In the Loop
TALK STORY AND MAKE EARRINGS WITH KELE KANAHELE AT HUI
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Join the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao when it welcomes Kele Kanahele, master Ni'ihau shell lei designer, for a weekend of creating jewelry.
Beginnning on Friday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to noon, Kanahele will talk story about his life on the westernmost Hawaiian island of Ni'ihau. Starting at the age of 5, he learned to make Ni'ihau shell lei from his grandma and grandpa and completed his first pikake lei at the age of 12.
Kanahele has traveled around Hawaii, the Mainland and Japan to teach workshops on his artistry. Not to rest on his jewelry skills, he also teaches Hawaiian language. Admission to Kanahele's talk story is free.
Following the talk story, Kanahele will lead three workshops on making Ni'ihau shell earrings. From 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, beginners will learn to create beautiful Ni'ihau shell lei earrings in the pikake-style. Ideally suited for learning this art form, Kanahele will teach authentic techniques, and students will leave with a set of earrings made with treasured Ni'ihau shells.
If you cannot make the Friday workshop, Kanahele will repeat the pikake-style earring workshop on Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All supplies will be provided. Cost for the pikake-style earring workshops is $115.
For those who may already know how to create the pikake-style earrings, Kanahele will lead an advanced beginner roselani-style workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 2. To attend the advanced beginner class, you must have taken the pikake-style workshop. When registering for the roselani-style workshop, you will be asked to specify whether you would like pink or red kahelelani shells. Cost for the roselani-style workshop is $140.
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Hui No'eau offers additional workshops this month. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, join teaching artist Roberta Ann Weisenburg for a "Drop-In Jewelry Basics: Bangles & Rings" workshop.
Weisenburg will guide participants through all the steps to create a wearable piece of jewelry -- chose either bangles or stacking rings. No previous metalsmithing experience is required. All tools and metal is provided. You may bring your own shells or charms to personalize your piece if you choose to make the bangles. Cost for the "Drop-In Jewelry" workshop is $50 for Hui members and $59 for non-members.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17 and 18, join visiting artist David Peterson, professor of art/metalsmithing at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in exploring the "anticlastic raising" means of transforming flat sheet metal into dynamic, fluid forms, ideally suited for jewelry and small sculpture in the "Fantastic Forming" workshop.
Using specialized hammers and stakes, students of this workshop will learn how to stretch and compress thin sheet metal into highly dimensional, lighweight forms that are surprisingly strong and flexible. Cost for the "Fantastic Forming" workshop is $195 for Hui members and $237 for non-members.
If your interests run to printmaking, teaching artist Tania Arens conducts a "Drop-in Printmaking -- Session 1: Monotype" workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. Arens will guide participants through a hands-on project. This is a fun way to get a taste of printmaking. All supplies will be provided for this session. Cost for this workshop is $35.
To register for these workshops, to discover additional workshops the Hui offers or for more information, call 572-6560, go online to www.huinoeau.com or visit the Hui at 2841 Baldwin Ave. in Makawao.
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Coming next month, the Hui is thrilled to present its new exhibit, "Six-Word Memoirs," a themed juried exhibition, in gallery June 7 through July 26.
Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
This latest global phenomenon and bestselling book series began when Larry Smith, founder of SMITH Magazine, asked his community to describe their lives in exactly six words. As of summer 2010, these "memoirs" have been found inside one million Honest Tea bottle caps.
For more information and to download the prospectus for this exhibit, visit www.huinoeau.com/exhibitions. Open to adults and keiki.