The towering ʻUmeke Lāʻau installation by Native Hawaiian artist Meleanna Aluli Meyer, unveiled at Honolulu's city hall, is a powerful symbol of cultural resilience and healing.
A historic new art installation, ʻUmeke Lāʻau (Culture Medicine) by Native Hawaiian artist Meleanna Aluli Meyer, has been unveiled at Honolulu Hale (city hall) as part of Hawaiʻi Triennial 2025: Aloha Nō (HT25). Unlike traditional ʻumeke (calabashes) that are small vessels for food, water, and sacred offerings, this towering 22-foot-wide, 8-foot-tall wooden structure reimagines the form as a symbol of healing, reflection, and societal repair. Created in collaboration with Honolulu Community College carpentry students and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s art and theatre programs, the immersive installation invites visitors to step inside, remove their shoes, and reflect on themes of culture, history, and transformation.
More than just an art piece, ʻUmeke Lāʻau serves as a tribute to the Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi citizens who opposed the U.S. annexation of Hawaiʻi in 1897. Built-in speakers within the structure play the names of over 38,000 individuals who signed the Kūʻē Petitions, including Meleanna’s grandfather, Noa Webster Aluli. The recordings, voiced by UH Mānoa Hawaiian Theatre faculty and students, ensure that these historical figures are remembered and honored. According to Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker, founder of the Hawaiian theatre program, the experience of reading ancestral names into the microphone was deeply moving and reinforced the personal and collective significance of the installation.
The project was made possible through the efforts of many hands, including UH Mānoa artist-in-residence Meleanna Aluli Meyer, Honolulu CC carpentry students, and local artists such as newly appointed UH Mānoa assistant professor Kaʻili Chun. Described as an artwork that “feeds” not just physically but spiritually and culturally, ʻUmeke Lāʻau offers a rare immersive experience where visitors can engage with its meaning firsthand. The installation will be on display at Honolulu Hale through May 4 before traveling to other locations, ensuring its message of resilience and healing reaches broader audiences.
FULL STORY: Historic Native Hawaiian art unveiled at Honolulu Hale
Opinion: Enhancing Inclusive Development: The Crucial Role of the Creative Class in Urban Planning
How bringing local artists into the development process can foster more vibrant, equitable neighborhoods.
The Racial Reckoning in Public Spaces
Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, there was an explosion of anti-racist street art across the country. “When we allow ourselves to release our emotions, oftentimes what is produced out of that is art.”
Should Murals Fall Under Sign Ordinances?
A local controversy in New Jersey has residents debating whether a city should interfere with artistic expression on private property.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Which US Rail Agencies Are Buying Zero-Emissions Trains?
U.S. rail agencies are slowly making the shift to zero-emissions trains, which can travel longer distances without refueling and reduce air pollution.
San Diego School District Approves Affordable Housing Plan
The district plans to build workforce housing for 10 percent of its employees in the next decade and explore other ways to contribute to housing development.
Lawsuit Aims to Stop NYC’s ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reforms
A lawsuit brought by local lawmakers and community groups claims the plan failed to conduct a comprehensive environmental review.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport