About the exhibition
Beneath the Surface: Marine Life of Hawai‘i is a community art exhibition celebrating marine biodiversity. Hui No‘eau is thrilled to collaborate with Gar Waterman, the Hui’s 2023 Artist in Residence, to engage the community in the discovery, celebration, and conservation of Hawai‘i’s marine ecosystems. Open to works in all media, this exhibition features Gar Waterman’s completed nudibranch sculpture, dynamic artwork created by Maui’s school children, and works of marine-themed art created by local artists. A big mahalo to our jurors Gar Waterman & Jessica Colla and congratulations to all the exhibiting artists and the many talented artists who entered their work!
This exhibition is sponsored by The Mermaids: Sandi Stoner, Leslie Resnick & Christy Vail. Mahalo!
Hui No'eau's 2023 Artist in Residence Program was supported by the Laila Twigg-Smith Art Fund of the Hawai'i Community Foundation.
TALK STORY TUESDAYS
Take a deeper dive Beneath the Surface as the Hui hosts leaders from the field of marine conservation to "talk story" about marine conservation on Maui and the species featured in the "Beneath the Surface: Marine Life of Hawai‘i" exhibition! These talks are free and open to the public, no preregistration is required.
June 6th at 5pm: Emily Fielding, Hawaiʻi Marine Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy
June 13th at 5pm: Edward Lyman, Natural Resource Specialist Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and Regional Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator under NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
2023 Artist in Residence: Gar Waterman
Gar Waterman
Aeolid Nudibranch
locally sourced wood (koa, kiawe, pheasant, acacia, macadamia)
Value: $8,000
Starting Bid: $4,000 (100% donation to Hui No‘eau)
“Spanning some 40,000 years from the Lascaux cave paintings to cutting-edge contemporary, art inspired by nature is the longest running and most successful art movement out there. As today’s sad litany of environmental catastrophes push myriad species towards extinction, many artists who depend on the natural world for inspiration are finding ways to leverage their artwork to try to help save their favorite muse. Nudibranchs are arguably one of the most colorful and extraordinarily varied creatures one can encounter in an ocean that is full of astonishing life forms. They are what I like to call ‘biodiversity superheroes.’ Unfortunately, they are also, along with many other marine species, canaries in the blue coal mine of an ocean under siege from acidification, habitat loss, overfishing, and a host of other environmental issues. My artist’s residency here at the Hui included working with kids from area schools - a wonderful experience for me. Their refreshingly unfiltered sea slug art in addition to all the terrific marine inspired work from Maui artists will, I hope, remind us of the amazing gift of all the astonishing forms of marine life, large and small, that populate the blue Pacific Ocean that surrounds this island.”
About the Jurors
Gar Waterman
Visual Artist & 2023 Artist in Residence
Gar Waterman was born in Maine and grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with a formative year in Tahiti at the age of 9 to 10, where his father, pioneer underwater filmmaker Stan Waterman, documented the adventure in a National Geographic Special. This watershed year of almost daily contact with the marine life of the barrier reefs of the South Pacific established a visual foundation of marine imagery that endures as a primary source of inspiration for his sculpture. After college at Dartmouth, Waterman lived for seven years in Pietrasanta, Italy where he learned to carve stone, eventually returning to establish West Rock Studio in New Haven, CT, where his work explores form in nature with a combination of observation of natural phenomena, sensual devotion to the tactile possibilities of material, and a model maker’s tinkering sensibility. Firsthand experience over a lifetime of diving infuses his sculpture with marine forms, from fish, nudibranchs, and squid to the spiral perfection of shells
Juror Statement
“The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.”
-Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
If not on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where else can one feel more aware of ‘life stirring on all sides’ than here on Maui. This exhibit reflects the profound connection that exists between Maui’s artists and a marine environment with as many different forms of life to inspire as there are ways for artists to interpret them. From majestic humpback whales to the tiniest sea slug, the macro and micro of life underwater share a grace and beauty only possible in a liquid environment essentially free of the burden of gravity. Some of the younger artists represented in this show will eventually take their place among the ranks of their more experienced elders in future marine inspired art exhibits here at the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center. I look forward to seeing that.
Jessica Colla
Director of Education at Maui Ocean Center
Maui Ocean Center’s Director of Education, Jessica Colla, has always had an affinity for the ocean despite originating from a land-locked state in the Midwest. Before landing on Maui, she worked as a research technician in Belize, a divemaster in Fiji, and a marine naturalist in Australia. Colla focused her efforts on public education after completing her master’s thesis on the Great Barrier Reef. She now leads a team of professional marine naturalists at Maui Ocean Center who help inspire wonder and respect for Hawai’i’s marine life. Colla also shares her knowledge of the ocean via her personal YouTube channel Kaimana Conservation.
Juror Statement
“I am honored to be a juror for the Beneath the Surface: Marine Life of Hawai’i art show. As a scientist & an educator, it was a pleasure witnessing Hawai’i’s marine life from a completely different perspective. This experience serves as a wonderful reminder that science & art blend beautifully in the hands of a talented artist.
The selection process was more difficult than I could have ever imagined. Each piece was acknowledged, considered, and discussed at length with my co-juror, Gar. The final selection represents both a diversity of marine life and artistic mediums.
Mahalo nui loa to Gar Waterman for sharing this exciting world of artistic interpretation with me, and to the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center team for hosting this incredible show. And a special thank you to the artists who demonstrated not only their talent, but also their understanding & appreciation of Hawai’i’s diverse sealife. I am confident that everyone will come away from the show with a rekindled passion for our ocean’s inhabitants.”
Artwork Photos: Xinia Productions
Video Walkthrough: Na Ka Oi Films
For more information or to purchase any of the artwork you see here please contact call (808)572-6560 or email info@huinoeau.com.