Clustered around a small easel with red-stained fingertips, several Molokai artists studied the profile of a man in clay. Their instructor was demonstrating the delicate way to skim away just enough clay to shape a cheek.

These students attended a sculpture workshop last week – not only to expand the skills of already talented people, but also as an innovative boost the island’s lagging economy. The workshop is intended to give artists another outlet to earn money off their art.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development provided a $50,000 Business Enterprise Grant, which provides training and technical assistance to small businesses – in this case, the Molokai Heritage Company through Lokahi Pacific.
 
“Because Molokai so economically depressed, we’re trying new avenues to earn money,” said a workshop student and local artist, Joan Pawlak reed.

Scarlett Ritte, left, works on her last bas relief project with instructor Jim Franklin at a commercially-minded sculpture workshop last week.Local artists were invited to work with sculpture instructor Jim Franklin to create “bas relief”– or low-profile sculptures on a flat surface – as way to expand their artistic repertoire.

Sculpture is only one step in the money-making process. The real goal is to take the clay pieces and cast them in metals, most likely pewter, to create an array of souvenir pieces and wall hangings to sell at shops, galleries, and marketplaces.

Commercial Appeal
Franklin, from Oklahoma and well-known in the sculpture community, taught two, one-week sessions with seven Molokai artists each. The full-day sessions were held at Kalaniana`ole Hall. Each student was provided clay, an easel, tools and encouragement.

“It was the right time, right place, right situation,” he said about when Pat Lynch, head of Molokai Heritage Company, first approached him to lead the workshop. Franklin often travels to different communities teaching similar workshops.

Lynch has worked in metal castings for 30 years, in bronze, silver and pewter, but only casts in pewter here on Molokai. He also noticed there wasn’t a large foundry – or casting shop – anywhere in Hawaii, and had the idea to fill in that gap.

“[My] vision is we could evolve into the art casting center in Hawaii,” he said. “The students already have artistic skills; [the workshop] helps develop a new medium. A skill that’s commercial.”

Irene Lam, USDA Rural Development area specialist, agreed when Lynch approached her when looking for a grant. She said the workshop is designed to “capitalize on the talent here.”

‘Different Mindset’
One workshop student, Jack Geng, used to create carvings and sculptures, but works mostly as a painter now.

“It feels wonderful” to get back into sculpture, he said. Despite his three-dimensional art background, he said he has added to his skill base with this workshop.

“Trying to get all that dimension in a small space is a real challenge,” he said of the students’ last project – transferring a photograph into a bas relief.

Geng and his fellow artists said they would be glad to market this new skill and sell their pieces – such as medallions, belt buckles, and wall hangings.

Another artist who had never before done sculpture, Guy Joao, practiced his bas relief transforming one of his original drawings into three dimensions.

“It’s a whole different mindset – looking at it you have to imagine the shapes, get depth [from the flat surface],” he said.

Cooperative
Another goal of the workshops is to bring some of Molokai’s many artists together and form a cooperative of commercial artists, Lynch said.

“My hope is, out of this a nucleus of these 14 people, they can form a cooperative or group for bulk purchase supplies,” he added. With a casting shop on Molokai – located by Hayaku gas station – and a group of artists who know how to use it, those involved in the project said this could create a new niche Molokai artists can fill.

Other artists could come to learn – and spend money on hotels, rental cars, and restaurants – boosting the economy even more, Lynch said.

“This could create a magnet to bring other artist from other islands,” Pawlak reed said.

“It would be great to create some sort of art Mecca,” Geng said.