CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM The life-size statue of Queen Liliuokalani stands behind the state Capitol.

Statue of Liliuokalani
has become focal point

Some workers at the state Capitol swear they hear Liliuokalani singing sadly late at night, near her statue, in the cusp area between the rotunda and Iolani Palace grounds. Whether it's true or not, the statue is often bedecked with leis offered in the deposed queen's memory.

Naturally, the official name of the work is "The Spirit of Liliuokalani." The life-size sculpture by Marianna Pineda was dedicated April 10, 1982, and legislation has been proposed to move it onto the palace grounds. But the queen has stayed where she was placed, keeping a close eye on legislators.

As Hawaii's last ruling monarch, Liliuokalani is revered. Even though this is one of the most honored statues in the state, the Friends of Iolani Palace and the Department of Land and Natural Resources opposed the move. The statue wouldn't fit in with the restoration of palace grounds to the way they were during the monarchy.

During the 1993 centennial of the overthrow of Liliuokalani, the statue became a focal point for demonstrations that drew as many as 15,000 people.

Sculptor Pineda died last year at 71 of pancreatic cancer at her home in Boston.

Pineda, who previously lived in Hawaii, cast the statue in Boston and had it shipped to Hawaii.

Another Pineda work, a seated woman called "The Accusative," is at the Commission on the Status of Women office in the Kamamalu Building.

One of her last projects was "Search for the Queen," a documentary on Queen Liliuokalani's life and the creation of the memorial.