Celebrites Fine Art in The Shops at Wailea is renowned by top collectors for its star-studded works.
Aerosmith's lead singer Steven Tyler is one of its top-selling rock-star artists along with Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, and posthumously, John Lennon of the Beatles.
Celebrites is the only gallery in the world to feature Steven's artwork," says owner Gerard Marti. "We have been friends for a long time and I've featured his works for about five years now. He likes to do skulls and guitars with leaves."
Article Photos
Legendary Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler with his new Blazing Wahine purse by Lori Bub he just bought at Celebrites gallery in The Shops at Wailea.
GERARD MARTI photo
Tyler lives parttime in Makena and likes to frequent The Shops at Wailea, shopping at boutique stores and dining at Longhi's.
On a recent shopping excursion, Tyler popped into Celebrites and eyed the new Blazing Wahine purse line, then bought the first one as a gift.
"My husband, George Bub, called me at work and asked me if I was sitting down," says Blazing Wahine's creator Lori Bub, the bubbly, illustrious owner and hair stylist of Lori's Hair Shack on Vineyard Street in Wailuku.
"I said, 'I NEVER sit down, what's wrong?' He said, 'I just got a phone call from Gerard Marti at Celebrites Fine Art gallery and he said he was selling one of our purses and the buyer wanted to speak to me. The buyer got on the phone and said, 'Hey, George! This is Steven Tyler, I'm buying one of your purses. Blazing Wahine! I love it!"
For the uninitiated, Blazing Wahine is a new, limited-edition purse collection now on the market, and just like Tyler's art, it's sold exclusively at Celebrites in Wailea.
"Blazing Wahine has been two years in the making," says Lori. "The purses are high-quality koa. The ancient Hawaiians used koa wood to build their canoes. The front of the purses are original artworks on dye-infused aircraft aluminum, which melds the old with the new."
Lori features artists on the hand-crafted and hand-numbered purses that are put together by George in their Maui studio. Dale Zarrella's "Follow Your Dreams" is one design. Tyler bought the "Hana Moonlight" purse with image by Maui photographer Scott Mead.
"We're also creating an edgy rock 'n' roll collection for Celebrites," says Lori. "And, all of our Blazing Wahine purses are adorned with real Swarovski crystals, real bamboo handles and most are lined with animal prints, such as giraffe, zebra, etc., which women love!"
Lori says she designed her first purse to take to an Elton John concert and people coveted it which was her inspiration to produce more. "The beauty is, Blazing Wahine purses never have to be put into a closet, they can always be displayed as art in your home."
Call Celebrites at (800) 578-6991 or visit www.celebrityfineart.com.
The 2013 Hui No'eau Annual Juried Exhibition is running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through Feb. 1 at Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao. It's a nonprofit community arts organization founded in 1934 by original inhabitants Harry and Ethel Baldwin. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
The purpose of the Juried Exhibition is to create a space for community arts on Maui. By enhancing awareness of and providing access to work being created here, inspiring cultural exchange and spurring dialogue, it aims to cultivate in the public a fuller appreciation of all forms of art.
NOTE: The next open call to artists at Hui No'eau is for "The New Black: Black & White Photography Exhibit." Receiving day will be Wednesday, Feb. 27. For more details you may visit www.huinoeau.com/exhibitions.
