Arts & Cultural Center
Published On: Oct 26, 2006

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center opened its doors in 1994 bringing in the culmination of a dream for the people of this small Pacific island. The center had been planned for 30 years and cost $32 million, most of the money coming from donations of generous people from all over the island and surrounding communities.

The arts and cultural center was founded on the principle that people have a need to create and that art is an expression of culture. Well, Maui is a place rich with culture. The Maui Arts & Cultural Center couldn't be a more fitting representation of the culture of these Hawaiians. One trip to the center and you will agree.

Administrators over the non-profit center expect to achieve some ambitious goals through the center. One of those goals is to become a catalyst for learning about the arts to everyone who visits. Center administrators also hope to engage the entire Maui community in the arts and the culture of the island. The most ambitious goal for the center is to become an international powerhouse of arts and culture and a face to the world of the Maui people. They are well on track to achieve all of these goals.

MACC is a place for artists and their audiences to meet and interact. Whether displaying art from the past, the traditions of the Maui people, or exhibiting contemporary artistic displays, the Maui Arts & Cultural Center seeks to be a conduit of creativity. The center invites artists and citizens to more than 70 events throughout the year designed to offer opportunities for discussion and interaction. Among those activities are workshops, cooking classes, special performances for students, and cultural exchanges.

The center's cultural programs are a huge part of its mission and have become very popular mainstays as well. "Liliko Ka Pua," the passion-fruit of culture, is the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's well crafted expo on the cultural arts. The 2005 World Conference on Hula attracted people from all over the world to hear Hawaiian culture experts expound on hula, chant and other natural Hawaiian cultural arts and traditions through workshops, special classes, and expeditions. MACCs cultural program involves ongoing series as well as special events and are open to all people, natives and visitors alike.

The center also features stages, performance spaces, and meeting rooms that can be rented year round. The gallery rooms are multifunctional with projection screens and courtyards, tack boards and dry erase boards for your use in your seminar or reception. Dance classes and rehearsals are routinely held in the Omori Studios, which feature hardwood floors, ballet barres, and mirrors that cover the walls from floor to ceiling. These studios are also used for acting classes as well as rehearsals and auditions. The Alexander & Baldwin Amphitheater is capable of hosting concerts and other performances for audiences of up to 5,000. The talent that has graced the stage is as diverse as the Maui people themselves. Performers include Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Ziggy Marley, Sting, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Pearl Jam, B.B. King, and many other world famous entertainers.

These amenities are just a few of the offerings the Maui Arts & Cultural Center has for patrons. Many of them are accessible to persons with disabilities. The Schaefer International Gallery and the Yokouchi Founder's Court are also very popular among visitors. The former is the only museum-quality art gallery on Maui. Simple and elegant, the gallery is climate controlled and has been the home to some of the world's best exhibits including some from the Smithsonian Institution, traveling exhibitions, local artist expressions, and the International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibit, a biennial show that no visitor to Maui wants to miss. Most exhibits in the Schaefer Gallery are free to attend.

The Yokouchi Founder's Court is an outdoor courtyard shaded with trees and is used for intermissions and celebrations before and after shows held in other venues at the cultural arts center. A beautiful place night or day, a great place to have lunch or a picnic, the courtyard also also patrons a chance to immortalize their names with special pavers for a $100 donation.

The Castle Theater is Maui Arts & Cultural Center's main performance theater. With 1,200 seats, it is multi-tiered and puts every seat within 90 feet of the stage. The theater features an orchestra pit, a sprung-wood dance floor, and advanced sound and lighting systems. It is used all year long and hosts some of the best performances on Maui.

If you are planning a visit to Maui any time of year, you want to add the Maui Arts & Cultural Center to your agenda. Don't leave the island without stopping by.

Maui Arts & Cultural Center
One Cameron Way
Kahului, HI 96732

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