Art and Soul for the Earth from the Big Island of Hawai'i

Dear One,

I hope this finds you in excellent health and spirits. I am writing to you with a personal invitation:..For the first time, I am making my original paintings available for special patrons to purchase...Under the urgent circumstances described below, please consider their incomparable value and this unique opportunity and share this with anyone you sense may be interested.

As you know, I am in the middle of a ten-year project to construct a monumental 300-foot Mālama ‘Āina mural at the Kona Airport that will reach 3~4 million people a year...This is a massive, meaningful undertaking for everyone involved...It is the largest and most viewed public art in Hawai’i and is a landmark for ecological and cultural preservation...I know you share a deep appreciation for this work and for mālama ʻāina, meaning “take care of the land, and it will take care of you.”

However, dramatic and unexpected changes arrived at my doorstep with the new year. .These changes threaten our work. Our Mālama ‘Āina mural studio, glass shop, and home are being shut down...The landlord suddenly terminated our lease after a huge rent hike...No reason was given, and a harsh note answered my request for six more months.

After 35 years of lovingly bringing this place to life and creating work here that speaks for nature through traditional Hawaiian ecological wisdom, my son Noa and I have just four months to find a new space, secure funding, cull our belongings, and organize a lifetime of work...We are racing against time to accomplish this.

At the same time, my mural team and I are diligently working to complete construction on the native tree arches for Wall 2 of the eight-wall mural before we shut down the glass shop...We must somehow safely pack and move thousands of dollars’ worth of glass, supplies, and mosaic segments, and find a new home in Waimea...The mural cannot continue without a proper space to work.

But with great challenge comes great possibility...I am humbly and prayerfully following an extraordinary lead on a place that, with a ton of hard work, vision, and your support, can become a jewel of a home and studio where, for seven more years, we can continue the research, design, and mosaic construction for Mālama ‘Āina.

This is where you come in....My life’s work is a conservation effort, and to continue my work, I am offering my private collection of rare, museum-quality originals for sale...The proceeds from this sale will make our next chapter possible...My family and I have lived with these beloved art pieces for many years, and now we are ready to share them with others.

I hope you enjoy seeing the four-series online exhibition featuring once-in-a-lifetime masterpieces, including two interspecies works with Rama the Elephant...Each piece has a fascinating story and a special connection to our conservation efforts and our healthy future. Every sale moves us closer to securing a place to live and work in Waimea...Every sale speaks to our community’s support of local art, Mother Earth, and the common good.

Your role in this endeavor is crucial...I will be immensely grateful if you share this letter and online exhibition with your circle, helping us reach those who will love these works as much as we do.

Please join us in envisioning sublime success...Miracles are made together...My skilled art representative, Murti Vinayaga, is here to help. Enjoy the show in all four aspects!

With deepest gratitude and warmest aloha,

Calley O’Neill

P.S...Mahalo nui for sharing this with five kindred spirits who love art, culture, and the stories that shape our world. For those who wish to lend support through a tax-deductible donation, checks payable to The Rama Tree may be designated for Studio Relocation.