[ SUNDAY TRAVEL ]

School cultivates and
channels artistic energy

Teachers help visitors and residents
explore a wide mix of media

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By Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Special to the Star-Bulletin

As Shaw, the celebrated author, wisely recognized, art reveals essence, our innermost being. It is not merely entertainment, not solely a way for us to pass leisure hours.

Art inspires us to view life with wonder, appreciation, sensitivity and clarity. It helps us discover our unique voice -- the engaging, incredible power within us that yearns to be released.

In short, art defines who we are. With a few strokes of a brush on canvas or two or three deft movements of fingers on clay, we often can express ourselves more effectively than with words.

The Art School at Kapalua cultivates and channels this energy with skill and patience, much like a beloved mentor guides a protégé. Housed in a modest facility at Maui's Kapalua Resort, it was founded in 1995 in memory of Sandra Buffet, a Kapalua resident and longtime patron of the arts. The nonprofit school was a realization of her dream to establish a West Maui center catering to the artistic and educational needs of the community.

Maui artist Jan Welda Fleetham's oil paintings will be on display through March at the art school.

"Our goal is to provide residents and visitors with the highest-quality art opportunities and encourage them to learn, participate in and be inspired by the world of art," says director Molly McMillen. "We believe the arts are essential to the human spirit. We seek to provide a vehicle by which students can nurture their creative nature through explorations into a wide variety of mediums and styles."

From ceramics and sculpture to pen-and-ink and plein-air, classes and workshops challenge both children and adults to expand their creative horizons. Dance offerings include not only the usual ballet, tap and jazz, but capoeira (Brazilian martial arts); Global Motion, a blend of various multicultural dance steps; and hip-hop, a big hit with the young set because it emulates the slick movements executed by pop stars like Britney Spears.

The Art School at Kapalua's gifted staff teaches students basic techniques while motivating them to explore, experiment and come up with their own individual style. "My observation is that engaging in artistic endeavors frees one's soul," notes McMillen. "Many students have commented that they enjoy art because it allows them to express themselves without having to edit their thoughts. Art is an excellent medium for self-expression and development."

The Paint Your Own Ceramics class is a wonderful option for visitors because of its flexible hours. Participants may come anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on designated days to decorate a utilitarian piece of their choice, whether it be a vase, bowl, plate or platter. If they need to return home before their one-of-a-kind souvenir can be fired, the school can ship it to them.

In addition to scheduled classes, workshops are offered on a regular basis; recent subjects were collage, portrait painting and the art of hand-dyeing paper. The popular Visiting Artists Program spotlights acclaimed professionals from around the world. China's Lian Zhen, the author of "Chinese Watercolor Painting Techniques," will be leading a watercolor workshop March 4 to 8.

During the spring and summer, kids ages 5 to 12 are invited to attend fun-filled art camps. "This year, the summer enrichment program will focus on a different master every week," says McMillen. "Let's say the master one week is Claude Monet. The students will learn about him and impressionism, and all of their art projects for that week will revolve around that."

Since its inception the Art School at Kapalua has welcomed more than 2,000 students, about a third of whom have been visitors. "Many of them are snowbirds who come year after year," says McMillen. "Some have even flown here just to attend a workshop."

Year round, the school mounts impressive displays of works by students, faculty and top Maui artists such as Jan Welda Fleetham, whose oils will be exhibited through March.

"Jan's work is excellent," McMillen said. "We're showing some great wildlife paintings, my favorite being three little pigs, drawn from a picture she took in Hana of three pigs on the side of the road. The subjects in her portraits look like they might walk right out of the paintings."

To date, the Art School at Kapalua counts nearly 1,000 members. Being a nonprofit organization, it covers expenses via grants, donations, tuition, art sales and annual membership fees ranging from $15 to $50.

Overseeing an operation with a shoestring budget also demands creative effort. "My goal," McMillen says, "is to ensure that the school has an open and hospitable environment where all are welcomed and leave with the feeling they have accomplished something of personal value."

THE ART SCHOOL AT KAPALUA Address: 800 Office Road, Kapalua, HI 96761 Hours: Most art classes take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. Dance classes are held between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays. Class schedules are published monthly. Cost: Fees for adult classes range from $10 to $30, plus supplies. Children's classes run from $5 to $12. Workshops with visiting artists cost between $10 and $500. Local residents and members of the Art School at Kapalua receive 10 percent off all offerings. Kamaaina members receive a 20 percent discount. Special programs: The spring children's art camp will run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 3 to 5. Students will study Impressionism in the mediums of acrylic, silk painting, ceramics and watercolor. Cost is $105 or $40 per day. Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, the summer enrichment program is divided into three sessions: Session 1: June 19 to July 5, Session 2: July 8 to Aug. 2 and Session 3: Aug. 5 to 16. The price is $650 for Sessions 1 and 2 and $320 for Session 3, including snacks (children need to bring their own lunch). The daily drop-in rate is $45. Enrollment is limited to 40 children per session. Call: 665-0007 Web site: www.kapaluaart.com