{"id":184412,"date":"2023-09-29T12:52:55","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T22:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=184412"},"modified":"2023-09-29T14:09:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T00:09:43","slug":"uh-maui-college-therapeutic-new-mural","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/09\/29\/uh-maui-college-therapeutic-new-mural\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Therapeutic’ new mural brings UH<\/abbr> Maui College community together"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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UH<\/abbr> Maui College students, faculty and staff collaborate on a new mural. (Photo courtesy: UH<\/abbr> Maui College.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More than 20 students, faculty and staff gathered in the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Maui College\u2019<\/a>s Heona Fine Arts Studio in September to begin work on a new three-panel, 40\u2019 by 8\u2019, acrylic-on-canvas mural, which will be the centerpiece of the new student lounge.<\/p>\n

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Mural coordinators Marc Antosch and Michael Takemoto (Photo courtesy: UH<\/abbr> Maui College.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

”The idea started with bringing the outside in,” said creator Marc Antosch, a UH<\/abbr> Maui College graphic designer. “It began with ʻāina<\/span> (land) as a central subject, then wai\/kai (freshwater\/sea), and then Indigenous animals. The artistic style was inspired by the works of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> artist (and UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumna) Heather Brown. I\u2019ve always felt her use of color, movement and theme brings a sense of positivity while embracing the natural beauty that’s all around us\u2014in a very stylized, aesthetically pleasing way.”<\/p>\n

Although the mural was planned long before the August wildfires, Antosch said its purpose has taken on additional meaning.<\/p>\n

”It felt like the time was right to start bringing the idea to life,” he said. ”Collaborative art really brings people together. It builds a connection. It allows everyone a chance to meet new people and work together toward a common goal. Personally, I feel there is a therapeutic component to the creative process, especially when brush meets paint and paint meets surface. What happens after that is when the magic begins.”<\/p>\n

Feeling of aloha<\/h2>\n
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UH<\/abbr> Maui College student Stephanie Serraglio (Photo courtesy: UH<\/abbr> Maui College.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the students who participated in the session are in a printmaking class taught by Art Professor Michael Takemoto, the mural project\u2019s co-coordinator.<\/p>\n

Before the group got to work, Takemoto gave a short history of public art and demonstrated acrylic painting, which helped to calm the jittery nerves of some first-time painters.<\/p>\n

”I am a big fan of public art,” said student Stephanie Serraglio. ”I think murals enrich our campus and help us make spaces look more like the ways our community feels. I am not usually a painter, but I found it relaxing to paint and it was beautiful to see all that we created together, as a group. I would love to participate in the other panels, and I am so excited to see them installed.”<\/p>\n

Third-year liberal arts student Pokai Kanaele focused on painting an ʻulu<\/span> (breadfruit) tree on the panel.<\/p>\n

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UH<\/abbr> Maui College student Pokai Kanaele (Photo courtesy: UH<\/abbr> Maui College.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

”This project is a great way to have students and faculty members participate in creating art with each other as well as to create beautiful art around the UH<\/abbr> Maui College campus,” Kanaele said. ”I think the murals will enable new and enrolled students to see the beauty of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and create the feeling of aloha that the island and the school have to offer.”<\/p>\n

Developing community<\/h2>\n

The Kahului campus showcases art in public places, most notably the Makahiki mural on the Kaʻaʻike<\/span> Building. Antosch said initially, the idea was to transform a huge wall inside the Kaʻaʻike<\/span> Building, however, Chancellor Lui Hokoana suggested the new student lounge might be a great place to showcase the mural, especially since students are part of the process.<\/p>\n

”It was really wonderful to see students, faculty and staff working together on a creative endeavor,” said Takemoto. ”I feel that the arts have the power to develop community and at the same time, give individuals a means to express themselves. This first mural project session was successful on all those levels. Stay tuned for parts two and three!”<\/p>\n

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New UH<\/abbr> Maui College mural at the end of the first painting session. (Photo courtesy: UH<\/abbr> Maui College.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New UH<\/abbr> Maui College mural brings the outside into the new student lounge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[105,71,60],"class_list":["post-184412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-art","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-maui-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t