Who We Are
WHO WE ARE: MISSION & HISTORY / BOARD OF DIRECTORS / STAFF / TEACHING ARTISTS
Mission & History
Hui. 1. Club, association, society, organization, league, partnership, alliance; to form a society or organization; to meet, intermingle, associate, congregate. 2. To join, unite, combine, mix.
No‘eau. 1. Artistic, wise, skillful, dexterous, talented, expert, technical.
The mission of Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center is to unlock creativity through exceptional visual arts education, translated as “people coming together for a common purpose- for the development of artistic skill and the wisdom which derives from that expression.” Founded in 1934, Hui No‘eau is a gathering place for some of the greatest artistic minds contributing to Maui arts and culture. One of the last of its kind on Maui, it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-degree granting, community-based arts education organization offering open access to quality visual arts instruction by teaching artists.
Situated on the historic estate of Kaluanui, a home built in 1917 by C.W. Dickey for Hui founder Ethel Baldwin, the Hui’s expansive, open-air space consists of various housing structures, stable, carriage house and garage that have since been transformed into fully functioning working artist studios, exhibition galleries and classrooms. The collective space offers an invaluable quality to all teaching artists, students, visitors and interested members of our community. The sense of place provided by the vast estate and awe-inspiring views of Haleakala, West Maui Mountains and Maui’s North Shore develop inspiration and invigorate artistic energy. Historic structures and expansive gardens serve as an educational centerpiece in our Maui community, offering a fully accessible, vital, open space for residents and visitors to come, learn and enjoy.
The art studios at Hui No‘eau are the only public studios on Maui that offer year-round access to fine art equipment and technical supervision for all who choose to participate. The exhibition program and galleries of Hui No‘eau play an important role in Maui’s growing art community, showing work from on and off island artists. The unique gallery shop features the work of Hui No‘eau member artists and a wide variety of handcrafted items, books, jewelry, cards, posters and prints – all representing the best of our island heritage.
In June 2005, the Hui community purchased the 25-acre property from Maui Land & Pineapple Company for the sum of $3.5 million, a sharp increase from an annual rent of $1 paid up until that point. This purchase assured the center and its legacy that the property would be available for future generations of artists and for Maui residents and visitors to enjoy in perpetuity. Raising the funds needed to purchase Kaluanui posed a serious challenge; however the community’s voice was loud and strong, resulting in the success of the “Save the Hui- Buy Kaluanui” campaign and the high regard for Kaluanui as a public asset.
Hui No‘eau aims to ensure access to the arts is a part of everyday life on Maui. We truly believe that art has the power to improve individuals, our community and our future. Art provides a fun, cathartic and meaningful outlet for creative thinking and expression. Art builds community by creating social connections and increasing cross-cultural awareness. Arts education makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of Maui’s youth. Future leaders of our community are nourished and molded by art!
Board of Directors
President: Shannon Hoekstra
Vice President: Jennifer Ely
Vice President: John W. Hoxie, Jr.
Treasurer: Sarah Bredhoff
Secretary: Robin Ferrier
Assistant Secretary: Carolyn Schaefer Gray
Fran Davidson
Tim Garcia
Robert Glick
Donna Howard
Craig Lofton
Joan Martin
Jozette Montalvo
Doug Schatz
Joseph J. Schmidt
Clay Sutherland
Cheryl Tipton
Inger Severson Tully
Janis von Thaden
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Staff
Executive Director: Caroline Killhour - ext. 30With nearly 20 years of executive level experience, Caroline Killhour began her work at the Hui as Programs Director in October 2007. Prior to joining Hui No`eau, Caroline was a senior leader for 10 years in the 1 billion dollar direct marketing company, L.L.Bean. The company’s emphasis on customer service, quality and brand management was a key training ground for her skills as a leader, manager and marketer. Most recently the Executive Director of The Art School at Kapalua here on Maui, Caroline received her BFA in Painting and Art Education from Tyler School of Art, Temple University and an Associates degree in Fashion Design from Fashion Institute of Technology SUNY. She also attended the University of Chicago for Executive MBA courses. She is an active painter and printmaker on Maui and is a regular contributor to local exhibitions and galleries.
Program & Communication Coordinator: Lana Coryell - ext. 22
Born and raised on Maui, Lana Coryell graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, CA in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Analysis. She graduated cum laude and with honors from Phi Beta Kappa. She is passionate about environmental stewardship and exploring the ways in which communities can work together to create greater sustainability. Having taken Hui art classes since she was 5 years old, Lana believes in the power of the arts and the mission of Hui No‘eau!
