When Japanese developer Takeshi Sekiguchi began building what’s now known as the Grand Wailea Resort (GWR) in 1989, his vision was to create the world’s #1 art hotel. “Mr. Sekiguchi’s greatest passion is art,” says Michael Gilbert, curator of corporate collections. “His vision was to create an outdoor art museum that happened to have a hotel inside. This property is the result of one man’s dream.”
And Mr. Sekiguchi decided Michael was the man to help him achieve that dream. “I was working for the Four Seasons in Canada, when he contacted me by phone,” Michael recalls. “He asked, ‘How would you like to come to Maui?’ My background was nineteenth-century art curating, and I’m a portrait painter by trade, but I’d done a lot of art restoration. I probably wasn’t the best candidate for the job, but because I have multiple talents, he felt I was the one. So I happily moved to Maui, and have been here ever since. I was present from the very beginning when they were digging the first holes in the ground.” Continue reading ‘grand wailea resort’s art collection tour: experiencing an outdoor museum – in grand style’
Kaho‘olawe is a sacred island of cultural reverence. Originally known as Kohe Malamalama o Kanaloa, Kaho‘olawe is dedicated to Kanaloa, a Hawaiian god associated with voyaging, the deep sea, and marine life.
A year ago, the Maui Ocean Center opened its Humpbacks of Hawai‘i Exhibit & Sphere, creating a new and immersive dimension to Maui’s fabled humpback whale season. Until now, visitors have observed humpbacks from above the ocean’s surface. The Humpbacks of Hawai‘i experience breaks this barrier, transporting viewers into the humpbacks’ world beneath the waves for a rare, face-to-face encounter with one of the world’s most majestic marine mammals.
What is the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational? This 9-day event highlights 24 professional plein air painters from throughout Hawai‘i, the United States mainland, and Australia. The painters capture the images of Maui – its people, its beaches and ocean scenes, its majestic mountains and valleys, and its historical buildings. The public watch artists create inspiring artworks, attend art sales, and attend educational events.
We wanted to share this recent message from our Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau:
This month, The Merwin Conservancy becomes permanent custodian of the 19-acre property situated in Maui’s jungle-like Pe‘ahi Stream valley near Ha‘iku owned by two-time U.S. Poet Laureate William Stanley (“W.S.”) Merwin and his wife Paula. When he died in March of this year, William left a legacy of boundless imagination, insight, and literary genius. He wrote more than 30 books of poetry and prose, and won two Pulitzer Prizes and the National Book Award, in addition to serving as Poet Laureate not once, but twice.
The holiday cheer begins at Pu‘ukoli‘i Station in Ka‘anapali when you board the festively decorated train. Savor the magic of the season while elves get you settled in for the 4-mile, round-trip journey, with a brief stop to pick up a very special guest (hint: his best friend is Rudolph!).
When Luana Mahi and Kau‘i Kahaiali‘i, co-originators of the Maui Sunday Market, were brainstorming the concept of a weekly family-friendly event in Kahului, their mission was to create an experience where locals and visitors alike could gather each week, engage with one another, share stories, and partake in the diversity of Hawai‘i and the aloha spirit.
The Maui Concierge 