Ride On sculpture dedicated at Waianae Intermediate School

April 14, 2023
Stainless steel sculpture shaped like shark fins in front of a school building

A dedication ceremony was held on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 for the “Ride On” sculpture at Waiʻanae Intermediate School on Oʻahu. This ceremony celebrated the completion of Zebzda’s SFCA Art in Public Places-Artist in Residence project at this Leeward Coast school campus. SFCA Art in Public Places-Artist in Residence (APP-AIR) projects are designed to implement an integrated visual arts in education program while providing commissioned works of art in public schools.

About the sculpture

This stainless-steel tiger shark tail and fin appear to be breaking the surface and splitting a coral boulder. It represents the young Seariders moving into the future while learning from their past. The coral boulder, split open like a book, reveals a treasured geological history over 200,000 years old. This coral is some of the oldest in Hawai‘i and was formed right here in Wai‘anae. Sharks have roamed the oceans for over 400 million years. Ride on.

About the Art Advisory Committee

The Art Advisory Committee of Wai’anae Intermediate School staff, student representative, and Visual Arts Consultant selected the artist and made recommendations. Committee members:

  • John Wataoka, Chairperson and Principal, Wai’anae Intermediate School
  • Kileigh Sanches, Art Teacher, Wai’anae Intermediate School
  • Angel Kaio, PCNC (Parent-Community Networking Center), Wai’anae Intermediate School
  • Taylee Evangelista, Student Representative, Wai’anae Intermediate School
  • Maile Yawata, Visual Arts Consultant

SFCA Art in Public Places Project Managers Kamakani Konia and Alexandra Skees worked with the committee.

About Artist Wayne Zebzda

Wayne Zebzda was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1956. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1980. He has lived on the island of Kaua‘i since 1994. This is Wayne’s fifth public art commission with the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

About the SFCA Art in Public Places-Artist in Residence Program

The Art in Public Places – Artists in Residence Program (APP-AIR) is a collaborative program between the Department of Education and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. The program was established in 1996 to implement an integrated visual arts in education program while providing commissioned works of art in public schools. The school APP-AIR project committee is guided by the SFCA through the process of selecting an appropriate site and style of artwork for their school campus. Artists appropriate to the project are recommended from the SFCA Artistic Teaching Partners Roster. The school works collaboratively with the selected artist on the concept of the artwork for their school. The APP-AIR program includes an educational component designed to include student and teacher participation in the conceptualization, design, construction, and installation of the commissioned work of art at the school. The final work of art reflects and is appropriate to the school’s environment, curriculum, cultural values, and aesthetics.

About the SFCA Art in Public Places Program

The SFCA’s 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 640 sites statewide including schools, libraries, hospitals, airports, state office buildings, the State Capitol and at the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum (HiSAM). The APP Program 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.

About the SFCA

The Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) is Hawaiʻi’s state government arts agency. Established in 1965 by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, through the vision and effort of Hawaiʻi leaders, the creation of a state arts agency made Hawaiʻi eligible to receive federal grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), newly established on September 29, 1965. The SFCA is administratively attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services and funded by the State of Hawaiʻi and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About State Arts Agencies

State arts agencies were created by legislatures and governors to promote the arts and reduce barriers to cultural participation. Every state and U.S. jurisdiction has a designated arts agency, providing grants, services, and leadership that make the arts accessible to everyone. State arts agencies are funded through appropriations from state legislatures. State arts agencies also receive 40% of the federal grant dollars Congress provides to the National Endowment for the Arts.

Learn more about state arts agencies and regional arts agencies nationwide on the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies website: NASAA-Arts.org/state-arts-agencies.


Photo: “Ride On” at Waiʻanae Intermediate School. Stainless-steel sculpture by Wayne Zebzda, 2023. Art in Public Places Collection of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

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