33rd Annual Celebration of the Arts
I Kou Maka - the Eyes of the Beholder
Ledcor Maui was honored to attend and sponsor the 33rd Annual Celebration of the Arts at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua as well as help commemorate the contributions of Clifford Nae’ole. Each year the celebration brings together hundreds of cultural practitioners, artisans, educator, speakers, fashion designers, entertainers and members of the public to celebrate Hawaiʻi nei.
Founded by Clifford Naeʻole in 1992, Celebration of the Arts was created with the intention of listening, learning and sharing the deep knowledge, history and traditions of Hawaiʻi by bringing together a diverse number of vendors, panelists, and leaders in the community.
The theme of this year’s festival was “I Kou Maka…The Eyes of the Beholder” which reflected upon how individuals perceive the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands and its people. Panel topics included Hawaiʻi Through the Lens of Hollywood, the Science of Shorelines: Discussing the Future of Hawaiʻi’s beaches, Through Native Eyes: the Healing Power of Hawaiian Plants, and Through the Eyes of Kanaka Maoli along with other topics and events.
The festivities this year were particularily moving as this year marked the retirement of Clifford Naeʻole from the event chair. A special tribute “Through the Eyes of the Beholder” honored Clifford and his many contributions to the event over the last 33 years.
“I am moving on but there is no reason that the spirit of the event can’t last forever,” said Clifford Nae’ole.
The festivities included ‘Plant a Legacy’ volunteer outting at Puʻu Kukui. Casey Lamb of the Ledcor Maui team joined others to plant koa trees at Puʻu Kukui watershed as well as learn about the history of this forest restoration project.
“I like the opportunity to do hands on work such as planting small trees and learning from those who are working in watershed management and restoration such as the folks at Puʻu Kukui, said Casey Lamb Development Manager with Ledcor Maui. “It was great to return to this area and see the plantings from last year growing well and getting bigger.”
Mahalo nui to all the organizers and participants who helped to make Celebration of the Arts another grand success!
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Walking this area and hearing mo’olelo of the land and history was very educational to the Ledcor Maui team. Everyone who attended was humbled by the warm welcome and aloha from Jimmy and Michelle.