February 18, 2005
MEDIA CONTACT: Caroline Witherspoon
or Jocelyn Collado
Becker Communications
(808) 533-4165
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMY GREENWELL ETHNOBOTANICAL GARDEN PRESENTS WORKSHOP ON KAPA-MAKING WITH WESLEY SEN

HONOLULU - Bishop Museum’s Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Kona welcomes Kumu Wesley Sen for a workshop on kapa-making. The workshop will take place on Saturday, March 5, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is $70, which includes supplies. Bishop Museum members pay only $30 for supplies. Enrollment is limited so pre-registration is required. To register, call (808) 323-3318.

The workshop will explore the cultivation of the wauke plant and the beating of the plant into kapa. Kumu Wesley Sen has studied Hawaiian and Samoan methods of making kapa under Beatrice Krauss and Mary Pritchard.

The paper mulberry tree wauke, also known as Broussonetia papyrifera, was a principal plant introduced by early voyaging Polynesians who settled in Hawai‘i. It was primarily used in making kapa, which was used for garments, bedding, and ceremonial occasions.

This program is supported by Bishop Museum and Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program (NHCAP), which is funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and by funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

Bishop Museum’s Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden is located in South Kona on the Mamalahoa Highway. During the year, more than 8,000 visitors experience the Garden and explore the plants of traditional Kona. The Garden is a regular stop for school tours, and people of all ages enjoy workshops on traditional Hawaiian arts. Admission is a suggested donation of $4 per person and free for Bishop Museum Association members. For more information, call (808) 323-3318 or log on to www.bishopmuseum.org.