Kāko‘o Maui: Shop Cool Art Prints Curated by World Wide Walls and Aloha de Mele
Artists around the globe join forces to bring attention and funds to Maui.
In the wake of Maui’s wildfire disaster, many in Hawai‘i’s creative community sprang into action to lend support, including Jasper Wong, founder of the World Wide Walls art festival, and JT Ojerio, the artist behind the Aloha de Mele label and the Studio Hale print shop. “Hawai‘i is so small that we all knew people affected by the wildfires,” says Wong.
“Seeing the destruction and devastation is gut wrenching, and I think our natural reaction as human beings is compassion and wanting to help those families in any way, shape or form,” Ojerio says.
What the friends dreamt up was Artists for Maui, a two-part fundraiser that included selling prints online and an in-person exhibition. Beyond offering their own works, the duo also reached out to their local, national and international networks to participate. The response was overwhelming. “It shows that people really love Hawai‘i and its people,” Wong says.
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On the Studio Hale website, you’ll find nearly 80 fine art prints from painters, illustrators, photographers and digital artists from around the world, shoppable through Dec. 31, with 100% of net profits going to verified nonprofits. Locally, the roster includes names such as Kelsie Dayna, Wooden Wave and Brooklyn Hawai‘i. Outside of the Islands, Shepard Fairey, Jay Howell and Alex Solis are among the big draws. You can catch the in-person Artists for Maui exhibit at Lana Lane Studios this fall.
