ART NEWS
Kalakaua Avenue statue honors telling of stories

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Staff Writer

News of two pieces of public art:

"Ha'i Mo'olelo" ("The Storyteller") is a new statue unveiled Oct. 5 at 2100 Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki. Created by artist Shige Yamada, the statue was commissioned by Honu Group Inc., developers of the luxury shopping complex. Maui-born Yamada, who created the "Gift of Water" statue at the Hawai'i Convention Center, said the storyteller is meant to depict the vision for this destination. "Telling the story is part of our history and our future," said Mona Abadir, principal of Honu Group. "'The Storyteller' reminds us of our past, of our interlinked traditions and cultures. She foretells the creative possibilities of our future. Her message ... is that it is our responsibility to sustain and enrich the arts and education of Hawai'i." The seven-foot bronze sculpture depicts a Hawaiian woman in a seated position.

Shigeru Miyamoto's "Aloha ke Ala Kupuna" ("Beloved is the Ancestral Path") is being dedicated Oct. 24 at Major Sheldon Wheeler Elementary School, Wheeler Army Airfield. The ceramic tile mural was made possible by a $54,000 grant from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the state Department of Education. "This mural is symbolic of spirit and knowledge, blending the past, present and future to understand who we are, where we came from and where we are going," wrote Miyamoto in an artist's statement. "Understanding our past helps us to learn the lesson our ancestors pass on to us." He said the pathway depicted in the mural symbolizes the individual leaving his or her imprint, offering a guide to those who come behind. American and Hawaiian flags in the piece symbolize Hawai'i's separate identity as well as its membership in the nation, indicating that we are stronger through connection with the whole.