Wahi Pana: Storied Places announces June programs, including the return of a historic mele (song) to Lēʻahi after 131 Years 

HONOLULU — Wahi Pana: Storied Places invites the public to a series of free June events that continues the project’s mission to encourage residents and visitors to engage with Native Hawaiian moʻolelo (stories) and lesser-known histories of O‘ahu’s , ensuring these narratives are better known and shared.

Supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, Wahi Pana: Storied Places is a citywide public art initiative featuring by Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-based artists, researchers, and story-tellers.

ʻIke i ka Nani o Lēʻahi: 131 Years Later, Mele Returns to Lēʻahi

Friday, June 12, 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Operation Red Wings Medal of Honor Park (Triangle Park), Honolulu

Curated by poet Brandy Nālani McDougall, this evening of music, poetry, and storytelling takes place beneath Lēʻahi.

The program features the historic premiere Keanu Tario’s new composition “Ke Aloha ʻĀina Paʻa Mau Loa,” recreating the historic song sung by nā koa o ke aloha ʻāina in the Kaua Kūloko, or Wilcox Rebellion, of 1895. While the original melody was lost, Tario has recreated the mele using the surviving lyrics. Joined by Makaʻala Perry-Tario and Moana Maeva, Tario will perform the mele at Lēʻahi for the first time in 131 years.

Other performances during the evening program include poetry and storytelling by Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, ʻIhilani Lasconia, Lyz Soto, Donovan Kūhiō Colleps, Kalilinoe Detwiler, Kealiʻi MacKenzie, Kauwila Mahi, and Kaʻimi Naʻauao Kahikina exploring the many ways of knowing and understanding this storied place.

More information and RSVP

Unveiling Ceremony & Community Celebration of a new mural Nā ʻIli o Kahe

Saturday, June 13, 12 –2 p.m.

Kahe Point Beach Park, Kapolei

Meyer and Enos created a mural painted on the beach park pavilion in collaboration with over thirty community members.

Located at Kahe Point (Electric Beach), a site popular with divers and snorkelers, and passed by thousands of commuters each day, this project reconnects the place to the significance of the five ʻili (subdivisions) associated with the area.

More information and RSVP

Lunch & Learn at Ho‘omaluhia: I Ka Uhiwai o Ke Koʻolau

Friday, June 19 | 12 –2 p.m.

Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden, Kāneʻohe

Ka‘ili Chun and researcher Kaʻiminaʻauao Kahikina for an in-depth exploration of a new sculpture I Ka Uhiwai o Ke Koʻolau.

The installation features four corten steel viewing portals, or nānā, aligned with four peaks and their stories: Konahuanui, Puʻu Lanihuli, Keahiakahoe, and the sacred waters of Hiʻilaniwai.

Through the practice of kilo (careful observation), viewers and participants are invited to deepen their understanding of the histories, stories, and cultural significance embedded within the Koʻolau landscape.

More information and RSVP

About Wahi Pana: Storied Places

Running from 2025 through 2028, the project includes contributions from renowned local artists, storytellers, and cultural advisors. The initiative invites the public to experience the transformative power of art, honor wahi pana (storied places), and reflect on the stories embedded in our landscapes. Current Wahi Pana installations are open to the public at Kapiʻolani Park, Koko Crater Botanical Garden, Fort Street Mall, and various other sites throughout Oʻahu. For more information, visit wahipana.com.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge brings together cities and their leaders, residents, and artists to develop temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to apply for up to $1 million in funding to create temporary public art projects that address important civic issues and demonstrate an ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies. More than 150 cities from 40 U.S. states applied. Bloomberg Philanthropies selected Honolulu as one of eight winning cities to develop projects focused on local challenges. Since launching in 2014, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge has spurred more than $100 million in economic benefits for participating cities and action across a range of civic issues. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org.