Hāna Arts

Hāna Arts, founded in 1991, provides arts and culture education and events for residents of East Maui. Serving keiki through kūpuna, the organization offers programs in visual arts, performing arts, and cultural education that blend traditional Hawaiian culture with contemporary creative practices. Hāna Arts’ programs foster creativity and connection in one of Hawai‘i’s most rural and isolated communities.

A grant from the Cooke Foundation supported the “Hāna Arts Academy,” a program created to address the limited access to arts education and career readiness opportunities facing Hana youth. The need for the program became even more urgent following the impacts of the 2023 Maui wildfires, which highlighted the importance of safe spaces for healing, self-expression, and resilience. During the grant period, the Academy provided year-round arts and cultural education to approximately 380 PreK–12 students through instruction in visual arts, theater, hula, Tahitian dance, ceramics, Hawaiian cultural arts, and a new wa‘a program that connected students to culture and environmental stewardship. The Academy provides access to high-quality arts education while helping Hāna youth build the creativity, leadership, and cultural connections needed for future success.

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