Exhibitions & Events Coordinator: Rachel Edelman - ext. 26
Rachel moved to Maui from New York City, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media & Communication from New York University in 2007. After college she worked at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in SoHo as its Visitor Services Manager, then for musician & artist David Byrne as his archivist, executive assistant and webmaster. At David’s studio, Todomundo, Rachel helped lead projects including the development of a custom archive database, a nationwide book tour, and historical and image research for a major label record release. She was first introduced to the Hawaiian Islands via Habitat for Humanity, an organization with which she continues be to actively involved.
Senior Program Mgr. & Editor in Chief of CREATE: Anne-Marie Forsythe - ext. 34
Anne-Marie began as an art student of the Hui in 1981, joined the team as Registrar in 2006, and was promoted to Program Manager in 2007. Born and raised here on Maui, Anne-Marie Forsythe oversees Hui programs including the Visiting Artist and Art & Aloha programs, Exhibition and Lecture programming, and all classes & workshops. Since joining the Hui, Forsythe has spearheaded the design, development and expansion of the Hui’s quarterly newsletter, CREATE, and has made significant developments to the Hui’s program offerings in terms of diversity, accessibility and quality.
Membership & Development Coordinator: Birgitte Golden - ext. 33
With a Bachelor of Arts Degree concentrating on Writing and Communications and a Minor Degree in Spanish from Oregon State University, Birgitte comes to the Hui with experience as an Assistant Branch Manager at OSU Federal Credit Union, Store Manager at Pier 1 Imports and most recently as the Donor Relations Manager at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. As the Hui’s Membership & Development Coordinator, Birgitte manages all aspects of the Development Office, including coordinating the Hui Membership program, organizing donor relation and fundraising event details and managing the Hui’s constituent database system.
Registrar: Jessica Hoecker - ext. 21
Youth Programs & Marketing Mgr.: Kelly McHugh - ext. 29
With 10 years of experience as an arts administrator concentrating on the areas of community outreach, arts advocacy, grant making and program assessment, Kelly McHugh joined the Hui in 2008. A New York native, Kelly previously worked with Sesame Workshop, MetLife, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and the National Guild for Community Arts Education. She holds a BA in studio art from Binghamton University where she graduated magna cum laude and professional certification in arts administration from New York University. She is a passionate believer in the power of the arts to build community and inspire social change.
Sales & Event Rental Coordinator: Keri Meyer - ext. 23
Keri Meyer, Sales and Events Coordinator at Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center since 2008. After moving to Maui from California, Keri found Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center and began spending time in the Jewelry Studio. Keri continues to dabble in Hui classes such as printmaking, encaustic painting, ceramics and drawing. Jewelry Department head, JB Rea has been a wealth of knowledge, skill and encouragement. She continues her education at University of Hawaii- Maui College in the Applied Business and Information Technology (ABIT) degree program.
Accounting: Mary Orwig - ext. 35
Mary is a certified public accountant who has worked with Hui No`eau for 4 years. She has a long history with the Hui starting in 1976 when she and her husband were caretakers/artist in residence at the Kaluanui estate.
Housekeeping: Kerry Nell
Facilities Assistant: Miguel Rivas
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Teaching Artists
(Watercolor Painting Teaching Artist) Connie Adams holds BFA degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts and an MFA degree in Painting from the Maryland Institute, College of Art. She is a signature member of both the National Watercolor Society and the Hawai‘i Watercolor Society. Connie is an exhibiting artist and her work is included in the Hana Coast Gallery, the Village Gallery in Lahaina as well as the Viewpoints Gallery in Makawao. She has also exhibited throughout the United States and garnered numerous awards. Connie Adams teaches watercolor painting here at the Hui. http://www.conniejadams.com
(Print studio tech) Tania Arens was born in N.Y.C.in 1969 and raised in Germany. She studied fine art at the Staedelschule/Frankfurt from 1988-1994. She then learned the art of tattooing and traveled extensively, until she settled in Hawai‘i. She currently works in tattooing and printmaking. Her prints have appeared in Artists of Hawai‘i, and the Honolulu Printmakers Annual Juried Exhibitions.
