By Staff Reports
(HONOLULU) – Mayor Rick Blangiardi is proud to introduce Wahi Pana (Storied Places), a temporary public art initiative designed to activate culturally significant sites across O‘ahu, celebrating stories deeply rooted in Native Hawaiian history. Launching its first of three phases in February 2025, this project will feature 11 multimedia installations created by local artists and storytellers, debuting in February, May, and September. In partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of Economic Revitalization, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Puʻuhonua Society, Aupuni Space, Hawai‘i Contemporary, the O‘ahu Visitors Bureau, and Bishop Museum, this initiative is set to run from 2025 through 2028.
Wahi Pana (Storied Places) is a winning project of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, which supports mayors, residents, and artists in creating public art projects that address civic issues in their communities. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited U.S. cities to apply for funding, and eight winning cities were selected to develop projects focused on key challenges. Since 2014, this initiative has spurred economic benefits and inspired civic action across the United States. Wahi Pana will include eleven artistic installations that use diverse forms of creative storytelling, including sculpture, video, photography, poetry, painting, and mele (music). Native Hawaiian and Hawai‘i-based artists are commissioned to work with storytellers and community members to research and create site-specific artworks and performances that highlight the rich histories of each location. These installations will invite residents and visitors to engage deeply with O‘ahu’s unique heritage, enhancing historical and cultural awareness and fostering meaningful connections to Hawai‘i and its people.
“Wahi Pana will give all of us—residents and visitors alike—a deeper connection to O‘ahu’s history, land, and people,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “By experiencing these powerful installations and the stories they tell, we gain a richer appreciation for the places we cherish. This initiative honors our island’s past and strengthens our collective responsibility for its future.”
As one of only eight cities awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge grant, Wahi Pana is a purposeful tribute to Indigenous histories and an invitation for all to move throughout the island with a deeper cultural sensitivity.
“Public art provides free access to arts and culture while enlivening and reimagining our civic spaces. For residents and tourists, the projects create innovative ways to engage with public space, while bringing people together as a community,” said Stephanie Dockery of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Arts Program. “Wahi Pana’s collaborative team of city government, cultural nonprofits, and artists will provide new methods to preserve and unearth the cultural heritage of Honolulu’s Indigenous community.”