The roof of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa lower campus parking structure now features a 70–foot long scenic mural of Hawaiʻi. Commuter Services organized this project with local artists Justin Vasconcellos and Wendell Tabangcura, who finished painting the mural on December 2, after working on it for two months.
“This is Hawaiʻi at its finest,” said Vasconcellos. “In the painting, it represents people going to the beach in the morning, exploring in the afternoon and star-gazing at night.”
Vasconcellos and Tabangcura donated their time, talent and artistry for the project. They have also been working with Mele Murals, a part of the Estria Foundation, which promotes youth development, arts education and cultural conservation.
“I’m doing this mural for UH, so I can give back to the people and beautify campus,” said Vasconcellos.
“I feel it does an amazing job of making me feel calm and centered in a place which is usually very busy,” said Danielle Girard, a UH political science senior. “It reminds me that nature is all around us and we need to stop, slow down, and appreciate the beauty surrounding us.”
The mural is one of the low-cost, high-impact projects that Commuter Services is implementing at the parking structure. Other projects include the Gecko Deco service project, the installation of LED lights with backup batteries and a new coat of slip-resistant paint by the elevators and stairwells.