(Jewelry Making Teaching Artist) Luana Coonen is known for her art jewelry inspired by natural materials and created with precious metals and plastics. She holds a BFA in Jewelry/Metal Arts from California College of the Arts and has traveled and created jewelry around the world. Luana enjoys teaching, exhibiting art jewelry, and running a small jewelry business. Her work can be found in galleries across the nation. www.luanacoonen.com
(Painting Teaching Artist) An avid plein air artist and advocate for the pastel medium, Michael Clements has been painting around the island of Maui for the past 10 years. His work has been exhibited in many juried shows and can be found in several galleries on Maui. He has participated in many Plein Air Invitational events both on Maui and the mainland. http://michaeleclements.com/
(Ceramic Teaching Artist) Chris Cowan has been an integral part of the Maui art community for more than thirty years—as educator, administrator and in her primary love, as a maker in clay. Christina has been a ceramicist for almost thirty-five years and has studied at the Banff School of Visual Art in Canada and the College of Ceramics, Alfred University in New York. Her work is often seen in juried shows and public and private collections and is available at the Hui’s Gallery Shop, Viewpoints Gallery, Maui Hands, and the Hana Coast Gallery.
(Ceramic Teaching Artist) Bob Flint earned his BFA and MFA with specialization in ceramics from the University of Hawai‘i. He has taught ceramics for fifteen years and continues to produce work from his Makawao studio. Bob has completed several public works of art for the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture & the Arts.
(Sewing Teaching Artist) Chris Faulkner has been teaching sewing for many years. She enjoys teaching all aspects of sewing: clothing construction, quilting, home decoration and crafts. Her specialty is understanding sewing techniques and sewing machines. She teaches all ages, children to seniors.
(Jewelry Making Teaching Artist) Jaisy Hanlon earned her BFA in Metalsmithing and BA in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts from the University of Washington in 2002 and her MFA from State University of New York at New Paltz in 2005. She has been a teaching and studio artist for the past ten years and has shown her work in New York, Colorado, Washington and Hawai‘i. Jaisy has been teaching metalsmithing and drawing at the Hui since 2007.
(Creative Arts and Keiki Teaching Artist) Shayann “Shay” Hoffer has been working with children and the arts for the past ten years. She has a BFA in painting and is a Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance with experience teaching both adults and youth. Her recent artwork has been influenced by sacred geometry and forms found in nature. She works in the media of painting, drawing, printmaking, and mixed media.
(Photography Teaching Artist) Recently named one of Maui’s finest photographers by Absolute Maui, and a Teaching Artist at the Hui since 2010, Aubrey began her self-taught career in photography managing a high school darkroom. Since her first international trip to England at age 14, she has explored, studied or worked in 14 countries on 5 continents. She is a fine art, celebrity, portrait and wedding photographer known for her mastery of light, vivid colors, and designs. She has photographed dozens of musical icons for the Maui Arts and Cultural Center including Elton John, Jimmy Buffet, Aerosmith, John Legend and the Steve Miller Band. Her images are featured in the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand, Faces of Hawaii 2009, 2010, 2011 books and published in the new Absolute Maui book, Maui Arts and Cultural Center’s magazines, the Maui News and Maui No Ka Oi magazine. Her fine art is available at Maui boutiques and by special order. She and her husband currently live on the slopes of Haleakala volcano on Maui. Visit www.aubreyhord.com to learn more about Aubrey and her photography!
(Photography Teaching Artist) After receiving a BA in Studio Art from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in photography, Sue Hudelson has built upon a plethora of experiences. She has shot for a high-end portrait studio, was the studio manager for a still-life photographer, and freelanced in Los Angeles for 13 years working with celebrity, music and architectural and fashion photographers. Sue’s specialty is portraiture and has been hired by magazines and fashion desingers, however she is now building her high-end, in-home portrait business, capturing beautiful images of people in their environment unlike any other in-home portrait photographer. At the same time, she continues to nurture her ongoing love for her personal work: various series of trees, people and self-portraits in black and white, silver gelatin images printed in her ethereal style. Sue has also taught photography courses at a Hollywood community center covering:protr4aiture, the history of photography, fine art and alternative processes. Inspired by music, nature, films, and other art forms, Sue encourages students to look for new ways of seeing and expressing their vision through the camera. http://www.suehudelson.com/
(Creative Arts Teaching Artist) For over 35 years, Stephen Hynson has been a studio furniture artist, working and exhibiting in Hawai‘i and on the mainland. He is also a practicing psychotherapist trained in depth psychology. Conversations with nis own creatice muse through dreamwork, journaling and movement inform the creation of his custom furniture. Facilitation these sorts of conversations are also part of his psychotherapy practice. http://www.stephenhynson.com
(Fiber Teaching Artist) Chenta Laury is an artist/educator who has worked in the fields of art and museum education for over twenty years. Originally from Oahu,, Chenta lived and worked as an educator at the Guggenheim and Noguchi Museums in New York City from 1995 – 2001. She returned to Maui in ’09. Chenta has a BA in art history and studio art from Oberlin College, an M. Ed. in Art in Education from Harvard, and a Certificate in Fiber Arts from the Fiber Crafts Studio in Rockland County, New York. She has exhibited her work in various group shown in New York and has work in private collections internationally. Chenta has taught art and fiber crafts to students of all ages, and is thrilled to bring her knowledge and skills to the Maui community.
