At the 2026 hōʻike for the the Hoʻākea Source art regranting program, Puʻuhonua Society executive director Emma Broderick asked each awarded artist the question "Why art now?" as a prompt to share about their practice.

In the first part of this episode, we speak with Emma about that question and about Puʻuhonua Society's mission to cultivate space(s) where Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-based artists, cultural practitioners, and those rooted in the archipelago can continue creative practices for the collective transformation of Hawaiʻi.

In the second segment, we speak with artist collaborators Malia Osorio and Kauwila Mahi about their Hoʻākea Source awarded project "Kaahupahau."

Websites: Puʻuhonua Society, Hoʻākea Source

Artists' IG: @malialia, @olapakauwila.wilz

Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii