Time To Unleash Creative Urges At WCC Campus Arts Festival

As in this image from the 2013 festival, families come in droves to Windward Community College’s Paliku Arts Festival for the hands-on art activities. But they also pause to enjoy a little shave ice. This year’s free campus art adventure is set for April 5. Photo from Bonnie Beatson.

Windward Community College will test the limits of art overdose at its fourth annual Paliku Arts Festival, set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 5. The free bonanza celebrates everything from the theater to screen printing to barbershop harmony.

Major highlights include two performances of the children’s play, The Charge of Ai’ai, based on Hawaiian myth (10 a.m. and 2 p.m.); a Kanikapila with Ka’ala Carmack and Kaukahi (11 a.m.); a starshow “Secrets of the Dragon” in Hokulani Imaginarium (shows run every 20 minutes with a nominal $3 fee); and Gallery ‘Iolani’s Art Faculty Exhibit, featuring work by WCC staff.

Live music throughout the day will come from Royal Hawaiian Band, 111th Hawaii Army National Guard Band Hawaiian Combo, Hawaii Barbershop Quartet, Kamuela Kimokea’s WCC ukulele and slack key guitar students, Kailua High School Band, Sonic Incarnation and Stone Elephants.

But the festival’s main thrust is “doing” rather than just “seeing” art. Attendees can choose from workshops on live music, Garage Band, pottery wheels, camera obscura, portrait drawing, woodcarving, Hawaiian fiber art, clay sculpting, stage combat, mask making, screen printing, printmaking, acting, screenwriting, fiction, raku firing and more. Supplies will be provided by the festival in most cases, and anything participants create is theirs to keep.

Lastly, if eating is more your thing, food vendors will be ready. On the festival menu are Erin’s Shave Ice, Crepes No Ka Oi and India Café, as well as drinks from The Hub Coffee Shop.

For more information, visit palikuarts.com, call 235-7374, or email beatson@hawaii.edu or rmolyneu@hawaii.edu.