HONOLULU (KHON2) - Question, did you know that Hawaii is not just the endangered capital of the world, but also the extinction capital of the world?
There are many things to talk about when it comes to that, but at Bishop Museum, there is a brand-new exhibit that focuses on manu, or birds.
So, to find out more, KHON2 met with Taylour Chang, Director of Public Programs here at Bishop Museum.
Tell us a little bit about this exhibit.
“So, the exhibit behind me, Lele o Na Manu, which is spearheaded by Molly Hagemann, our Vertebrate Zoology manager, is really special for the museum as it is the museum's responsibility as the state's natural and cultural history museum to tell the story of Hawaii's forest birds, particularly Hawaii's honeycreepers,” said Chang.
“And so, this instillation allows us to tell that story in a way that is accessible, and this is a permanent instillation, so we are looking forward to using this instillation to inspire ongoing educational programming throughout the year.”
One significant thing about this exhibit is the collaboration between the artists who put this together.
One of those artists is Patrick Ching who painted this beautiful mural.
"You have taught a lot of people and shared about birds through your work. With this collaboration, how did you come about this and what are you hoping that people walk away with?" KHON2 asked.
“Well, I did kind of dedicate my life to teaching people about nature and wildlife through my artwork and I was thrilled when Mr. Uchiyama contacted me, told me about his passion for the birds and the plight of their extinction, and the work that he was doing to carve the birds so people can see them in a show like this,” said Ching.
“So, I was thrilled about that and being asked to do the background for it. Anyway, it took months and a lot of different people to complete it and I am so happy, first of all, it's together and Mr. Uchiyama likes it.”
These are all wooden sculptures of each of the native birds and endemic birds of Hawaii.
They're hand-carved, they're hand-painted and they are carved to scale according to the information on that particular bird.
So, KHON2 met with Mr. Haruo Uchiyama, a Master Craftsman awarded by the Japanese Government.
I would like to know, Mr. Uchiyama, being from Japan, how has Japanese culture influenced your work here with these Hawaiian birds?
“This red bird came from Japan about 5 million years ago and arrived in Hawaii and it evolved into 60 different species, and these are the treasures of Hawaii and now its facing its extinction. So, we hope that the local people will learn what needs to be done to keep those birds alive in Hawaii,” says Uchiyama.
These are sculptures so visually impaired people have an opportunity to hold these sculptures in their hands and be able to feel what these birds may have felt or feel like.
Again, a lot of these are either extinct or endangered.
We do have to give the credit for that to mosquitos.
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