[ MAUKA MAKAI ]
COURTESY OF ROCHELLE LUM
Rochelle Lum's 5-inch maquette, foreground, was the model for her 5-foot-long gecko.
Artists will come together to
decorate and display 50 large
geckos for a hospital benefit
The isles are full of geckos clinging to ceilings and window screens, but we've never seen them 5 feet long, until now.
Thanks to the Kapiolani Health Foundation, 50 larger-than-life geckos will soon grace Oahu's public spaces. The critters are slated to meet eye to eye with visitors in Waikiki and hang around the downtown area with the aim of raising about $500,000 for the Comprehensive Breast Center at Kapiolani Medical Center.
The "Geckos in Paradise" event follows the model of similar large-scale fund-raisers across the country, like "Party Animals in D.C."
'Geckos in Paradise'
Call to artists: Application forms available at www.geckosinparadise.com or by e-mailing info@geckoinparadise.comCost: No entry fee; expenses of up to $500 will be reimbursed
Deadline: Feb. 4
Volunteers needed:"Geckos in Paradise" event is run by volunteers and managed by the staff at Kapiolani Health Foundation. To volunteer, call Stacey Acma at 535-7121 or e-mail info@geckosinparadise.com.
The decorated geckos will be put out on display and then put up for "adoption" on eBay in August and September.
Artists are being sought to embellish the gecko forms. For instance, the "Cows in Chicago" display featured one cow covered in bottle caps. One of the "Pigs in Seattle" was an "inside-out piggy bank" covered with pennies.
The gecko was chosen because it is considered unique to Hawaii, said Stacey Acma, special-events coordinator at Kapiolani Health Foundation. Florida has used dolphins and other states have used bears.
Artist Rochelle Lum was chosen to create the master sculpture, and because versatility was a factor in the decision, she said she designed her gecko so that it could lie flat on the ground or be bolted on a wall in any direction.
Lum's creation showed "that she had really observed a lot of geckos," said Acma. "She works on ceramics in her garage, and once she turns on the garage lights, she can see lots of them. She would watch how they move and what they do."
"I'm used to making a form and adding detail," Lum said. "I don't work in a traditional sculpture format."
At a meeting, Acma had Lum's maquette, or gecko model, in the middle of the table, and an attendee pushed it to the side with a piece of paper, saying, "I don't like geckos much," laughed Acma.
While Lum's original design was quite realistic, the committee members had the last say and made some minor modifications to her design. "Now it is a mix between realistic and cartoony," Lum said. "The toes are rounder, the texture was changed and the tail needed to be adjusted for safety reasons."
"Lum's 5-inch maquette fits in the palm of your hand," added Acma, who was impressed to see the full-size project being completed. "The gecko is bigger than her."
There's a good reason for that because the gecko form needs to have a lot of surface area ... a blank slate for artists to decorate.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Rochelle Lum carved her giant gecko out of a 50-pound block of foam. Her master sculpture will be duplicated and used by other artists as the basis of gecko works of art.
When she's not shaping geckos, Lum teaches ceramics classes at Linekona Center at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and has participated in numerous group exhibits and juried exhibitions throughout the United States. She received her bachelor's degree in art technique and fine arts from Mills College in Oakland, Calif., in 1979.
Despite her vast experience as a ceramist, sculpting from a 50-pound block of foam proved challenging as Lum carved away with a manual saw. "I'm doing everything backwards," she explained. "It's hard to start with something big and solid.
"After the first day, my arms were so sore," she said. "I used an electric knife that you would use to cut turkey for in between the toes. But after one use, the blade was already dull."
Shaping and sanding followed. A final sealer was added before the gecko was shipped off to be used as a mold to create 50 fiberglass specimens.
"The finished product will be similar to a surfboard," said Acma, who expects the finished geckos to weigh about 35 pounds each.
When they get back, the artists chosen to decorate them will go into action.
"Anyone can submit a design, even a team of people," Acma said. There is no fee or cost for participating artists, and expenses of up to $500 will be reimbursed. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 4.
"We want to give artists an opportunity to express themselves and show how they see Hawaii," Acma said, adding that in addition to being a fund-raiser, she hopes "Geckos in Paradise" will be recognized as an art exhibition in which "people who may not normally go to a museum can still experience art."
Acma is also working on generating a few table-top-size geckos to be decorated by celebrity artists, as well as some blank kits that people can purchase and decorate themselves.
"We are still working on all of the details," she said.
Location maps of the gecko display will be available. "People may want to go to each one. They may want to take pictures with them," she said.
The event will culminate with a "Gecko Gala and Grand Finale," a live auction in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All of the proceeds will be used at the local breast-health center.
"I'm so anxious to see how they are decorated," said Lum. "It's plain now, so it will definitely be fun."
Stay tuned for results toward summer's end.
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