KOLOA — Starting Tuesday, and centered around the Koloa Village, the inaugural Spectra Fest is slated to transform Kaua‘i’s South Shore into a vibrant canvas that merges art and urban life, said Noah Gordines of CreativeMornings Honolulu.
“When we first started out as creatives in Hawai‘i, Lauryn and I were excited to get plugged in to the same types of creative hubs and communities like CreativeMornings that we have seen on the mainland,” said Noah with his wife and business partner Lauryn Gordines.
“When we didn’t find one, we asked to be the ones to bring it to the islands, and it’s been great. We’ve met so many creatives and talented people through these events that when the opportunity to bring CreativeMornings to Kaua‘i came about, we knew that we wanted to make it something bigger.”
CreativeMornings, described as a global network fostering monthly creative gatherings, along with Hawai‘i Walls, recognized worldwide for its mural festivals, will spearhead the event where murals will be painted at the Koloa Elementary School and the Koloa Public Library.
“I would love it if you would be able to swing by Koloa Elementary during the week of March 26 through 29,” said Leila Maeda-Kobayashi, the principal at the Koloa Elementary School. “We are fortunate to be recipients of a Kaua‘i art event taking place during the last week of March. There will be at least seven artists at Koloa Elementary putting murals up on walls on campus.”
CreativeMornings and Hawai‘i Walls will be joined by Art+Flea, a cultural movement and monthly shopping experience for local creatives, and The Gangway Gallery, a Honolulu-based street art hub.
“Reaching out to Aly Ishikuni of Art+Flea, and Jasper Wong of Hawai‘i Walls felt right — they are both leaders in the art world that give artists a large platform,” Noah said. “With the help of Gangway Gallery and the educational aspect of CreativeMornings, we feel this really encapsulates a wide and well-represented creative spectrum.”
During the six-day journey, there are book readings like “Punky Aloha Book Reading” and an Adobe workshop on March 27, a Kate Wadsworth Book Reading, a music workshop on March 28, a CreativeMornings lecture, an Art and Flea Market and live music on March 29. More detailed information and registration can be found at the www.spectrafoundation.org website.
