The University of Hawaiʻi Maui College campus was alive with art, as students, cultural practitioners and community members gathered on June 27, for the blessing and unveiling of three new large-scale murals created through the Hui Moʻolelo Mural Project. The murals were designed to elevate the voices and moʻolelo (stories) of Maui’s people.
“At UH Maui College, we believe that education extends beyond the classroom,” said Chancellor Lui Hokoana. “That’s what we want our students to do—to look, to listen, to learn—and then to find their own voices and express themselves. These murals bring learning into our shared spaces, offering moments of reflection, inspiration and connection for every member of our community.”
Laughter and tears
Each mural emerged from Hui Moʻolelo’s unique process: local storytellers recorded audio reflections rooted in memory and place, which were then interpreted by professional artists selected through a public call.
At the Kaʻaʻike Building, artist Solomon Enos created a vibrant piece inspired by the oral histories of Uncle “Gaby” Gouveia, gathered by Pualani Enos of the Matsunaga Institute for Peace.
“The oral histories gave me a ‘kūlolo’ level of understanding of Maui—dense, rich and sweet,” Enos said. “I laughed out loud as often as I was brought to tears. With deep gratitude and aloha, I offer this work to the Maui community.”
Outside the Pilina Building, muralist Eric Finley Jr. (the artist known as SEVEN) translated moʻolelo shared by Louis Garcia III and Kaliko Storer—including the tale of a 92-pound ulua—into a dynamic composition celebrating the ocean’s lessons. The community’s original song, “Pule, Catch Fish and Share,” written during a Kīhei workshop, played as guests arrived.
At the Kūpaʻa Building, Jay Gilleard (Cbloxx) explored ancestral knowledge, healing, and gender fluidity through a mural informed by conversations with Anuhea Yagi, Hōaka Delos Reyes, Nicolita Garces and Ashley Ancheta Galacgac. A carved stone healer’s face symbolizes permanence and generational wisdom.
Brilyn Neizman, a 2025 UH Maui College graduate, watched as the murals were painted and attended the blessing and unveiling. She said the painting outside the Pilina Building is her favorite.
”I love that the Lahaina mountains are in the background. That gives a real sense of community,” Neizman said. “It’s so amazing the way they tell stories throughout the process.”
The presentation by the Maui Public Art Corps and the County of Maui marked the culmination of months of deep community engagement, cultural consultation and creative collaboration.—resulting in three murals at UH Maui College that center the voices and moʻolelo (stories) of Maui’s people.
More about each mural and the stories behind them can be found at mauipublicart.org.
