharedPhillips, with a tear, when he picked up the artist and took him for the first time into the “impact zone” on Front Street. When Wyland asked how many seniors were housed there, Phillips revealed with a tear, “More than one hundred.” The Phillipsʻ family home and that retirement home were two of the 2,000 plus residential structures that burned to the ground on August 8, 2023.
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The artist and the musician and his young daughter who used art to help heal from the tragedy and raise money for family and community will pour their hearts into a mural for Lahaina to raise hope and money that supports the community long after the spotlight fades from the first anniversary.
Wyland painted 2 Chinese Brush Ink paintings that he uses salt to enhance live on HI Now Daily. Iki Phillips assisted on one of a Honu or turtle representing luck. Both will be auctioned off to raise money for Lahaina Hands wearable art.
Wyland will team up with ninth generation Lahaina Boy and proud Lahainaluna alum, Kaleo Phillips, his 10 year old daughter Iki and his nephew Max “Waikane” Louis to use their art and music to raise hope and funds for displaced Lahaina families like Uncle Kaleoʻs. The three are inviting the community of Lahaina to picnic, paint, and jam music kanikapila style on Aloha Friday, August 9, 2024.
The four will use their collective art and heart to create something special the day after Lahaina natives have bring new life to Willie Kʻs powerful anthem “Hawaiian Pride,” with new lyrics adapted to reflect the heartbreaking loss of Lahaina.
Willie K connects the two artists with a love for Maui, who had never met before coming together on the eve of the Lahaina fire anniversary at the HI Now Daily studio with Host Rachel Pacarro. Kaleo was Willie Kʻs only signed artist and the music legend was the first person who Wyland met when he moved to Lahaina in 1979.
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Wyland lived at the famous Pioneer Inn when he first moved to Maui to study humpback whales and enjoyed staying at the humble spot, even when his “starving artist” days were long behind him and he could afford a five star Maui resort. Pioneer Inn was close to Wylandʻs heart
as a Front Street fixture and the place where he first met Hawaiian music icon, and friend, the late Willie K, who later was a key player on Wylandʻs Grammy nominated Blues Planet Album.
The Phillips Ohana, like other Lahaina families displaced by the fire, have been staying at hotels since the deadly fires killed 102 people on August 8, 2023.
The Royal Lahaina, in particular has been their “home” and comfort, and the house of FEMA, while federal support was on Island since the August 2023 fire. The “Lahaina Pride” art and music project will bring together the namesake of Wyland Galleries Lahaina to paint with the Lahaina Keiki on another Lahaina Hands collaboration, showing the power of art to heal and raise hope for the community.
Wylandʻs Lahaina location was a fixture on Front Street for 30 years until the fire. He has painted 103 murals worldwide but told HI Now Daily that his murals have extra “mana” when they are for a cause, especially one that hits home, literally.
The visionary Artist and Conservation who painted 102 murals all over the world, counts as his inspiration Jacques Cousteau and has been a champion for the Water Planet through his non- profit of 31 Years, The Wyland Foundation, has this idea for Lahaina to rise up. “I have an idea for Lahaina” says the Detroit native who started an environmental movement merging arts and science, “We need to build it back exactly the way it was, using new technology of digital printing cement development, recreating every single structure, including the 2,000 plus homes that were tragically destroyed in the fire.That way it protects the people and character of Lahaina town for generations to come.”
Wylandʻs Lahaina location was a fixture on Front Street for 30 years until the fire. The four artists connecting to rise up Lahaina have given new life to Willie Kʻs mele, with new lyrics adapted to reflect the heartbreaking loss of Lahaina.
Max is an Oahu native who has been making music in Los Angeles and has built a big social media following. He was moved to travel to Maui to play music to uplift in the days following the deadly Lahaina fires. What started as him playing music and volunteering to help hubs with essential supplies turned into an art-inspired fashion fundraiser called Lahaina Hands.
Max explained what inspired his Lahaina clothing collection by Keiki who lost their family homes to HI Now Daily Host Rachel Pacarro. “What I noticed was that adults talked about their heartbreak,” said the 26 year old Artist and Social Media entrepreneur, who uses his platform to raise money for causes around the world. “The children I noticed did not. I know that art helped me express myself so I bought art supplies for Lahaina Keiki and we turned their creations into a fashion line called Lahaina Hands.”
That little idea turned into a bigger business when Maxʻs friends were able to get Lahaina Hands to show at New York Fashion Week, raising more than 75-thousand dollars so far for families.
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On Aloha Friday, August 9, 2024, the day after the fire anniversary, Kaleo and Max will team up with Artist, Conservationist and namesake of Wyland Galleries Lahaina to paint with the Lahaina Keiki on another Lahaina Hands collaboration. Their mural called “Lahaina Pride” will be on display first at The Royal Lahaina and then spread aloha inspired by the journey of the
Hokulea Voyaging Canoe. Itʻs permanent home will be at the Lahainaluna High campus above Lahaina Town.
Lahaina Pride can be downloaded on the streaming platform tune.fm, with more of the proceeds going directly to the families.
Kaleo and Max performed Lahaina Pride on Friday night at a celebration of Maui music at the Lahaina Civic Center from 6-9pm. Phillips will also sing the powerful anthem and namesake of the mural at Wyland Galleries art show in Haleiwa on August 17, 2024.
To bid on the art or make donations, go to wyland.com or lahainahands.org Follow @wyland @kaleophillipsmusic and @maxlouis
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