JJ and Massimo took us for a walk today at Swanzy Beach Park in Kaʻaʻawa. It was breezy and high tide.
There’s a good view of the most recently built houses across Kamehameha Highway, and looking the other way there’s the surf.
The barricade marks where the ocean has undercut the concrete walkway. Oceans continue to rise.
Be well and stay safe.
~Rebekah
Maʻafala, the Samoan and Tongan breadfruit variety, apparently has cherished value. The tree I planted from a pot is bearing well now. This year’s first round of picking went to the residents of our immediate neighborhood. The second round was distributed to my friend Taueva, who is Tongan—she offered me money and I told her the breadfruit was a gift, Caroline who refilled my bag with bananas and cucumbers, cousin Julie who refilled my other bag with cookies and crackers, and artist friend Esperance who presented me with his original oil painting of outrigger canoes at Kailua Beach. So generous! I am loving the notion of trading.
I’m grateful for the blessings.
Be well.
~Rebekah
Honolulu Hale at Punchbowl and King streets is the venue for the 64th annual member exhibition of the Windward Artists Guild. The juried art show, “Islands of Diversity,” runs through September 11, 2024, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The building itself, designed by Charles Dickey, is a work of art. But we came to see the creations of current visual artists. The awards reception was yesterday afternoon. With 97 pieces on display, I was bound to run into long-lost friends such as Shelley S. M. Miller, who changed her name. I did not recognize her, but she recognized me. Shelley won Honorable Mention for “The Temari Tree.”
DH made this bird’s eye view from the second floor:
Below are my “Rain Fantasy” oil on canvas and “Lava Flows to the Sea” paper collage.
My friend Bernadette Chan submitted her 2D piece along with her ceramics. “Something different,” she said proudly.
DH admired “ʻUkulele” pictured here with its artist George Evan David.
The Susan Rogers-Aregger Best in Show was awarded to “The Dog Days of Summer (A Goddess of the Star Sirius)” by Vanessa McCowan.
As juror Robert Mace wrote, “I truly wish we could have given every work in the exhibit an award, because they are all winners. Keep making art my friends. This world needs it.”
Be well.
~Rebekah
Once again Kaneohe Yacht Club welcomed sailboats that made the sea journey from San Francisco in the Pacific Cup race that occurs in even-numbered years. In the last week of July, a land crew crafted lei garlands to present to the yachts when they arrived.
My friend Georgia Schmidt organized the effort of rounding up fresh plant material from gardens and the people to make the lei, each six feet long.
Here are some photos made by lei maker Lisa Leydon and me.
Many, many thanks to everyone who helped with this volunteer project. Aloha nō!
Be well ~
Rebekah
Aloha, studio fans!
The events of FestPAC in Hawaii, the 11-day festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, are past, but its impact will be long lasting. Occurring last month in June, Kanaka Maoli in Hawaiʻi hosted the most diverse cultural gathering on the face of the planet, representing 27 Pacific Islands nations.
The theme was “Hōʻoulu Lāhui —Regenerating Oceania” (or, “Increase and Preserve the Nation”). Another such event will not occur in Hawaiʻi for another 50 years.
I donʻt want you to think I had my head in the sand, hence this late post. My ʻohana and friends wanted to participate, but how to choose where to go? We watched the arrivals of the waʻa kaulua (double-hulled canoes) to O’ahu on television.
The next day we went down to nearby Hōkūleʻa Beach at Kualoa Regional Park where there were craft booths and music playing, as well as the canoes! 
We ran into friends Kura & David Tovey there.
We went to Honolulu to the “Festival Village” at the Hawaii Convention Center.
There I bought a souvenir flower for my hair from the Marshall Islands village. It’s woven from coconut leaf fiber. I ran into my Hawaiian language teacher Bill Keoua Nelsen, who is also a lauhala weaver. He was hosting a booth displaying woven lauhala crafts.
Bill Keoua Nelsen
My takeaway is that the Hawaiian Islands are at the top of the Pacific triangle, and that we would do well to look South of us for additional perspective to ideas West and East.
I just read that the Cook Islanders delegation arrived home at Rarotonga within the past 24 hours.
Be well.
~Rebekah
The middle of May is not too early to plan your arts social calendar.
We have these lined up to attend and enjoy:
The Windward Choral Society’s concert “Birds, Beasts & Bugs,” 4 to 5:30 p.m., June 2, 2024, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 148 Makawao Street, Kailua, Oʻahu.
“Collage and Clay” art show, June 5-28, 2024, The ARTS at Marks Garage gallery, 1159 Nuuanu Ave. at Pauahi street. Regular gallery hours are 12 to 5 pm daily.
Opening reception, 5 to 8 pm, June 7, 2024. Closing reception, 5 to 8 pm, June 28, 2024.
Hand-dyed tissue-paper collage, 22” x 28”, by Rebekah Luke
I have six hand-dyed tissue-paper collages in this group exhibit.
Maybe I’ll see you?! Be well.
~Rebekah
As a fine artist, I believe in displaying pictures in good frames. Recently, my cousin Titus gave me a photograph of my mother at a Steinway piano. I already have a similar one from the same shoot of her facing the keyboard. In the one Titus gave me, she is facing the camera, and she signed it!
My mother at the Steinway
I picked out a light brown mat board and a black frame for it.
Secondly, I mounted and framed the well-known ahupuaʻa poster for yesterday’s Earth Day [ka Lā Hōnua] event at the Bishop Museum.
The frame is brown to match the land in the picture.
Ahupuaʻa land division in Hawaiʻi, from the mountains to the sea
Many thanks to Kyle, Melinda,
Letitia, and Jim at Sunshine Arts in Kahaluʻu, Oʻahu, for taking care of my framing needs.
Be well.
~ Rebekah
Rebekah’s Studio 
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