2018 Artistic Legacy Grantee Patrick Makuakāne of Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu

Patrick Makuakāne is a Native Hawaiian who in 1985 decided to make his second home in San Francisco and is artistic director of Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu.

What makes Patrick such an exceptional artist is the fact that he is an innovator who has deep respect for a rational art form. He is part of a lineage of renowned artists who instigated the Hawaiian Renaissance, reclaiming indigenous language and culture.

Fellow hula instructor, Shawna Alapa’i, said in her recommendation letter that Patrick, “expands the normal boundaries of hula while maintaining the cultural integrity inherent in our dance traditions.”

The Artistic Legacy Grant is an annual grant for $40,000 to acknowledge the impact of an artistic director that has served the organization consistently for 25 years or more. Through the vision of the artistic director, the awarded organization is considered to be a vital member of the respective community(ies) they serve and has a history of working to educate the broader community on the importance of their culture and/or artistic genre.