Maui Public Art Corps in collaboration with the County of Maui Public Art Program will unveil “Perfect Days” on August 27, 2026, a collection of four animated short films created by award-winning artist Richard O’Connor. The films feature the voices and memories of Lāhainā storytellers Trinity Scanlan, Kyla Nahoʻoikaika, Nayah Smith, Noelle Storer, Kanoelani Kenolio, Hōkū Delatori, Cornelio Bancaco Jr., Tom Fujita, as well as Dean Tokishi. The films will be unveiled and on view exclusively at the Lāhainā Think Space, which has been extended through September at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center. The public may visit Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 am–3 pm through September 10, with additional hours from 3–7 pm Thursdays through Mondays, August 27–September 7. (Schedule posted at mauipublicart.org/thinkspace.)

“Perfect Days” is the latest work to emerge from Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā, a community storytelling initiative created in response to the August 8, 2023 wildfires. First developed in partnership with the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, Hui Moʻolelo was designed to gather, preserve, and honor the stories that define Lāhainā while supporting long-term community recovery.

With additional support by the Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative, including the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund and Maui United Way, Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā responds to the mental health and wellness impacts of the wildfires through culturally grounded, trauma-informed storytelling. The initiative trains community story gatherers in psychological first aid and ethical story-gathering practices, creating opportunities for residents to share memories, grief, knowledge, and hopes for the future.

"The voices in these stories come from different generations and different backgrounds, they share an optimistic image of the future springing from a joyful past,” said artist Richard O’Connor. “Visualizing moments from their lives has been a community endeavor, with families, neighbors and experts contributing fragments which we've pieced together like a moving mosaic of Lāhainā."

The stories featured reflect generations of connection to Lāhainā—from family traditions and community relationships to the ocean, waterways, and landscapes that hold meaning. Cornelio Bancaco Jr. shared, “I wanted to share my perspective of what Lāhainā was for my grandkids, memories of plantation camps, mango trees, and soup kitchens - to preserve our values and resources for the next generation. We must protect our water and our streams; that is our food source.”

The project was supported by community consultants whose expertise grounded the artwork in cultural knowledge, environmental understanding, and a true sense of place. Kaliko Storer, Hui Moʻolelo mentor, supported the cohort’s focus on how community values and behaviors shape Lāhainā’s future. Cultural consultant Sissy Lake-Farm guided the integration of ʻŌlelo Noʻeau and Hawaiian knowledge systems. Isaac Bancaco ensured visual accuracy in the representation of Lāhainā’s landscape, while hydrologist Dr. Chris Shuler connected the stories to the watershed systems that sustain the community.

“Science and art are both vehicles for storytelling,” said Dr. Shuler. “By looking at our water systems, we see how everything is connected from the mountains to the sea - mauka to makai, and how our actions on the land impact the health of our reefs.”

The stories gathered through Hui Moʻolelo also led to the creation of the Lāhainā Think Space, a traveling community engagement installation designed as a living laboratory for listening, reflection, and continued dialogue. The Think Space carries these stories forward while gathering community input to inform the ongoing research and development of the future Lāhainā Memorial project. At Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, the Think Space will also host an Artist in Residence program in August and September featuring Maui artist Jana Ireijo.

Ireijo’s “Reverse Vanishing Mural” is inspired by Louis Garcia III’s Hui Moʻolelo story about catching a 92-pound ulua off Wahikuli Beach. She will create a large ulua and cover it with an ephemeral chalk-and-pastel image of an evening wave. Visitors will gradually reveal the ulua through a participatory process that reflects Ireijo’s philosophy of healing as a gradual, ongoing process in which hope and resilience emerge through time and care. During the residency, Ireijo will also serve as a public steward of the Think Space, inviting visitors to share their own memories and connections to Lāhainā’s shoreline and ocean.

In September 2026, Maui Public Art Corps will bring the Lāhainā Think Space to New York University as part of a public program exploring story and memorialization. The event will connect Lāhainā voices with broader conversations about how communities remember, heal, and rebuild following collective loss, and is scheduled to coincide with the 25-year anniversary of 9/11.

The unveiling of “Perfect Days” will take place at the Lāhainā Think Space at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center. Visitors will experience four animated films presented on individual screens with dedicated headphones, allowing each story to be encountered as part of a larger collective conversation. Please RSVP at mauipublicart.org/events.

For more information, visit mauipublicart.org/perfectdays.