KŪKULU

Kūkulu - The Pillars of Mauna ā Wākea is a traveling exhibition featuring: Art, Merchandise, Music and Messages of the Mauna Kea Movement. Kūkulu serves as an platform to teach, to share and to inspire the community to stand as pillars for this sacred mountain through visual arts, workshops, presentations, events, and gatherings.

MKEA has committed to a community vision of creating an unique, interactive, traveling art exhibit Kūkulu; to be a pillar to set the tone and the vibration that is encompassed in the Hawaiian values, and the ʻIke Kupuna or ancestral teachings, that will inspire while educate. Programs offered feature talk story sessions and presentations with cultural practitioners, kiaʻi or water protectors, educators and community members sharing experiences with Native Hawaiians, local communities, residents and visitors alike.

The vision and design of the space is modeled after the slopes of Mauna Kea where the stance to protect the sacred mountain took place. The space serves as a puʻu honua, a sanctuary, a hālau, training center, a kauhale, a gathering place The piko or foundational center of the exhibit space includes an ahu or traditional altar and actual art pieces owned and utilized by the kiaʻi or protectors. All art pieces have been carefully selected as each piece embodies the best and the highest values, skills and efforts of the Mauna Kea Movement. Each step of creating the exhibit was executed with appropriate prayers, chants, offerings and protocols.

1) Educating and inspiring the community through workshops, presentations, events, gatherings

2) Serving as a template for interactive exhibits focused on the community and the arts

3) Embodying the spiritual and cultural pillar for the implementation of protocol and conduct as witnessed on the mountain through a re-creation of the movement in exhibit form.