Guild brings art classes to displaced Lahaina keiki

Kirk Boes (center, behind the students), Lahaina Arts Guild art education director, taught art classes at King Kamehameha III Elementary School last year. The campus was destroyed during the fire in Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023. FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.
LAHAINA — Three weeks to the day after the catastrophic fire in Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina Arts Guild (LAG) was back in action teaching free art classes to displaced keiki at Montage Kapalua Bay.
Once the first responders left, “it was time to send in the artists,” said Lahaina Arts Guild Art Education Director Kirk Boes with a laugh.
After two weeks at Montage Kapalua Bay, LAG moved to the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa on Sept. 12 to offer two-hour classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two weeks.
Boes and fellow artists/instructors DeAna Duncan and Zoe Mason are also making arrangements to work with Sacred Hearts School students at Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua and King Kamehameha III Elementary School keiki, who have been temporarily assigned to Wailuku Elementary or Kamalii Elementary School in Kihei. Both school campuses in Lahaina Town were heavily damaged during the fire.
“It’s really just playing it by ear and still trying to be of service,” said Boes.
Keiki staying at the resorts — adults are welcome also — enjoy the art classes with their energetic, upbeat instructors.
“They love it — kids are resilient. It’s tough for all of us, but it’s a really happy time and it’s just fun to do art with them. It’s really therapeutic. They can do something that feels normal for them,” he said.
“It’s fun! Here are some materials — sit down and paint a little picture.”
LAG’s home, the historic Old Lahaina Courthouse, was destroyed in the fire. Maui United Way and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts provided grants for the guild to purchase art materials and resume outreach.
Boes and his wife, Laura, lost their home near the former Pioneer Mill. Some of their neighbors — who had become close friends — died during the devastating fire.
Mason is among the nine artist members of Lahaina Arts Society (LAG was founded by the organization) who lost their homes during the tragic Lahaina fire.
“They’re amazing — they both really have a heart for the kids,” Kirk said, describing Mason and Duncan.
“They’re really high energy and just super cool people. They love kids.”
Kirk also lost his vast collection of art — 30 years of work — stored at the courthouse, a gallery at 505 Front Street and his home.
“Art is very therapeutic, even for myself,” Kirk explained. “I lost everything — every stick of art.”
Some of his work is featured online at the Art Farm Productions website and other sites, and he has some pictures.
Kirk is busy re-creating paintings with donated art supplies.
“I’m redoing all of these Lahaina paintings I’ve done. Already I’m on painting number six right now. Once I got back into it, I just started to go nuts,” he said.
“I’ve done a couple of the Pioneer Inn from different angles. I’m working on a couple different Front Street pieces and the boat harbor, and from offshore looking up at the West Maui Mountains.”
He hopes to have an exhibition of the re-created works around Christmas.
For information on LAG classes, to volunteer or donate art supplies, contact Kirk at (808) 298-8787 or kirkboes@gmail.com.
Lahaina Arts Society continues to support Lahaina Arts Guild’s classes, and LAS hopes to restart its art fairs at Lahaina Cannery when visitors return to West Maui.
Lahaina Arts Guild was established by members of Lahaina Arts Society in 2018 as a tax exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization to provide children’s art programs and to bring the world of art to military veterans.
Historically, LAS provided free, on-site art classes and activities to children living in Maui County.
Classes began at the Banyan Tree Gallery and the Old Jail Gallery in the Old Lahaina Courthouse in the 1970s, and now Lahaina Arts Guild is carrying on this tradition.