What started as a shared vision became reality Thursday at Waikoloa School with the unveiling of the latest Mele Mural by renowned artist Estria.
Waikoloa School Principal Michelle Barber explained this was the first year the elementary school had a dedicated art teacher, and when they met to discuss the new school year, they both had the same idea — bringing a Mele Mural to the campus.
Estria has painted 80 murals in the state with over 20 on the Big Island since 2012. He creates the the artwork while working with the kids to foster a sense of place.
Mele Murals promotes youth development, arts education, cultural preservation, and community-building through the creation of large-scale outdoor murals. Mural designs focus on Hawaiian mele that explore mo’olelo ‘aina (stories of place) and cultural and historical heritage.
“We basically go around teaching Hawaiian culture, meditation and the art to get you guys out of the classroom,” he told the students.
“One of the things I have wanted to work on, and something we are always working towards is is a sense of belonging at Waikoloa.” said Barber. “This is our whole school community coming together to do something amazing that is going to last for so long.”
The process started with Estria going on a field trip with fifth-grade students to the Waikoloa Dry Forest where area kupuna shared stories about the area. The artist then led the students in meditation, concentrating on the place and vision for the mural. They met for the next three days brainstorming the design, which the artist channeled into the final depiction.
Volunteers and staff gathered after dark and an outline of the mural was projected on the library wall. With cans of spray paint in hand, the adults carefully pained the outline of the artwork, which looked like the pages of a coloring book.
The next day, students from Pre-K to 8th grade started filling in the outline with color. Nearly 750 keiki participated, bringing the mural closer to its final stage.
“They have a sense of ownership for years to come,” Barber said. “The kids will know the story of the mural, and they can pass that on to new students.”
With all of the preliminary work done, Estria and his team came in and worked their magic. The final touches were applied and the result was a beautiful depiction that captures the spirit of Waikoloa.
The story is told through the mural of the wind goddess, Waikoloa who scoops up water from Lake Waiau on Mauna Kea. With her wind, the water goes through Holoholoku in Waimea down to Waiki‘i, where it is deposited. A spring popped up where the water is deposited and comes down to Waikoloa, feeding the wili wili trees and bringing life to the area.
The entire student body gathered in front of the library for the unveiling of the finished mural. With much fanfare, the tarps covering the artwork were removed and cheers reverberated through the campus as the visual story was revealed.
Estria explained why Mele Murals are much more than just an art project.
“We take kids out of the classroom to learn about sacred sites in the area so they have a sense of kuleana. We meditate to ask for inspiration,” Estria said. “You see all of your ideas here on the wall. Hopefully this will be here for a very long time. For some of you, you might come back here with your children someday and show them what you contributed to your community.”
