By Daily Press staff
It was about as close to Maui as you can get in Southern California. The first mainland location for MAUI HANDS art gallery celebrated their grand opening this past weekend with real Hawaiian style.
The events included a spiritual Hawaiian blessing performed by Reverend Kekoaokalani Yap; Hawaiian melodies performed by Duke’s celebrated Hawaiian entertainer Titus Napoleon; Hawaiian pupus with organic wine, and an array of art mediums including glass, wood, ceramic, oil, watercol-or, mixed media, silver, gold, nature, silk and metal.
New Santa Monica store co-owners, Rob and Lina Kerr, and Panna Speas, MAUI HANDS founder and owner from Maui, greeted the multitudes of family, friends, MAUI HANDS art patrons, and new customers to the new art gallery at 1431 Ocean Ave.
Renowned Maui artists, Ed Lane, Piero Resta, Steve Sundram, Hettie Saaiman, Linda Whittemore, Lali Groth, Coco Hayward, Monica and Michael Sweet and Carol Armstrong, attended the grand opening to show some of their latest works. The gallery will soon be announcing a calendar of events, which will begin in July.
In Hawaii, MAUI HANDS is considered one of the best venues for local artwork, representing more than 275 fine artists, jewelers, woodworkers and sculptors, all 100 percent local to the state of Hawaii. Speas opened the first MAUI HANDS gallery in the spring of 1992 in Makawao. Other Maui locations include Paia, Lahaina and Ka’anapali at the Hyatt Regency.
“Maui Hands was born of a desire to work with good people while being surrounded by beauty. Dreams do come true,” Speas said.
MAUI HANDS Santa Monica Art Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 19, 2005. Read the original PDF.