1st Annual Art Contest Submissions

The art contest kicked off starting June 1st, asking all ages to submit creative artwork that captures the cultural, historical, biological, or a mix thereof, essence of Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) to share with our Friends of Midway Atoll followers.

Artwork submitted will potentially be used to create future merchandise, such as shirts, hats, stickers, posters, and note cards. Revenue generated from sales will be used to support conservation, outreach, historical research, and/or cultural support on behalf of Kuaihelani. We are working toward new online store later this year, possibly featuring some of the artwork below!

Congratulations to all our winners and a huge mahalo for all the beautiful artwork created for Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll).

1st Place: Ian Gonzalez

“There is something about visiting the Northwesterns, each with a different mana or feeling to them, and Kuaihelani, “The backbone to heaven”, was my first experience of this immense raw emotion and of being surrounded by over a million seabirds, the largest colony I have visited still to this day. Out there, you can connect with your surroundings on a level not many get to experience with wildlife now a days; a place where you can become one with the birds. An interaction I will always hold dear is when a friend and I were taking our daily photography hour out by the water tanks and I was approached by a young Black-footed albatross who proceeded to dance with me for about 10 minutes and I felt nothing but pure love and respect for such amazingly adapted creatures (though realized he was mostly interacting with the reflection in my sunglasses haha). It has made my career of working with seabirds that much more meaningful and I want to continue to contribute to protecting such a sacred place and the beings that call it home.” – Ian

2nd Place: Yun-Xuan Lin

“On the south side of Midway Atoll, cross the runway next to the beach, there’s a sky highway for albatrosses. I highly recommend taking a moment to sit down and enjoy one of my favorite spots on the island.” – Yun-Xuan

Peoples' Choice Award: Brett Higgins, winning with 128 votes

“Kuaihelani is a magical place dedicated to wildlife that I once got to be apart of. I will forever cherish my memories and lessons learned there. In these uncertain and trying times I hope this contribution can give back to Kuaihelani at least a small portion of what Kuaihelani has given to me.” – Brett

Additional Submissions (in no particular order):

Note: for multiple pieces of art, be sure to click the “>” button, on the far-right side of the art itself, in order to see them all.

Art by Holly Parsons: The pointillist portrait “George and Geraldine” depicts the beloved pair of Short-tailed Albatross who have chosen to nest on Kuaihelani, unlike the rest of their species, who nest in Japan. Quite the pioneering couple! Listen to Holly's story of ” Finding Healing and Purpose Through Albatrosses.”

All three pieces by Kyan Russell: One of my favorite things about my stay on Kuaihelani was biking through the colony. Small flocks of manu o kū would often come to investigate when you passed by their roost, and would follow you for short distances. It always felt like they were coming down to say hello.

Art by Keegan Rankin: This piece is inspired by its namesake, the Hawaiian creation legend which recounts the origin of life as the coral polyp, depicted in the lefthand corner. From the coral polyp the vast diversity of life, depicted by using species native to Kuaihelani, radiates towards the sky, a wellspring of sacred beauty and marvelous complexity. This piece calls the observer to recall the sacred meaning and cultural significance of Kuaihelani, the interconnectedness of the atoll's terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and how precious its wondrous and unique community of living beings are.

Both pieces of art by Emily McGuirt

Art by Kristen Hannon: Last year I read the book Eye of the Albatross by Carl Safina where I learned about this magical place, Kuaihelani, where Albatross nest in massive amounts. As a new birder, this created a fascination with these amazing birds and a goal of trying to see one which was made possible by doing a pelagic trip out of the coast of Washington, where I live. I took a photo of a Black-footed Albatross which inspired me to create a watercolor painting, this was the first time I encompassed all of my hobbies (birding, photography, watercolor) into one.

Art by Sarah Donahue: Ka'upu, Black-footed Albatross, have captured a special place in my heart, not only by working with them closely with various research projects, but by the priceless interactions I have had with them, many on Kuaihelani and Holaniku, where I photographed this pair dancing in front of a field of Moli, Laysan Albatross, nests on Kuaihelani east of the checkered water tanks.

Art by Shay Rempfer, submitted by mother Rhonda Rempfer

Art by Owen Rempfer, submitted by mother Rhonda Rempfer

Both pieces of art by Nadia Borg: Connection. It gives meaning and beauty to our lives. Connection with people, with places, with experiences and dreams. The ocean is the great connector of our planet, and in it, each being takes part in the vibrant dance of life that keeps its heartbeat strong. Which is why, now, more than ever before, protected marine areas are holdouts of hope, resilience, and connection. Kuaihelani is an ambassador of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, teaching us to love and care for our Earth.

All three pieces of art by Juliana Ramirez: I collected lighters from Midway and from Albatross carcasses throughout my time there as a volunteer. These lighters are mostly flat on their sides, and I realized that I could use them as printmaking plates by scribing into the side of them, inking them, and printing them using an etching press. It's a series I'm just starting up, one of a few where I'm printing marine debris and other objects I've found on islands and coastlines.