(Oil Painting Teaching Artist) Terry Lopez received her MFA from California State University, Fullerton in drawing and painting. She has taught drawing and painting foundation courses for the past several years in the Fullerton’s visual arts department. Terry’s work has been exhibited in numerous juried shows in both California and Hawai‘i. http://www.terrylopezart.com/
(Digital Media Teaching Artist) Rainelle Lushina is an accomplished interior designer and illustrator. She has illustrated children’s books and designed treasure hunts for a global event company. Rainelle believes that “art is a story in condensed form. By capturing moments of awe and discovery in images, we get to relive them, and sometimes see them from other perspectives.”
(Keiki Teaching Artist) Katie Lutz began taking ceramic classes as a child and then again as a high school and college student. Although she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine biology, ceramics has become a passion. She worked for several years as a ceramic assistant at Golden West College in California, working with students of varying abilities and ages.
(Keiki Teaching Artist) Nancy Martel joined the Maui arts community twelve years ago when she began to study and create pottery. She took her first ceramics class at the Hui and has continued to share her love of pottery with Hui students for the past ten years. http://www.nancymaui.com
(Jewelrymaking and Keiki Teaching Artist and studio tech) Julie Matheis earned her bachelors degree in Jewelry & Metalsmithing at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has shown her award-winning work internationally in exhibitions, magazines, and books. She began teaching at the Hui in 2006.
(Photo Teaching Artist and studio tech) Brian Miller received his BA and MA in photography and has worked as a staff photographer for Surfer Magazine. He has taught at colleges in California, at Maui Community College, and in the Hawai‘i Department of Education. His photographs have been in many exhibitions and are part of a number of individual and institutional collections.
(Printmaking Teaching Artist) Casey Neumann is a recent BFA graduate from Rhode Island School of Design where she studied intaglio, lithography, silkscreen and Japanese woodcut printing with Daniel Heyman.
(Printmaking, Digital Media and Keiki Teaching Artist) Nathalie Nuñez enjoys working with artists of all ages on projects incorporating clothing design, printmaking, painting and media arts. Natalie’s work has been exhibited and featured in several galleries and magazines and her designs and clothing are sold in boutiques and stores across the country.
(Jewelry Making Teaching Artist and studio tech) J.B. Rea received his BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois and MFA in Silversmithing from the Rochester Institute of Technology School for American Craftsman. He has taught at Colorado State University, Fort Collins and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. He began teaching at Hui No‘eau in 1982 and is currently the jewelry studio’s technician. His work can be seen at Viewpoints Gallery in Makawao.
(Painting, Drawing and Mixed Teaching Artist) Roger B. Stephens has been a practicing artist for over 35 years. After obtaining a Masters degree in painting and drawing from the University of North Carolina (Western Carolina University) he became a professional sign artist and illustrator before accepting a teaching position for the NC Community College system. Roger moved Maui in 2004 to pursue a career as a muralist and fine artist. To view images of Roger B. Stephens’ work please visit his website at http:www.rbstephensart.com
(Keiki Teaching Artist)Jesse Stuart graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a major in education and a minor in art. She has taught in elementary and pre-schools and initiated a swim-school nursery school in London. Jesse has taught art and swimming all over Maui and had been teaching at the Hui since 1989. Jesse is an artist and has completed her first children’s book.
(Oil Painting Teaching Artist) Tony Walholm is renowned for his large-scale oil paintings of the “visionary abstract” style. Tony taught at Chaminade University in Honolulu for ten years before becoming a teaching artist for the Hui. He has been painting full time since 1982. His work can be seen at the Stanford University Children’s Hospital, the Hawai‘i State Art Museum, and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater and is part of many private collections. He is currently represented by Paia Contemporary Gallery.
(Ceramic Teaching Artist and studio manager) Deb Zaleski has been involved in the Maui art community for thirty years. As a founding member of the Maui Crafts Guild, she served as the first President and as an Executive Board member for five years before owning and operating her own gallery. She returned to the Hui in 2006 and has been the Hui’s Ceramics Manager for the past four years.