“Ke Kukui Pioʻole (The Inextinguishable Torch)” at Lahainaluna High School by Randall Shiroma
“Ke Kukui Pioʻole (The Inextinguishable Torch)” a stainless steel and terrazzo sculpture by Randall Shiroma, has been dedicated at Lahainaluna High School (Lahaina, Maui).
About the Artwork
Inspired by Lahainaluna High School’s motto, Ke Kukui Pio’ole speaks of the innate spirit within. It is the guiding force of education expressed through rock and spire. The upper portion alludes to navigational charts providing guidance and the mooring hole for returning with their knowledge and experience.
About the Artist
Randall Shiroma was born in Honolulu and resides in Volcano, Hawaiʻi. Shiroma received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from San Jose State University.
About the Art Advisory Committee
The Art Advisory Committee for this work of art included Nancy Young, Emily DeCosta, Alicia Peña, Pricilla Gonzales, Michael Moore, and Evan Tottori. The role of the Art Advisory Committee is to make recommendations to the SFCA regarding the development and design of a given art project, including location, medium, distinguishing features of the artwork, and selection of the artist. The SFCA appoints members of the Art Advisory Committee from users of the facility and representatives from the community in which the facility is located. The committee chairperson is a representative of the state department, division or agency to which that state building or space is assigned. Others from the committee who serve as a resource or advisory member may include some or all of the following: the project architect, representatives of the state comptroller, representatives of state departments that are responsible for the construction or renovation, representatives of the APP Program, and as appropriate, SFCA-appointed artists or technical experts. The SFCA determines the method in which the art project should be commissioned.
About the Location
Lahainaluna High School is located approximately 500′ in elevation above the town of Lahaina, on the island of Maui.
Funding
The sculpture was funded through the Art in Public Places Program of the SFCA, which receives one percent of the construction and renovation costs for state buildings to integrate art into the built environment of Hawai‘i.
The Art in Public Places Program (APP Program) was created to strengthen the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ capability to stimulate, guide and promote culture and the arts through the field of the visual arts. The APP Program seeks to: enhance the environmental quality of state public buildings and spaces throughout the state for the enjoyment and enrichment of the public; cultivate the public’s awareness, understanding and appreciation of visual arts in all media, styles and techniques; contribute toward the development and recognition of a professional artistic community; and acquire, interpret, preserve and display works of art expressive of the character of the Hawaiian Islands, the multicultural heritage of its people, and the various creative interests of its artists. Artwork in the Art in Public Places Collection can be viewed online in the Art in Public Places online catalog as well as the Public Art Archive (www.publicartarchive.org).