Honolulu Museum Of Art - Spalding House

We've been doing SO much adventuring, exploring and learning during the weeks.  I have so much to catch up on so we'll start at the very beginning.  Early in our trip I got hooked up with a homeschool group and took the children on one of their outings to the Honolulu Museum of Art, Spalding House.  It was absolutely Fantastic.  I cannot say enough great things about the art teachers, the docents, and the exhibit!  It was called Plastic Fantastic?  All are on exhibit was made out of plastic or had something to do with plastic.  And it's purpose is to make us think about plastic, how we use it and how we dispose of it.

Bottle caps cannot be recycled here on Oahu.  They don't have the equipment to do that.  And straws are a single use plastic product and the teacher asked us to think about if we really need straws to drink out drink.  We cut straws to make flower-like objects and alternated them with bottle caps to make plastic lei.  Both children were so focused and loved doing the project.  They both still have their lei.

Next, we went on a guided tour of the art exhibit.  I found it so wonderful that artists are finding ways to take... essentially other peoples refuse... and transform it into something beautiful.  Just another everyday picture of redemption that is but a shadow of what our Heavenly Father offers us.  I love those glimpses :)

I am mesmerized by this next piece.  We walked into this room to see three walls covered in this art installation.  It was BEAUTIFUL.  Then the docent showed us to tables FULL of sea-worn plastic trash.  The children then picked whatever pieces they wanted and created a piece of art by layering and stringing them onto a thing piece of wire.  When they were done, they picked a nail on the wall and hung their piece up!  This gorgeous room sized art piece was made up of all these little pieces guests had made and now my children got to be a part of it!  I was just tickled.  And again, it was this beautiful, tangible picture of how each of our "little pieces" in life fit into a bigger picture and can collectively make a HUGE impact!

Lastly, we went outside and ate lunch on the grass under a gorgeous shade tree.  Then we explored the grounds, which are just as stunning as the art itself.  There are sculptures dotted about and stairs winding down and through a beautiful botanical garden.  

Jen, this ones for you.
See if Greg can make you one :)

This is Josiah's smile.  We're working on him not looking
terrified whenwe ask him to smile.  But at least he's looking
at the camera.  Its a start!