East Hawai‘i Cultural Center x Kalākaua Park 2021 || Youth Art Month

Program type: 
Special Event
Dates: 
Friday, February 26, 2021 - 10:00am to Friday, April 30, 2021 - 4:00pm

East Hawai‘i Cultural Center x Kalākaua Park 2021 || Youth Art Month

EHCC leads a collective art installation in Kalākaua Park, in conjunction with similar installations to be held throughout Hawai‘i Island led by County Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz. The park project is an extension of EHCCʻs Young At Art gallery exhibition (March), echoing the same theme, CommUnity: Finding Togetherness in Distance. 
 
Throughout the month of March EHCC facilitated activities designed not only to unite the community but also to highlight itʻs ongoing youth program, the Youth Arts Series, and encourage people to visit the EHCC gallery and gain some inspiration from the Young At Art keiki artists.
 
To encourage the importance of youth arts education and the importance of nurturing creativity, Mayor Mitch Roth proclaimed March, Youth Art Month in the County of Hawai‘i. In addition, the Hawai‘i County Council adopted Resolution 58-21 on March 17. The resolution urges “the designation of March as Youth Art Month in the County of Hawai‘i” and supports “activation of Art In The Park islandwide to showcase youth artwork.” 
 
Throughout the month keiki and teens were encouraged to express their creativity and design 1ʻx1ʻ flags. EHCC held a variety of decorating events ranging from socially distanced in-person workshops, to free events on itʻs lanai, and online content for designing at home.
 
The flags were installed in Kalākaua Park on April 1 with the help of Maurice Messina and his team at the Department of Parks and Recreation. The installation features 435 individual flags and will be on view until the end of April. 
 

Mahalo!:
  • Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz
  • County of Hawai‘i– Office of the Mayor
  • County of Hawai‘i– Department of Parks and Recreation
  • Keiki Heroes
  • Kari Sato and the Waiakea High School Key Club
  • Brittini Kuwahara
  • Lawrence Butler
  • Avalon Paradea
  • Monique Ortiz
  • Dena Nakahashi
  • Darcy Gray
  • Kim Springer
  • Yvonne Verburgt
  • Kay Shintani
  • Mai Wong
  • Discount Fabric Warehouse
  • And to all the volunteers who have helped to make this project possible!
Larry's Show-and-Tell is the first in a series of short videos to help spark flag decorating ideas.

As raindrops say, two’s company, three’s a cloud! 

Get some flag decorating inspiration from local artist Brittini Kuwahara. Check out her video and then do some painting of your own! Don’t miss out on your chance to be part of our EHCC x Kalākaua Park Project (open to ages 18 and under). Flag fabrics are available in our gallery. 

Mahalo to Brittini for supporting our Youth Art Month project and sharing her talents with us!

Brittini Kuwahara is a boy-mom of a terrible 3’s toddler, graphic artist by day and an obsessive fiction reader by night. She is currently the Digital Marketing Supervisor for KTA Super Stores, and the illustrator for the locally written book, “I’m a Happy School Bus”. She defines art as a feeling, which you may find transfers into her creations. Follow her personal IG at @brittkuwainihara or the I’m A Happy School Bus page @bubsiebus!

Here are some tips to get you going on your flag decorating adventure! 

Fabrics are available now, stop by the EHCC gallery to pick up your flags or use your own fabrics, and start decorating! Donʻt miss out on being part of our unique community art installation in Kalākaua Park. 

Poster & Flyer: