Move over Hanapepe and Kapaa. Kilauea is ready for its own art night. This Saturday marks the debut of Kilauea Art Night, a three-hour family-friendly event featuring local artists, clothing designers, jewelry makers and entertainers at the Kilauea Plantation Center,
Move over Hanapepe and Kapaa.
Kilauea is ready for its own art night.
This Saturday marks the debut of Kilauea Art Night, a three-hour family-friendly event featuring local artists, clothing designers, jewelry makers and entertainers at the Kilauea Plantation Center, located along Kilauea Road. The event is from 5 to 8 p.m.
Courtney Zietz, owner of See That Fly — an innovative design company that recycles T-shirts into one-of-kind bags — has been playing around with an art night in the North Shore for seven years. But it wasn’t until recently — June 4 to be exact — that she began to seriously plan for the event.
“I moved here from New York City, so I would attend the Young Designers Market, and that really inspired me,” Zietz said on a sunny weekday in Kilauea. “I wanted to create something like that on the North Shore because it seemed like there was a very limited outlet, and there’s such a rich pool of talented artists.”
To get started, Zietz knew the artisans she invited had to be local, ecologically conscious and embrace the spirit of the Kilauea community.
The list was easy to compile, since Zietz said she is surrounded by “cool and inspiring” people from all walks of life.
There will be more than 20 local artisans at art night, including nine artists who offer everything from classical French plein air paintings, to award-winning photography, to abstract canvases and all that is in between.
Zietz’s recycled handbag company will also be debuting a line of tank tops at the event, printed and created on island.
“I do all the work, from cutting to sewing to laundering to printing, I pay an artist each month to come up with an original design and work with them,” Zietz, who recycles about 800 T-shirts a month for her handbag line, said.
The art night will also serve as a platform for the debut for many of the artisans. Human Revolution Clothing, an apparel company that promotes a “seed to shirt” movement, will have samples of shirts and hats stitched with vintage saris and scarves from a recent trip to India; Kopa Kauai will debut a line of creamy, handmade soaps outside of its online shop; and pop artist Michelle Marsh, aka Michi, will feature products from her new line, Fin, which also promotes free diving.
Unko Funki (aka Dan Bonow) — who has been playing live music since the 1960s — will be performing with his full band. During a set break, Pua Laa and her keiki martial arts and yoga dance classes will perform for 20 minutes.
Zietz was also conscious to invite vendors who promote recycling, which is why Refill Hawaii will be present, a company that encourages people to reuse their existing plastic containers and fill them with eco-friendly cleaning products.
She also invited emerging artists she has discovered and wants to share with the rest of the island community.
Taylor Lowe, a sushi chef, is one of those emerging artists. She takes fish carcasses home and paints their portraits. Leticia A. Elzaudria is another artist, who makes original posters from stencils and illustrations .
“I really wanted to share these people,” Zietz said. “Everyone’s work really inspires me.”
The Kilauea Plantation Center, which houses Hunter Gatherer, Kilauea Fish Market, Metamorphose Yoga Studio and Oskar’s Boutique, will host the vendors while staying open through the event.
“Not only are the artisans cool, but the store owners are incredible,” Zietz said.
Oskar’s was the first store to carry Zietz’s handbags in 2010, and owner Annie Sadler latched onto the idea of an art night quickly.
“I want to support our local artists,” Sadler said. “We have a lot of talent. … This is an excuse to get out of the house, off the beach and support local artists.”
Kilauea Art Night has been confirmed for the last Saturday in June, July and August. After that, Zietz hopes an outpouring of support from the community will keep the momentum going.
What: Kilauea Art Night
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kilauea
Online: facebook.com/kilaueaartnight
