All About Hawai‘i Walls at Capitol Modern

Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Walls

Honolulu’s annual mural festival Hawai‘i Walls has partnered this year with Capitol Modern to create new opportunities to connect artists and their creativity with a wide audience.

Founded by artist Jasper Wong in 2010, this festival (formerly known as Pow! Wow!) has evolved from painting colorful murals in Kaka‘ako into a massive nonprofit, global phenomenon called World Wide Walls. As director of this organization, Wong maintains a strong commitment to enriching lives with the beautification of walls here in Honolulu together with his wife and co-director Amy Wong.

Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Walls

This year, more than 50 artists from Hawai‘i and around the world will assemble in Kalihi to donate their time to transform Farrington High School into a living, breathing, open-air art gallery. Hawai‘i Walls is calling this “an unprecedented creative investment into one of Honolulu’s most underserved neighborhoods.” The all-star lineup of artists includes Tristan Eaton, Kim Sielbeck, Yoskay Yamamoto, Kris Goto, Melon, Woes, Imagine and Boz Schurr, just to name a few.

SEE ALSO: Hawai‘i Walls 2023: Our Favorite Murals

On Sept. 5 from 5 to 9 p.m., the 2025 Hawai‘i Walls artists will be part of Capitol Modern’s First Friday event to help celebrate the launch of the month-long festival. Meet and chat with your favorite artists about their latest projects and upcoming exhibitions. There will also be live music, open galleries, pop-up artists, food vendors and more.

From Monday, Sept. 15, to Sunday, Sept. 21, the artists will be busy painting permanent murals across Farrington High School’s sprawling campus.

Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Walls

Back at Capitol Modern, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m., a group exhibition titled “The Earth Laughs in Flowers” curated by Thinkspace Projects opens to the public in conjunction with a solo exhibition by Shar Tui‘asoa (aka Punky Aloha). These temporary exhibitions will be located in the Turnaround Gallery on the second floor and only be up until Sept. 24.

On Thursday, Sept. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m., Capitol Modern will host an intimate fireside chat with Woes, one of the original artists to participate in Pow! Wow! with his striking angry panda imagery. The discussion will be moderated by Jasper Wong, director of Hawai‘i Walls.

Other free events held in various locations:

• A session of Creative Mornings with Brian Ige of Viz Media at Salt at Our Kaka‘ako on Friday, Sept. 19, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
• At Farrington High School on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 2 to 6 p.m., the public is invited to the campus to see all of the new murals as well as support local artists at the special Day Market edition of Art + Flea.
• To cap off the festival, there will be a Hawai‘i Walls Pool Party at White Sands Hotel in Waikīkī on Sunday, Sept. 21, starting at 5 p.m.

So why was Farrington High School chosen? “The Kalihi neighborhood holds a special place in my heart,” says Wong. “I grew up here. My mom’s grocery store and bakery were right across from Farrington High School. This festival is about more than murals—it’s about creating pride, opportunity, and visibility for a community that has given me so much.”

Free admission, open Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday to Tuesday and state holidays, Capitol Modern, 250 S. Hotel St., capitolmodern.org, @capitolmodern

Lisa Shiroma is a correspondent for Capitol Modern and an artist. She is the former owner of the Capitol Modern Museum Gallery Shop, which she ran with partners Aly Ishikuni and Travis Sasaki from Mori by Art + Flea.