With more than a dozen empty venues in its 110,000-square-foot plaza, Kaua‘i Village shopping center in Kapa‘a replaced the bleak white-washed windows of empty shops and office buildings with the vibrant and culturally evocative hula photographs of Ken Posney. Kaua‘i
With more than a dozen empty venues in its 110,000-square-foot plaza, Kaua‘i Village shopping center in Kapa‘a replaced the bleak white-washed windows of empty shops and office buildings with the vibrant and culturally evocative hula photographs of Ken Posney.
Kaua‘i photographer Posney specializes in capturing hula performed in natural settings. The images are of members of Kaua‘i’s Halau ‘O Hali‘ileo performing along Kaua‘i’s shoreline and two San Diego-based halau n O Pualani and ‘O Na Ali‘i and Ka Lei Aloha ‘O Hula.
“I viewed this as an opportunity to pay my respect to the halau that have helped me establish myself and my path,” said Posney in a recent press release. “The halau gave their time so I could create something they would be proud to share and the process brought halau and kumu together to share their knowledge.”
Hanging his work for free, he said, is a win-win.
“I get my work up, the dancers get to be seen on a large scale and visitors at the center can enjoy something cultural and beautiful,” he said. “Hula — that’s the sincerest form of aloha.”
Friends and family spent a week helping Posney squeegee the white paint off the windows. Some 25 of Posney’s images were enlarged and translated into posters that hang in store windows — many of which span multiple panes.
According to the release, representatives of the shopping complex say the project is about evoking a sense of place.
“This is about more than just beautifying the property,” a shopping center official states in the release. “This is our way of honoring culture and highlighting the unique qualities that make Kaua‘i such an amazing place. And to be able to share this with both visitors and locals on this immense scale is special.”
Posney will host an art auction on the site from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., April 13 — the exact location is still being decided. All proceeds will be donated to the halau featured in the photographs.
“Hula halau typically rely on fundraisers to keep their studios open. Here on Kaua‘i, Halau ‘O Hali‘ileo had to close its studio for lack of funds. It’s a loss. This auction is a way for me to give back to the halau who have helped me to make my photographs,” Posney said in the release.
“Once a kumu is gone, all that knowledge dies with them.”
Expect light pupu and live music to accompany the auction. Kaua’i Village is located on Kuhio Highway in Kapa‘a.
• Pam Woolway, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or pwoolway@kauaipubco.com
