Seven University of Hawaiʻi alumni joined more than 50 acclaimed artists from Hawaiʻi and around the globe to transform Farrington High School into an open-air gallery during the 13th annual World Wide Walls Hawaiʻi festival, held September 15–21. The artists added their creative touch to the Kalihi campus, underscoring the impact of UH talent in shaping Hawaiʻi’s contemporary art scene.
The festival was organized by Jasper and Amy Wong of World Wide Walls. Amy, who earned an associate in arts in liberal arts from Kapiʻolani Community College in 2005, led logistics and operations.
“We do our best to beautify communities and help to inspire children, students, faculty, and anyone who actually walks the path of where our art is,” she said. “We hope to inspire them to do something great in the world.”
Accessible art
With the addition of 50 new permanent murals this year, Farrington High School now boasts 67 total works, making it one of the largest collections of contemporary public art in the state.
Among the artists was Kelsie Dayna, a 2011 graduate of the Shidler College of Business at UH Mānoa, who earned a bachelor of business administration in marketing.
“This has been a career goal for me. Jasper and Amy have done so much to make art accessible, and one of the things the vice principal of Farrington mentioned was that art is sometimes intimidating or scary,” Dayna said. “Life is super short, so you want to spend it doing something that you love. Whether it’s art, photography, film or animation, just go for it because you really have nothing to lose.”
Meaningful connections
Also painting was Kaelyn Okuhata, a 2021 Shidler College of Business graduate from UH Mānoa, who earned an MBA. Known artistically as “Art by Sachiko,” Okuhata encourages current UH students to embrace the support and networks available to them.
“Make sure that you network with as many people as you can throughout your journey in school and then onto your career as well, because—everyone here in the islands—I just know they’re here to support you and they are rooting for people within our community,” Okuhata said.
From bold murals to meaningful advice, UH alumni are leaving their mark on Hawaiʻi’s walls—and its future.
