POW! WOW! Hawaii, now known as Hawaii Walls, is celebrating its 11th annual festival in Hawaii and will surpass over 65 total festivals worldwide this year. Established in 2011 in Hawaii, the organization has evolved into a global network of artists, hosting gallery shows, lecture series, art and music schools, mural projects, and live art installations across the globe. Its flagship event in Hawaii takes place during Valentine's Day week in February in the Kaka'ako district of Honolulu, bringing together over a hundred international and local artists to create murals and other forms of art. This year, the event is moving to the Kalihi and Palama districts, an underserved area primarily populated by low-income and public housing.

The move to the Kalihi and Palama districts is aimed at uplifting the community through public art. Founder Jasper Wong, who has been teaching art classes at Palama Settlement, a community center and the cornerstone of the area, saw the immediate need for support in the community. Public art has been known to transform and uplift underserved areas, and Wong hopes to bring the same effect to Kalihi and Palama.

The festival's impact goes beyond the art created during the event. The festival has been known to bring about a sense of pride and community in the areas it has touched. A mother of two daughters in a public housing community in Worcester, Massachusetts, shared with the organizers that her daughters felt embarrassed to tell people where they lived. However, after the public art installation in their community, her youngest daughter was excited to share that it was the place where all the painting was happening. The festival aims to bring about similar positive changes to the Kalihi and Palama communities.

Founder Jasper Wong has a personal connection to the Kalihi neighborhood, having spent a lot of time there during his childhood. His mother had a grocery store and a bakery across from Farrington High School, and Wong worked there for much of his childhood. Wong hopes that the festival will help uplift the community that has been a part of his own personal history.

Video directed by Redefined Media. Cover photo, art by Aaron de la Cruz