Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center is proud to launch #HuiKids—a free online learning channel where kids can create art remotely alongside Hui Teaching Artists.
Each year the Hui typically serves over 1,300 Maui students through their field trip program, in addition to 285 students each month in partnering public schools through their Na Keiki No‘eau after school outreach program. “Outreach programs all came to a halt in March, after which we immediately started brainstorming ways to continue reaching these students. We also knew that children have bonded with our Teaching Artists, so we wanted to find a way for them to still interact with their favorite art teachers, even though we couldn’t meet in person and we realized that digital lessons would enable us to help many more children across the island,” said Hui No‘eau Program Director Lana Coryell.
Available through the Hui’s website and Vimeo channel, new lessons are released twice weekly combining short lessons in art fundamentals with lengthier lessons that expand on visual art basics. The #HuiKids series also features live online art lessons, Hui art gallery tours and grounds tours—replicating what students might experience through the Hui’s field trip program.
Coryell added, “We created #HuiKids to provide a creative outlet that families could enjoy at home or that teachers could use in their lessons. Most of the videos are short and require only basic or inexpensive materials that you’d have at home or would be part of a standard school supply list. The visual arts are so supportive of our mental health, so we wanted to make the platform as accessible as possible. We hope these videos bring Maui children some small moments of joy and help create opportunities for positive emotional expression during this difficult time.”
#HuiKids invites youth to tune in for a live art lesson Friday, December 18th at 3pm HST with Teaching Artist Claudio Marchetti. The lesson will teach a Frida Kahlo Still Life project using paper (watercolor paper preferred), coloring supplies (watercolors or colored pencils), pencil and eraser, found objects from nature such as fruit, leaves, flowers or rocks.
All lessons are free to the public. Visit huinoeau.com/huikids for monthly calendars outlining new video releases, scheduled live art lessons and suggested supplies for each lesson.
#HuiKids is made possible with support from the Maui County Office of Economic Development. To make a donation to Hui No‘eau or the #HuiKids program, please contact Program Director Lana Coryell at [email protected] or 808-572-6560 ext. 22.
Hui No‘eau is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, community-based, visual arts education organization offering open access to quality visual arts instruction by professional teaching artists and arts opportunities through year round youth and adult art classes, exhibitions, outreach programs, community art events, and more. For more information, please visit www.huinoeau.com.
