These volunteers are fighting graffiti with paintbrushes and a cultural message

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Volunteers on Oahu are attacking graffiti and tagging it with mural art.

It’s been popular in several neighborhoods and now East Honolulu has a project of its own.

A group called Maunalua.net started painting murals over graffiti at the beginning of this month and so far the reaction from drivers and residents has been positive.

Ann Marie Kirk founded the group.

“It’s been so awesome and so fantastic the way people have been responding to the murals,” she said.

Volunteers have painted two murals over four walls along Kalanianaole Highway.

Kirk says she’s wanted to do something about tagging for years.

“It’s so upsetting for the community,” she said.

Kirk says the tagging problem appears to worsen after the holidays. A coat of plain paint over it is just a Band-aid.

“If the image of the tag still comes through, it’s called ghosting and taggers love that. It’s so difficult,” she said.

So the group created murals of Na Anae Holo to connect the community with its cultural history, help erase the problem and discourage future tagging.

“Anae is mullet and holo is travel ― so the traveling mullet,” said Kirk

“That is where the anae holo enter Maunalua (Hawaii Kai), which would have been the largest fishpond in all of Hawaii,” she added.

Artist Ran Noveck partnered with the group.

“I came up with an idea, you find walls, I’ll make the art, we make a team and we come and do it,” said Noveck.

“I enjoy seeing my community looking better and I enjoy people liking it,” he added.

On Kalanianaole Highway, the new murals have even stopped traffic.

“We don’t want to cause an accident,” said Kirk.

If East Honolulu residents are interested in having their wall painted, head to Maunalua.net.

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