Preview of Lele o Nā Manu: Live Painting w/ Patrick Ching

June 10-14, 2024
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: First Floor, Science Adventure Center
Free w/ Museum Admission

During the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, artist Patrick Ching will be in the Science Adventure Center from June 10-14, 2024 live painting a mural to raise awareness of Hawai‘i’s native forest birds and wildlife.

When master woodcarver Hauro Uchiyama presented an idea for an exhibit of his Hawai‘i bird carvings to Princess Michiko of Japan, she showed him a painting she had by Patrick Ching entitled “Hidden Valley” and said, “This is who should paint the background for your Bishop Museum exhibit.”

Years later, Haruo Uchiyama’s vision comes to life as artist Patrick Ching completes a modified version of “Hidden Valley” as the backdrop for Uchiyama’s carved forest birds, which will be displayed in an upcoming installation “Lele o Nā Manu: The Splendor and Loss of Hawaiʻi’s Birds” in Bishop Museum’s Science Adventure Center starting July 12, 2024.

Visit the Science Adventure Center during FestPAC, see live painting with Patrick Ching, and learn more about how the Hawaiian Islands contain the most spectacular variety of landbirds ever discovered on remote oceanic islands. As recently as 2,000 years ago, the Hawai‘i was home to roughly 108 unique species of manu (birds) that were found nowhere else in the world. Two-thirds of these manu are now extinct, largely due to human-mediated changes, including habitat destruction, invasive species, and introduced diseases.

Viewing the live painting is free with Museum admission. Register for your FestPAC museum admission here.

Artist Bio: Born and raised in Hawaii, Patrick Ching has spent a lifetime teaching people about Hawaii’s native wildlife through his nature paintings. Patrick is a former ranger for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and has spent much of his life in remote areas of the islands working with rare and endangered species. He is also an award-winning author and host of the Painting in Paradise show on Spectrum OC16tv.

Patrick’s art and books are available in the Bishop Museum’s Shop Pacifica and you can see him painting in the SAC building June 10-14, from 10am -2pm.