Maui, HI
Various locations, February 15-23
Michael Clements, Snowcapped Haleakala, pastel, 16 x 20.
This story was featured in the February 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art February 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
IT COULD BE SAID that many plein-air painters set out to capture, with vivid immediacy, pieces of paradise viewed from the vantage point of their easels. With that in mind, the Hawaiian island of Maui—its scenic coastline, lush tropical vegetation, historic harbors, and charming plantation-style architecture—presents an idyllic wealth of subject matter. So the two dozen painters gathered for the 15th annual Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational find themselves with unlimited open-air inspiration. The event kicks off on Saturday, February 15, with a paint-out at Lahaina Harbor from 7:30 to 11 a.m., followed at 11:30 a.m. by a sale of the just-completed canvases in the courtyard of the legendary, century-old Pioneer Inn at the harbor’s edge.
Apart from the ticketed Art to Heart Gala & Art Sale, held on the evening of Friday, February 21, in the ballroom of the Royal Lahaina Resort, every paint-out and sale over the event’s nine days is free and open to the public. So, too, is a lecture on the evening of Monday, February 17, with the intriguing title “Famous Forgers.” It’s delivered by Jean Stern, noted art historian and executive director of the Institute and Museum for California Art at the University of California, Irvine. “Our mission is to educate people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds,” explains Bryant Neal, the show’s assistant art director and coordinator on behalf of the Maui Arts League. “So we want to help expose as many tourists and locals as possible to fine art.”
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- Suzie Baker, Kainoa, oil, 18 x 14.
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- Terry Miura, Wailuku Blues, oil, 16 x 24.
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- Mark Brown, Stars ‘n’ Stripes Over Lahaina Harbor, oil, 20 x 24.
Considering that some 200 original paintings are created during the event, that goal will no doubt be achieved in full. Visitors have the opportunity to witness a wide range of top professional artists, with paint-laden brushes in hand: six are from Hawaii, including event founder Ronaldo Macedo; still more are from the U.S. mainland and across the globe, including Michele Usibelli, Jane Hunt, Calvin Liang, Jim Wodark, and Leon Holmes. (Works shown here are from last year’s event.) To mark the show’s 15th year, one particular aspect of the event occurs away from the eyes of the public. Native Hawaiian cultural advisors inform the artists about several sacred locations on the island, where they can paint plein-air works that capture the unique spirit of each place. These creations are part of the Art to Heart Gala.
Unsold pieces remain on view and for sale during an artists’ reception and panel discussion on Saturday, February 22, as well as at the Mahalo Gathering and the Honor Hawaii, Honor Maui panel discussion on Sunday, February 23, the final day.
Like the island itself, the jam-packed event schedule offers a plethora of ways to enjoy its myriad charms. Sums up Neal, “You can attain original artwork at affordable prices and experience a wide range of activities at major venues. And it all happens in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.” —Norman Kolpas
contact information
www.mauiartsleague.org
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- Michele Usibelli, Morning at Napili Bay, oil, 14 x 18.
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- Ronaldo Macedo, Take Home Maui, oil, 16 x 20.
This story was featured in the February 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art February 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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