Submitted by Madelyn Setting on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Hawaii sponsored by College of Education and Human Development…
Throughout my time in Hawaii, I kept noticing art murals all over the city of Honolulu, especially during my second week of being there. Not only were there giant murals spread across buildings and bridges, but there were little moments of art around the community. For example, there was a tiny painting to mask a hole in the wall, a mosaic on nearly every elementary school I passed, and cartoons on the sidewalk to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I found this unique to the city, and after discussing this with several of the bus drivers, I found there was a community group called Pow Wow that was full of artists that come every year to paint extravagant murals and provide entertainment for local kids. I found this to be different from any program that is located in our area, and I admired the emphasis of building a stronger community and involving local students in positive activities.