Meleanna Aluli Meyer comes from a well respected, civic minded family in the Hawaiian community. Meleanna is a practicing artist, educator and filmmaker, and has taught in a diverse range of educational settings both public and private, at the University level, in the charter schools, as an artist in residence and contractually as a consultant, as an arts/culture workshop leader and curriculum specialist. Community and social justice issues define much of the work she does.
As a documentary filmmaker she has two remarkable films to her credit. PUAMANA ’91(about her beloved Aunty Irmgard Farden Aluli, a well known musician and composer) which opened the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival in ʻ91; It was chosen to travel & show on both the East and West Coasts with screenings at the Kennedy Center in D.C., and numerous other venues; and HO’OKU’IKAHI-To Unify as one, ’98, is about the important revival of cultural protocols at Kamehameha the 1stʻs Heiau of State, Puʻu Kohola, Kawaihae, on Hawaiʻi island. Both pieces are about building pride, understanding and support of Hawaiian families and culture from an insider’s perspective, with a voice of rare clarity. Having received numerous awards for her visual arts and film, KUʻU ʻĀINA ALOHA- My Beloved Country, is her third documentary in production. A visual poem whose truthful telling of Hawaiian History promises to be revelatory, movingly candid and engaging. Told through 1st person narrative KUʻU ʻĀINA ALOHA aims to offer audiences deep insights that have not been revealed before, about how Hawaiians from the past and those today are working to reconcile the loss and horrors of both the illegal overthrow and annexation of Hawaiʻi. Love for the land is our platform.
When not making films, she continues teaching in community as her commitment to the arts, keiki & their families are a driving force in her life. The depth and range of her work in the visual arts marks her as a vital voice in the arts community. She considers the work that she does in various communities around the state part of her mission to bring the arts to empower the people. Meyer’s work can also be found in important collections in Hawaiʻi - in the City & County Collection of Honolulu, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the East–West Center as well as the Hawaii State Art Museum, with works in private collections both here and abroad. She is also a published author and illustrator.
Artist’s statement: I feel particularly sensitive to the animating energies that define us as people, through the places that we live, the relationships that we cultivate and the intersecting events of our lives. Each of us has a purpose, a kuleana, or responsibility that calls us to action.
My desire is to bring voice not only to the work that is done, but to nurture and support those I work with, to reclaim their visions, stories and voices. Each of us has stories to tell, treasures to impart to others. The arts are the soul of us, as they are personal expressions and a visual representation of aspects of the divine. We must strive to kokua one another in all that we do... This is my mission.
Tuesday September 23, 2014 @ 6:00 pm
The Arts at Marks Garage
1159 Nu‘uanu Avenue, Honolulu 96817