4/15/20: Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is honored to present a Programmatic Award to the Mural Wall at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center located in Kahului on the island of Maui. Local artist Kirk Kurokawa created this larger-than-life mural on a bare concrete wall using ordinary house paint.
The mural is being recognized as an educational resource reminding the public of a significant event in Hawai‘i’s history and how it impacted the Maui community. It is a reminder of what these men stood for and the sacrifices that is a made as a result of war.
“The Nisei Memorial is accessible to the general public, both physically and in terms of its presentation and content,” remarked Adriane Truluck, a member of the Selection Committee after visiting the site. “Wordlessly and with striking imagery, it conveys an empathetic portrayal of the Nisei veterans, connecting today’s audience, be it descendants, residents, or visitors, to the veterans and their experience.”
In his nomination of the project, Maui architect Jim Niess pointed out that, “Because these images were originally taken prior to (the use of) color photography, the artist reproduced them as the black and white originals which adds a subtle touch to its powerful imagery.” Applying this approach, the artist was able to give the mural a true sense of integrity and connection to the past.
Historic preservation has so many different aspects and the mural illustrates how important it is to recognize and celebrate all forms of interpretation. “Art is absolutely important because it is universal,” states Kurokawa. “Art can reach and speak to everyone no matter who they are and where they may come from. Particularly ‘public art’ has great potential to bring a community together and to remember our history.”
The Nisei Veterans Mural exemplifies the power of art to transport people back in time and to convey a message visually. The artist added pink flowers throughout the mural as a nod to cherry blossoms as a cultural symbol of hope and renewal. In a local media interview, Kurokawa said he hopes that each stroke of paint helps to ensure that the soldiers’ actions are never forgotten.
“Everyone just kind of stops in awe and is amazed, but they also get a really strong feeling and emotion of gratitude, of humility,” said Jill Tokuda, executive director of the Memorial Center. “There is a notion of family and community pride…At the end of the day, it’s about the values that our Nisei had, to go and sacrifice and fight bravely. It’s a continuation of those values and that legacy.”
The Preservation Award will be presented to the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and artist Kirk Kurokawa.
The 46th Annual Preservation Honor Awards Ceremony was originally scheduled to be held in May 2020. However, the current public health crisis caused by COVID-19 has resulted in postponement of the public event. A new date will be selected and notices sent at a later date.