KAILUA-KONA — Kona Coffee and Tea Company is hosting an art contest Saturday featuring local grade-school artists from Kealakehe Elementary. The event is part of the second annual Art 4 Moore Teacher/Parent Shopping Spree, which raises money for art supplies at the elementary school.
How that came to be is a tale that deserves its own canvass.
It started when Christy Logan walked into a first-grade classroom at Kealakehe Elementary more than a year ago with a considerable roll of paper and a simple idea: let the kids paint a mural.
But the idea soon grew more complicated for Logan, who worked as a substitute teacher on Hawaii Island in 2014-15. The kids grappled for what little paint was available, wielding cotton swabs rather than brushes as tools for their artistic expression.
“The paint was so minimal,” Logan said. “I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? Really? How much does paint cost?’ It was terrible.”
As for the use of cotton swabs, Logan said the politically correct answer is they increase dexterity and help young children develop fine motor skills. She suspects, however, that cotton swabs are employed because they waste far less paint than traditional brushes, and the school simply can’t afford enough paint to last the entire year.
“How cool would it be if teachers could just walk into a place like Walmart and grab stuff off the shelves without worrying about how much it costs?” Logan thought.
She searched for grants online, and was awarded $2,000 from the California-based Art 4 Moore. But considering the size of Kealakehe Elementary, Logan’s alma mater, she was concerned that $2,000 wouldn’t be adequate to meet the need. She reached out to the Rotary Club of Kona, which donated matching funds.
Teams from each grade level comprising one parent and one teacher — armed with nearly $700 per team — tore through Kona Walmart on Henry Street for a 15-minute shopping spree last July. The team that came closest to spending the allocated funds without going over received a gift card package worth around $400.
“The whole idea is community building,” Logan said. “I wanted to create an event that brought parents, teachers and the community together to make going back to school a fun thing.”
Logan, who has since returned to her previous job as a contract administrator for Bolton Inc., decided to continue the event this year with a focus on involving students in a more direct capacity.
Art 4 Moore has upped the ante, donating $5,000 to this year’s event to be held July 20 at Walmart. Logan’s goal is to raise $15,000 for this year’s shopping spree.
Two student-produced art selections from each grade level have been selected for a display Saturday at The Kona Coffee and Tea Company located in the Kona Coast Shopping Center.
Patrons can vote for winning art projects from the shop’s opening until 6:30 p.m., after which Logan will announce the winners who will have their artwork emblazoned on T-shirts made for this year’s event.
“We’re all about cultivating community and preserving a small community feel,” said Malia Bolton, director of operations at Kona Coffee and Tea Company. “We thought collaborating with this event was a great opportunity.”
