LIHU‘E — Long life and plenty of money is why people eat nian gau, said Wanda Kau Shibata, Friday at the Kaua‘i Museum’s monthly paina. Chinese food, flavored by the kanikapila stylings of local enterainers, was on the menu for
LIHU‘E — Long life and plenty of money is why people eat nian gau, said Wanda Kau Shibata, Friday at the Kaua‘i Museum’s monthly paina.
Chinese food, flavored by the kanikapila stylings of local enterainers, was on the menu for the sold-out event held in the renovated courtyard at the Kaua‘i Museum, prepared for more than a hundred hungry diners by Mark’s Place and Contemporary Flavors Catering.
“We try to have a theme for each month,” said Jane Gray, the Kaua‘i Museum director, coming off a stint where she sang a tune about Hanalei while her museum staff members Lyah Kama Drake and La‘a Almeida performed the hula. “Next month, Mar. 1, will be Hawaiian in honor of Prince Jonah Kuhio who was born on Mar. 26.”
Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Feb. 10, welcoming the Year of the Snake and Friday’s menu reflected the celebration.
The Chinese culture and tradition of Chinese New Year continues with the Kaua‘i Museum’s monthly ‘Ohana Day, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. where the public is invited to enjoy Chinese fortune telling, Tai Chi and martial arts demonstrations, traditional candies and foods, participate in a mahjong game, feed the lion for good fortune, and perhaps pick up a narcissus plant which was grown for the occasion by museum curator Chris Faye.
Beyond the Chinese exhibit which is set up in the main and mezzanine galleries, Melisa Paterson, the Kaua‘i Museum media specialist, said the student art exhibit is already going up.
“We really want people to see the kind of good work being done by the island’s school childen during the Student Art Festival,” Paterson said. “We have the winners of the student artwork also as part of the exhibit.”
Students in grades kindergarten through Grade 5 will have work exhibited from Feb. 1 through 22. Student work in Grades 6 through 8 will be on display from Mar. 1 through 22 and artwork from students in Grades 9 through 12 will be exhibited from Mar. 29 through Apr. 19.
Held on the first Friday of the month, the Kaua‘i Museum is already taking reservations for its Hawaiian-theme paina in March.
The paina also heralds the Kaua‘i Museum February calendar which includes meeting author Hobey Goodale who was also enjoying the paina, donating a copy of his book as a prize.
Happy and Tats Tamahana, award-winning lei makers from the Kaua‘i Museum May Day Lei Contest, will be hosting Keiki La Lei Workshop on Feb. 9, and again on Mar. 9 in preparation for the annual May Day Lei Contest.
Keiki ages 5 through 18 are welcome to the one-hour sessions which is limited to 30 students for each session where students can make one of four different lei types, including Kui, Kipu‘u, Wili and Haku.
There is a $5 fee for each session.
While waiting for the paina to come along, host Dickie Chang said the renovated courtyard, which can hold about 200 people, is available for groups to rent for their own functions.
Gray said rates for the courtyard rental is $200 for Kaua‘i Museum members, $250 for nonprofit groups and $300 for the public.
More information and reservations can be made by calling 245-6931. Visit www.kauaimuseum.org for more information on the museum and its gift shop.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
