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There are more than 50
art galleries and a thriving community of artists
on Maui, many of them world-renowned. The island's
commitment to the arts is most vividly demonstrated
in the Maui Arts & Cultural Center that opened
in Kahului and only seconds away from Maui Lani. The
MACC houses a 1,200-seat main theater, a smaller theater
for experimental performances, a visual arts gallery,
outdoor amphitheater, offices, and rehearsal space.
In both its state-of-the-art indoor facilities and
its grand lawn under the stars, the MACC has hosted
countless entertainers of local, national and international
fame. The center's popular "Ho'onanea Series"
has set the standard with its commitment to showcase
top-notch Hawaiian music and hula entertainers in
the center's superb facilities.
The MACC also hosts regular "First Light"
screenings and café theater events for the
Maui film community, which goes into rapturous celebration
of the film arts with the annual spring Maui Film
Festival at Wailea. Committed to compassionate and
life-affirming storytelling, the festival is highly
regarded nationally, drawing luminaries such as Clint
Eastwood, Geena Davis, and many other Hollywood celebrities.
Festival-goers bring their blankets and lawn chairs
to the Wailea Golf Club for the Celestial Cinema screening
under the stars or for late night silent movies on
Wailea Beach.
The Maui Symphony Orchestra is an active contributor
to the cultural life of the island, performing regularly
at the MACC with excellent symphonic musicians from
the community. Performers tout the MACC as the finest
acoustic venue in Hawaii and a dream venue for classical
musicians. Classical performances by visiting musicians
are also featured in the MACC's robust and diverse
year-round entertainment programs.
To get a glimpse at Maui's history be sure to visit
the award winning Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
And if you have chance don't miss the Hawaii Nature
Center in IaoValley where this an interactive museum
along with rainforest walks. Both are just 10 minutes
from the Maui Lani Community.
Maui's first art league was formed by missionary
descendant Ethel Baldwin and her circle of friends.
Called Hui No'eau ("Club of Skills"), the
group grew to become a prestigious visual arts organization
bringing the world's leading artists to Maui for exhibits,
classes, lectures and workshops. Hui No'eau is now
housed in the gracious old Baldwin estate, Kaluanui,
in Makawao, where it hosts some of the island's most
prestigious shows.
Artists aboard the first European ships to visit the
Islands left a vast collection of prized sketches
and engravings depicting life in Hawai'i at the time
of contact with the outside world. Art has become
so associated with Lahaina that every Friday is Art
Night, when gallery browsers are offered music, complimentary
wine and hors d'oeuvres. The Lahaina Arts Society,
an active association of artists, sponsors year-round
programs and the weekend Art Mart under the banyan
tree in Lahaina, near the old courthouse.
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