Photo: detail of sculpture
On Saturday, September 21, the sculpture “Mānaiakalani” by Scott Norwood Fitzel was dedicated at Nānākuli Public Library.
Speakers included Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, Senator Cross Makani Crabbe (District 45, KoʻOlina, Nānākuli, Māʻili, Waiʻanae, Mākaha, Mākua), and City & County of Honolulu Neighborhood Board No. 36 (Nānākuli-Māʻili) Chair Samantha Decorte, Executive Director of the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Karen Ewald, artist Scott Norwood Fitzel, and Nānākuli Public Library Branch Manager Kelsey Domingo. State Librarian of the Hawai’i State Public Library System Stacey Aldrich welcomed attendees. Georgette Stevens, from the office of Representative Cedric Gates (District 45, Wai‘anae, Mākaha) was also in attendance.
The ceremony started with the blowing of the pū and two oli, “Ua Ao Hawaiʻi” and “Oli Aloha No Nānākuli,” performed by the haumāna of Ka Waihona o ka Naʻauao. Following the untying of the maile lei, guests enjoyed refreshments while being entertained by Ka Waihona o ka Naʻauao haumāna who performed a hula about Mānaiakalani, composed by Kumu Hula Leonani Nāhoʻoikaika-Medeiros. Hawaiian musician Thurston Kamealoha also serenaded the audience with traditional Hawaiian music and local favorites.
About the artwork
A freestanding stainless steel and cast glass sculpture based on the legendary fishhook of Polynesian culture figure Māui. The imagery on the two flat sides are the golden stars in the constellation Mānaiakalani, setting into the multi-hued blue waters of the coast of Nānakuli. At the top of the hook is the constellation Hina ia ʻEleʻele, representing the feminine counterpart to Māui and his perpetual pursuit of her through the sky. The sculpture is lit from within, allowing the glass to illuminate the story day and night.
By day Māui’s fishhook reminds us of the lore of the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. When fishing with his brothers, Māui’s hook instead pulls up the seafloor above the ocean’s surface. The line then breaks and leaves the islands exposed. By night, Māui’s hook can be seen in the sky as the constellation Mānaiakalani, as it leads the Milky Way across the sky and sets each summer in the waters off the coast of Nānākuli, on the west side of Oʻahu.
About the artist
Scott Norwood Fitzel is an artist of Hawaiian descent, raised in Huntington Beach, California. He discovered glassblowing at a community college, a positive and synergystic extension of his attraction to the ocean. His love for surfing brought him to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he continued to study glassblowing. Scott has been creating artwork ever since. His relationship with natural elements reflects his desire to use materials in non-traditional ways to evolve traditional ideas into new techniques.
About the Nānākuli Public Library
The Nānākuli Public Library opened in April 2018 to serve the Nānākuli and Mā‘ili communities. The library design was inspired by Hawaiian villages and includes an outdoor program area, meeting rooms, and a recording studio. Services include weekly keiki storytime sessions, ʻohana game nights, and computer classes. Learn more on the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System website: LibrariesHawaii.org/branch/nanakuli-public-library.
About the Art in Public Places Program
The Art in Public Places (APP) program acquires completed, portable works of art, and commissions artists to create works of art for specific locations.
Works of art are displayed in over 500 sites statewide including schools, libraries, hospitals, airports, state office buildings, the State Capitol and at Capitol Modern (the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum). The APP also supports excellent arts education programming in schools during the school day, out-of-school arts education for pre-K students and lifelong learning for adults.