Hawaiian Art

Whether it’s the $30 million collection at Maui’s Grand Wailea Resort, the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s larger-than-life bronze statues depicting the islands’ cultural traditions or the vintage photographs on display at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, art lovers can get their fix of original works when they head to Hawaii. Much of the islands’ culture is reflected in the art that the resorts display, and many visitors, rushing to the golf course or beach, can appreciate the talent along the way.

In Praise of Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs—ancient stone carvings—are the earliest Hawaiian artwork, and some of the most spectacular can be found in the Big Island’s Puako Petrogylph Archaeological District north of the Mauna Lani Resort. Visitors can grab a brochure and a self-guide map and meander through the glyph fields (head out early to avoid the intense heat), or they can take one of the expert-led tours offered by area hotels.

These ancient stone sketchings have inspired unique contemporary works, from photographs to paintings to combinations of both, that appear in resorts throughout Hawaii. The Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, which underwent a significant renovation over the past several years that incorporated many indigenous island materials, displays the ethereal petroglyph art created by Honolulu-based artist Lynn Cook, while images of petroglyphs appear in artist Sue Nash’s paintings, on display at the Hotel Hana-Maui.

A Modern Eye to the Past

Many contemporary Hawaiian artists, like Cook, look to the past when creating new works, borrowing from the islands’ unique culture and traditions. The newest bronze sculpture at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, created by artist KaMille, depicts ancient tapa, or kapa, makers (a traditional art practiced in Hawaii in which cloth is made from tree bark). The resort is also in the final stages of completing the sculpture of a poi pounder, which will front the new Grand Waikikian tower when it opens this December.

The Kauai Marriott also embraces tradition as part of its $300,000 Hawaiian Art and Artifact Project, an initiative to establish a truly Hawaiian environment at the hotel. Works include bottle gourd drums created by local craftsman Noeau Penner, as well as such artifacts as a canoe once owned by Hawaii’s Prince Kuhio, a collection of Hawaiian weapons and even a length of century-old kapa.

On Maui, the newly reopened Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua is an art lover’s dream. After a $180 million renovation, there’s more Hawaiian artwork here than ever before. Rooms sport Hawaiian prints framed in native koa wood, meeting space boasts custom-patterned kapa wall panels and twice-weekly local artisans display their wares in the hotel.

One of the most impressive contemporary collections with a nod to Hawaii’s history can be found at Maui’s Grand Wailea Resort, which houses more than 80 original paintings, sculptures, murals and artifacts, sprinkled throughout the lush grounds. Local Hawaiian artists are represented in the welded copper and bronze of Honolulu-born Satoru Abe, the stone carvings of Hilo, Hawaii-born Sean K.L. Browne and the sculptures of Wailuku, Maui-born Shige Yamada. An artists-in-residence program allows guests to browse the works of select local artists twice weekly (International artists are strongly represented here as well, including Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Fernand Léger, along with many artists from the Pacific Rim).

Meanwhile, fans of vintage Hawaiiana find much to love in the recent $50 million renovation of the Big Island’s Waikoloa Beach Marriott, where limited-edition surfing photographs by Leroy Grannis and Jeff Devine depict more than 40 years of Hawaii’s favorite sport. Its sister Marriott in Waikiki, which just completed a $28-million room renovation in its oceanfront Kealohilani Tower, now boasts nostalgic wall paintings of Honolulu and surfing scenes as well.

Going Global

With visitors hailing from across the world, many of Hawaii’s upscale resorts have work from artists spanning the globe. In addition to multiple works from international artists at the Grand Wailea, there are phenomenal worldwide collections at several other properties. The Four Seasons’ Big Island, Maui and Lanai properties may together house the largest collection in the state, especially given the new 2,600-piece collection at The Four Seasons Wailea, which recently capped a $50 million renovation. Each of the resorts offer podcasts of their extensive works, set to the tunes of local musician Keali’i Reichel and featuring narration from some of the artists.

Meanwhile, the Big Island’s Hilton Waikoloa Village has its own art gallery and curator, and has spent $7 million on global works from ancient to modern. Among the 5,000 pieces at the 62-acre resort (which offers biweekly guided tours) are 2,000-year-old Han dynasty objects, Samoan war clubs and Hawaiian feather leis. There’s an onsite artists-in-residence program for a hands-on look at the creative process as well.

And tourists tuned into the art scene are looking forward to the reopening of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Spring 2009 after a $150 million renovation, since its museum-quality collection of 1,600 Asian and Pacific works will be back online. From a five-foot-tall pink granite Buddha sculpted in 7th-century India to two ancient bronze dogs from Thailand, the resort has always offered a cross-cultural collection for art connoisseurs.