Maui Public Art Corps has announced a new artist call for Good Grief, a public art pilot developed through the ongoing Lāhainā Memorial Project research process. The Good Grief pilot emerges from years of community engagement through Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā and the evolving Lāhainā Think Space in partnership with the County of Maui.

The Lāhainā Think Space, newly relocated from Lahainaluna High School to Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, is a community-centered installation created as part of the Lāhainā Memorial Project research process. It brings together intergenerational talk-story recordings, artworks, reflections, and community contributions gathered through Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā, offering a space to listen, reflect, and engage with stories that continue to shape Lāhainā’s present and future. (See project film HERE)

Artists interested in applying to the Good Grief pilot are asked to visit the Lāhainā Think Space during a staffed site visit window on June 23, 24, and 25 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM daily. During this time, artists will engage directly with Think Space materials and identify a specific story, recording, or installation element that will serve as the inspiration for their proposed artwork. Additional staffed site visits are posted weekly at mauipublicart.org/thinkspace under “schedule.”

‍Good Grief invites artists of all disciplines to explore how grief, memory, and connection can become a catalyst for creative expression and shared public experience. The program recognizes grief as a shared human experience that can bring people closer, reduce isolation, and open space for connection, care, and meaning-making through art.

“Good Grief grew out of our ongoing work with the Lāhainā community and the deeper question of how we hold memory and connection through public art,” said Kelly White of Maui Public Art Corps. “Artists are invited into relationship with the stories and reflections in the Think Space and asked to respond to a specific moment of meaning that becomes the foundation for new public work.”

Selected works will be developed through a community-informed selection process and presented by December 14, 2026.

The Lāhainā Think Space visit window serves as both an introduction to the program and a required step in the application process. Artists are encouraged to experience the space firsthand before submitting a proposal. For details and application link, please visit mauipublicart.org/goodgrief.