Live From The Stacks

LIVE from the Stacks: Kūʻokoʻa as Practice gathers artists, storytellers, and cultural stewards to reflect on independence as a living practice, not just a political destination. Held among the stacks of Native Books, this event invites conversation about how creativity and art can transform our communities. 

LIVE from the Stacks is not only a reflection of independence, but of interdependence. The event aligns with the exhibit ʻOff the Wall at Arts & Letters, featuring rare and out-of-print books, emphasizing how the written word is both artifact and act of preservation. Together, the conversation and exhibit ask: how do story and sovereignty meet — on the shelf, in the studio, in our homes?

Enoka Phillips — Feather Artist

A Native Hawaiian artist from Maui, Enoka works in the traditional practice of hulu (feather-work), weaving together ecology, ancestry, and contemporary expression. His pieces honor feathers as vessels of genealogy and prayer — bridging the sacred and the now. His practice offers a meditation on memory, care, and creative sovereignty. enokaphillips.com

Kealoha — Poet & Storyteller

Hawaiʻi’s first State Poet Laureate, Kealoha transforms language into a space for connection and inquiry. With roots in nuclear science and a life devoted to poetry, he brings logic and lyric together — exploring how story reclaims identity and restores voice. His work reminds us that to speak is to exist; to listen is to engage in independence itself. kealohapoetry.com

Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum — Muralist & Cultural Practitioner

Cory’s large-scale murals layer ancestral pattern, environmental awareness, and urban rhythm. By claiming public walls as sites of cultural presence, his art shifts everyday spaces into visible declarations of belonging. Through color, texture and form, he examines how land, culture and imagination intersect — and how art can make sovereignty visible again. kamehanaokala.com

Puni Jackson — Executive Director, Hoʻoulu ʻĀina

Puni Jackson leads Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, a 100-acre nature preserve in Kalihi Valley operating under the umbrella of Kōkua Kalihi Valley. With a deep commitment to the tireless connection between ʻāina (land) and people, she guides a program where community, culture, forestry and food systems come together in service of health, heritage and healing. Recognized nationally for community forestry leadership, she brings a grounded voice on how care for land is care for people — and how sovereignty lives in the habitual act of stewardship .hoouluaina.org

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