Discover Wailuku’s story on every level

New art walls throughout the Wailuku Garage celebrate the water, landscapes, native species and stories that connect Wailuku from the mountains to the sea.

Inspired by community input, each floor offers a different view of Wailuku’s natural and cultural landscape. Together, the installations create a visual journey from the life-giving waters of Nā Wai ʻEhā to the cultivated lands, mountains and clouds above.

Next time you stop by the Wailuku Garage, take a moment to enjoy the artwork on each level.

Floor 1: Nā Wai ʻEhā – The Four Waters

Wailuku i ka malu he kuawa
(Wailuku in the shelter of the valleys)

This community mural pays homage to the vibrancy and richness of the Wailuku ahupuaʻa and its life-giving waters. Born from the cloud cover of Mauna Kahālāwai, wai cascades through the valleys of the mauna, tracing its path to the embrace of the vast kai.

Hand-painted by Wailuku community members, every piece of the mural comes together to form a stylized ahupuaʻa and depict the profound connection between wai and the flora and fauna it nurtures.

Floor 2: Kalo – Taro

He Mau ʻAuwai I Hoʻōlaʻa I Nā Kalo
(Many ʻAuwai Make Much Kalo)

The artwork installations on this floor focus on loʻi kalo, ʻauwai and ʻōpae ʻoehaʻa, highlighting the relationship between flowing water, cultivated lands and the native species that depend on these freshwater environments.

This artwork is rooted in the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau:
‍He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka (the land is a chief; man is its servant).

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Floor 3: Mauna – Mountain

Nā ao i hana i mau wailele
(The clouds that make waterfalls)

The artwork installations on this floor focus on mountains, waterfalls and ‘o‘opu alamo‘o. The fish are arranged vertically to reflect their remarkable journey upstream as they climb waterfalls toward the mountain waterways.

This artwork is rooted in the ‘Ōlelo No‘eau:
Ka malu ao o na pali kapu o Kaka‘e (the cloud shelter of the sacred cliffs of Kaka‘e).

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Floor 4: Ao – Cloud

Lele ka pueo me ka mū
(The pueo flies in silence)

The artwork installations on this floor focus on clouds and pueo, reflecting Wailuku’s strong connection to moʻolelo about pueo as shared during community consultations.

This artwork is rooted in the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau:
‍Malu ke kula, ʻaʻohe keʻu pueo (the plain is quiet; not even the hoot of an owl is heard. All is at peace).

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