Culture & Art

Watercolor in Halawa

Wednesday, August 17th, 2022

MAC News Release 

The Molokai Arts Center returns to Halawa Valley for an afternoon of watercolors and fresh smoothies inspired by Molokai’s natural bounty. Come learn Landscape/Floral Watercolor Painting. This class will be offered every third Sunday of the month and the next class will be on Sunday, Aug. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Local artist Kalani Pruet, who prefers on-location nature observation and color mixing, will teach a three-hour class right in his backyard. The class includes a smoothie and a painting demonstration. Kalani will share fundamental watercolor techniques such as landscape sketching, silhouette and outline drawing, watercolor tiling and blending or layering methods. Cost is $30 non-member, $24 annual member/affiliate. All painting materials are provided and each participant will take their piece of art home with them.…

Classical Summer Concert

Wednesday, July 27th, 2022

Classical Summer Concert

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

Molokai residents got a free concert by cellist Daniel Scoggins and violinist Jordan Watt last Thursday at St. Damien Catholic Church. The musicians are teaching fellows at the Hawaii Youth Symphony’s Pacific Music Institute. Not only did the public enjoy a concert but students of the Molokai Instrumental Music Education Program (MIME), founded by Bob Underwood, received a teaching session from Scoggins and Watt. Both musicians traveled to Hawaii this summer for the Pacific Music Institute’s annual summer camp, which connects students with acclaimed soloists and educators from leading music schools.…

Cash Prizes Available in Art Exhibit

Wednesday, July 27th, 2022

Hawaii Craftsmen News Release

Wow! Hawaii Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibit has more than $11,000 in prizes consisting of 19 different awards, which will be available to artists who enter, including those from Molokai. The awards will be designated by the juror, Neida Bangerter and will be announced during the opening reception and awards ceremony. 

Registration for the exhibit opens Aug. 1 and closes Aug. 15. 

The Molokai intake will be held on Thursday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at  Kupu A’e Molokai at Holomua Junction. Jurying will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. The juror’s public presentation will follow from 2 to 3 p.m.…

Hawaii Youth Symphony Concert

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Hawaii Youth Symphony News Release

The public is invited to a free evening of music featuring the talents of cellist Daniel Scoggins and violinist Jordan Watt in a concert on Molokai presented by Hawaii Youth Symphony and its Pacific Music Institute (PMI). Through Hawaii Youth Symphony’s partnership with the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, both Scoggins and Watt have travelled to Hawaii as Teaching Fellows for this year’s PMI, an annual summer music camp connecting students with acclaimed soloists, players from major symphony orchestras, and educators from leading music institutions.

Free one-hour public concert on Thursday, July 21 at Saint Damien Catholic Church starts at 6 p.m. 

A recent graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory with a degree in Cello Performance, Daniel Scoggins is Teaching Artist at Bronx Arts Ensemble. Jordan Watt is finishing…

Artists in Residence

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Artists in Residence

MAC News Release

The Molokai Arts Center’s Artist in Residence program welcomes two artists this month. Both storytellers, one is a musician and the other a screenwriter.

Rafael Lamas is an orchestra conductor, concert pianist, creative writer, and Professor of Spanish Literature and Cultural Studies at Fordham University at Lincoln Center of New York. He has performed throughout Europe and the U.S. He is the current music director and principal conductor of the Academic Orchestra of Granada. Author of “Musics of New York” (Músicas de Nueva York, 2019), “Listening and Interpreting” (Escuchar e Interpretar, 2014), “Music and Identity” (Música e Identidad, 2008), he has also written several articles that appeared in peer-reviewed journals.…

Watercolor in Halawa

Wednesday, July 13th, 2022

Watercolor in Halawa

MAC News Release

The Molokai Arts Center returns to Halawa Valley for an afternoon of watercolors and fresh smoothies inspired by Molokai’s natural bounty. Come learn Landscape/Floral Watercolor Painting. This class will be offered every third Sunday of the month and the next class will be on Sunday, July 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Local artist Kalani Pruet, who prefers on-location nature observation and color mixing, will teach a three-hour class right in his backyard. The class includes a smoothie and a painting demonstration. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to taste fresh chocolates made from the cacao trees on his farm. Kalani will share fundamental watercolor techniques such as landscape sketching, silhouette and outline drawing, watercolor tiling and blending or layering methods.…

Murals Memorialize Teacher Retirement

Wednesday, June 29th, 2022

Murals Memorialize Teacher Retirement

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Perry Buchalter started teaching art at Molokai High School 25 years ago and entered into a blank classroom. One of his first projects with his students was to paint a mural. 

“When I began teaching, I walked into my first classroom in B-104 which had tables and chairs and absolutely no art supplies,” Buchalter recalled. “It was such a small classroom and as I hustled to get supplies, I took my class out to paint a mural between S and T wings.”

He wrote grants for art supplies so his students could access quality supplies without paying a fee.…

Celebrating Paniolo Heritage

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022

Celebrating Paniolo Heritage

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Paniolo young and old tested their skills and strength in the arena last weekend in the Molokai Paniolo Heritage Rodeo King Kamehameha Celebration at the Molokai Ranch Jimmy Duvauchelle Arena in Maunaloa.  From roping to barrel racing, calf tying to keiki roping, the event brought the heat, red dust and the best of the island’s cowboys and cowgirls, showcasing a long and rich legacy of paniolo culture. 

The arena’s namesake, Jimmy Duvauchelle, also roped his last calf on Saturday, announcing his retirement from rodeo.  A Molokai Ranch paniolo for more than 50 years, Zhantell Dudoit Lindo described him as a “beautiful, God-loving, wonderful caretaker of our ‘aina and of our people.”…

Celebrating King Kamehameha

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022

Celebrating King Kamehameha

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A weekend-long celebration of King Kamehameha last Friday and Saturday included an elegant gala dinner, a festive and colorful parade and fun-filled ho’olaulea. 

During the parade, this year’s Royal Court heralded and honored the King on a flower-laden float, while horseback pa’u units draped in colorful lei represented each island. Along with the court and pa’u units, the parade included organizations like the Molokai Hunting Club, Molokai first responders, Bayer Molokai, Aunty Jan’s House of Blessings, and the U10 AYSO girls soccer team that plans to be the first Molokai team to play in an AYSO tournament on Oahu.…

June Arts Programs

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022

June Arts Programs

MAC News Release

April showers brought May flowers and at the Molokai Arts Center (MAC), programs sprung open with a kanaka maoli Artist in Residence, a Balinese painter/dancer, accomplished musicians Galliard String Quartet with Molokai Instrumental Music Education (MIME) Septet and a surprise guest from Europe.

Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti, who was recently featured at the Lahaina Noon program at Honolulu Civic Center, spent a couple of weeks on Molokai completing a music composition for her residency. Her next big project is an opera based on the works of Queen Lili’uokalani. The East-West Center partnered with the MAC to bring Balinese painter and dancer I Made Moja to Molokai.…