Artists & Creative Scene

The Artists' Enclave: Creativity from the Caldera

The creative spirit here is palpable. It's in the air, in the forest, and most clearly in the work of the Volcano Village Artists Hui. This collective of artists creates work deeply infused with Hawaii's elements—the lava, the birds, the tropical plants, and the culture. Their annual Thanksgiving Studio Tour is a beloved event when the entire community opens its doors to share art born from this landscape. But you don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to meet the masters.

Walking through the village, you'll notice art everywhere. Sculptures emerge from the forest like ancient spirits. Wind chimes made from volcanic glass tinkle in the trade winds. Garden gates are forged from local metals and decorated with native plant motifs. Even the mailboxes here are works of art, each one reflecting the personality and creativity of its owner.

Ira Ono – The Alchemist of Volcano Garden Arts

You can't talk about art in Volcano without talking about Ira Ono. To call him a gallery owner would be too simple. He is the caretaker of a three-acre sanctuary, the historic 1908 Hopper Estate, which he has transformed into Volcano Garden Arts. His journey here began with dance studies at New York's High School of Performing Arts before a 1968 vacation to Maui convinced him he could never return to Brooklyn. He moved to Volcano in 1980 and has been central to the community ever since.

Ira's story reflects the pull this place has on creative souls. Like so many artists who find their way here, he was drawn by something deeper than just the beauty. The volcano speaks to people who work with their hands, who understand the creative power of transformation. In Ira's case, that transformation shows up in his incredible ability to see art in what others might call trash.

Ira's artistic philosophy is intuitive and deeply connected to the world around him. He is famous for his "Trashface Collection" of jewelry made from recycled items, which inspired him to organize the annual "Trash Show." His work, especially his ceramic masks, feels ancient and otherworldly. As he says, they "come from no one place... having no eyes they see, and saying no words they speak." This captures his mystical connection to the rainforest that surrounds his studio.

Michael and Misato Mortara – Masters of Molten Glass

If Ira Ono is the village's alchemist, then Michael and Misato Mortara are its fire-tamers. Their studio, 2400 Fahrenheit, is named for the blistering temperature required for their craft: glassblowing. Their work is a direct translation of the volcanic landscape. They use heat, light, and movement to create art that seems to hold the very essence of the volcano. Their fiery red vessels don't just mimic lava—they feel as if they contain its molten energy.

Watching the Mortaras work is like witnessing a dance between human creativity and elemental force. The furnace glows with the same intensity as the volcano's heart. Molten glass flows and shapes under their skilled hands like liquid fire. The parallels between their art and the natural forces surrounding them are impossible to ignore. They're not just making glass art—they're collaborating with the same forces that built these islands.

Having blown glass in Volcano since the 1990s, their art is a tangible piece of this place. The colors they achieve—deep reds like flowing pahoehoe lava, brilliant oranges like fountain eruptions, subtle grays like cooling rock—these aren't arbitrary choices. They're direct responses to living so close to one of nature's most spectacular displays of heat and light.