500-foot mural painted by 11 artists to be unveiled at Common Ground Kauaʻi in Kīlauea

A 500-foot mural painted by 11 artists from across the Garden Island and beyond is transforming a construction wall in Kīlauea into a large-scale celebration of culture, mentorship and creative expression.

The artwork, titled ʻAn Imparting Landscape,ʻ will be unveiled during a free public event on Saturday at Common Ground Kauaʻi, a hospitality company anchored in regenerative agriculture.

The project is the result of a partnership with Capitol Modern, a program of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. It is the program’s first major art project outside Oʻahu.

Common Ground CEO Jennifer Luck stated, “At Common Ground Kaua’i, the land itself acts as a teacher, and collaborating with SFCA and Capitol Modern continues that philosophy.

“We are happy to showcase that there is no separation from what is grown or who gathers there, but instead spotlight the talent of artists based here and in the diaspora.”

The mural stretches the length of a construction perimeter surrounding a future restaurant project at the North Shore campus. Each artist was given a 50-foot section while working within a shared color palette and overarching theme focused on the passing of knowledge, traditions and creative practices from one generation to the next.

“Each artist is doing their rendition of what that means to them and how they’ve experienced that,” Common Ground Art Director Sam Schryver said.

“It’s about the act of mentorship and how knowledge, tradition and creative languages are passed from one person to the next in perpetuity.”

The artist roster includes six Kauaʻi-based artists — Bryce Baker, Kaplan Bunce, Matt Hoyme, Holly Kaʻiakapu, Taylor Lowe and Tay Reinhold — alongside artists from Oʻahu, Seattle and Los Angeles. The majority of participants either live in Hawaiʻi or have deep roots in the islands.

Schryver said the project represents an effort to expand opportunities for contemporary artists on Kauaʻi while bringing statewide arts programming to the Garden Island.

“Our intention is for Common Ground to be a place that champions and convenes contemporary arts on the island,” Schryver said. “This partnership with Capitol Modern is a huge honor and marks new horizons for exhibiting contemporary work on Kauaʻi.”

The mural’s unveiling begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday with guided tours led by participating artists, presentations from representatives of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, film screenings and an artist question-and-answer session.

The premiere of a documentary by Oʻahu-based film artist and surfer Chris Miyashiro, known professionally as Mysto, will be shown. It is about a canoe voyage undertaken with fellow sailors.

The event concludes with a gathering at Common Ground’s LoFi Lounge from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring DJs, and food and drinks sourced from the farm’s regenerative agriculture operation.

Jennifer Luck, chief executive officer of Common Ground Kauaʻi, said the project reflects the organization’s broader mission of connecting community, culture and stewardship of the land.

“At Common Ground, the land isn’t the backdrop, it’s the teacher,” Luck said.

While the mural is considered temporary, Schryver said it is expected to remain in place throughout the construction period and is designed to withstand Kauaʻi’s weather conditions using high-quality exterior materials.

When the wall is eventually removed, portions of the artwork will be repurposed into sculptural installations throughout the property.

“As an artist and an advocate for the arts, it’s really important, especially in this day and age, when you see the arts being diminished,” Schryver said. “It’s such an important part of community and human expression. It’s important to keep celebrating that and highlighting people’s dedication to those kinds of things.”

For further information on the “An Imparting Landscape” event, click here.