Join us at Haleʻiwa Beach Park for an installation sharing Waialua’s moʻolelo, mele, and community talk-story.

Put on your slippahs and shorts and join us at the beach park for the dedication of a large-scale installation, followed by an artist and community talk-story, mele, and celebration of the lesser-known stories and histories of Waialua.

Installed throughout the historic 1930s pavilion at Puaʻena, this work features 12 wooden and 36 painted fiberglass sculptures rising from the pavilion’s ruins. Together, the pieces unfold the moʻolelo of Laniwahine, the benevolent moʻo (water guardian) who resides in the sacred ʻUkoʻa and Loko Ea fishponds.

This installation recenters Waialua—often known for its plantation past and surf culture—as a place defined by ancestral presence, abundance, and reciprocal care.

The installation by artists Amber Khan and Jordan Souza is a part of Wahi Pana: Storied Places, the unprecedented initiative featuring art installations across O‘ahu that connect each site with its indigenous, Native Hawaiian mo‘olelo (stories). The project is led by the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Aupuni Space, Pu‘uhonua Society, Hawai‘i Contemporary, O‘ahu Visitors Bureau, Bishop Museum, and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.