Art–and Musubi–with Heart

When part of Maui is hurting, the rest of the community redoubles its support. Even the youth take part–as seen in the laudable actions of the grade 5-12 students of Seabury Hall’s National Honor Society (NHS) and Art with Heart clubs, in response to the devastation of the Maui fires.

The NHS chapter of the independent, 400-student day school situated on the slopes of Haleakalā in Makawao, Maui, held a musubi sale to raise money for the Maui Strong Fund, featuring a recipe passed down from one NHS members’ grandmother.

Art with Heart, a philanthropic organization dedicated to helping its community through the arts, is a service club that’s been a part of the Seabury Hall Performing Arts Program for over a decade. Its members put on a one-night show at the ‘A‘ali‘ikūhonua Creative Arts Center to benefit a different charity each year.

Students run the club and put on the event, which features artistic music, dance, spoken word and instrumental performances, a gallery of visual art, and a pre-show reception. There are teachers to advise, but it’s the students who are the artists, singers, musicians, actors, directors, technicians, and creators.

Having chosen the Maui Strong Fund as this year’s Art with Heart beneficiary, 108 students participated in the club, more than a quarter of the entire Seabury Hall student body. There was so much art–and so much heart–that the club decided to double its showcase, putting on two completely different shows on consecutive nights in February 2024.

Ticket sales were robust, resulting in a generous donation to the Maui Strong Fund. The shows weren’t just a showcase for the arts, but for the incredible compassion of Maui’s youth and the power of creativity to express, heal, and bring community together.

“All of us being residents of Maui have seen the impacts of the Maui Fires on Lahaina, Upcountry, and all the people of Maui. We even knew people at our school who had been impacted greatly by the fires and we wanted to help,” said Art with Heart student leaders Avery Ardoin, Freya Carlsen, and Bobby Goldyn. “We want people to know that Maui is a unique place, unlike any other, the community so strong and bright will always come together to support one another. The Maui fires have exemplified our resolve to mālama our land, and our people, with love and compassion.”

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