Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the Wahi Pana project team Monday announced the launch of Wahi Pana: Storied Places, a public art initiative that will showcase the history and culture of Oahu’s landmarks.
The initiative, set to debut in February, will feature 12 local artists and highlight 11 culturally significant sites across the island, including Waimea Valley, Haleiwa Beach Park and Hanauma Bay.
The project will explore the layered histories of Oahu’s land, aiming to inspire respect and provide educational experiences for both residents and visitors.
Artists and storytellers will collaborate with local communities to create site-specific works that incorporate various mediums, including sculpture, photography, painting, video, poetry and mele (music). These immersive installations will provide opportunities to engage with the state’s cultural and historical heritage in innovative ways.
Wahi Pana is a collaborative effort involving the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of Economic Revitalization and cultural organizations such as Pu‘uhonua Society, Aupuni Space, Hawai‘i Contemporary, the O‘ahu Visitors Bureau and Bishop Museum. The project aims to deepen historical and cultural awareness while fostering meaningful connections to Hawaii’s Indigenous heritage.
The $1 million initiative is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge, a program that supports U.S. cities in addressing civic issues through public art. Hono- lulu was named a grant recipient in October 2023, joining seven other cities nationwide.
Among the highlighted sites is TheBus, where artist Cory Taum will adapt graphics inspired by Hi‘iakakapoliopele’s journey as bus wraps for select city and county buses.
“This project is about sharing knowledge and creating spaces for both our local people — our kamaaina — as well as our visitors, to deepen our historical and cultural awareness of different places on Oahu,” Taum said.
The installation, set to debut in January, aims to emphasize the inseparability of the places from Hi‘iakakapoliopele’s being and their protection.
State Poet Laureate Brandy Nalani McDougall will create a poetry installation in collaboration with Hawai‘i Triennial 2025 at Le‘ahi — better known as Diamond Head. Her work will explore the kaona — hidden meanings — of kaapuni — circumnavigation — using literary and visual forms to evoke Le‘ahi’s cultural significance.
Fort DeRussy will feature a sculpture by Rocky Ka‘iouliokahikolo ‘Ehu Jensen. The monument, titled “Na Lehua Helele‘i: The Scattered Blossoms” (1999), honors Maoli warriors and serves as a reminder of Indigenous narratives and ancestral presence in Waikiki. In another HT25 collaboration, Fort Street Mall and Chinatown will be transformed with a mural and poetry installation by Carl F.K. Pao and Imaikalani Kalahele. Pao’s tiled floor murals will visually translate Olelo Hawaii through coded designs, while Kalahele’s poetry will evoke Chinatown’s historical richness.
At Kapiolani Park, Koloikeao Anthony will create a graphic installation at the old archery range. The piece will reference kii — images — and guide visitors to recognize the sacredness of Papa‘ena‘ena Heiau. The projects, along with other site-specific artworks, will collectively highlight the historical and cultural significance of Oahu’s landmarks, fostering a deeper connection to Hawaii’s Indigenous heritage.
The installations will roll out in three phases — in February, May and September — and will run through 2028.
Beyond the initial 2025 installations, the project will continue from 2026 through 2028 with a series of educational opportunities, workshops and online resources designed to extend and deepen the community’s understanding of the storied places.
Stephanie Dockery, lead of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Arts Program Public Art Challenge, highlighted Honolulu’s diversity and its potential to elevate Indigenous stories as key reasons for its selection. She emphasized the project’s ability to engage tourists and strengthen the local community’s connection to these narratives.
Blangiardi expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, noting its potential to enrich Hawaii’s cultural and artistic landscape for both locals and visitors.
Honolulu is one of only eight cities chosen from 154 applicants nationwide for the 2022 Public Art Challenge. Other recipients are Atlanta; Baltimore; Houston; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; and Salt Lake City.
“We wanted to make that part of our administration,” Blangiardi said. “As we were sorting through where our priorities would be, every great city has fundamental respect and appreciation and celebration of its culture and arts.”
