Lei making is a premier Hawaiian art form, traditional yet still evolving. How appropriate for a lei celebration and demonstration to be at the Academy Art Center at Linekona for three days this month.

This year, the planners hope to recreate a wonderful lei exhibit and demonstration held at the Academy Art Center in 1995.

Since then, we have lost some of our treasured lei makers, Uncle Walter Pomroy (floral lei), Auntie Mary Louise Kekuewa (feather lei) and Noberto Cabugon (ti-leaf lei).

Brian Choy, a longtime lei maker, has learned over the years how to grow native Hawaiian plants for lei making and has always been eager to share his knowledge, give back to the community and perpetuate the art form.

Seeking a way to share the joy, knowledge (and hard, good-fun work) with others, Choy started talking with Carol Khewhok, who had been responsible for the 1995 lei celebration, and they began planning an event to celebrate and share lei while our lei kupuna are still with us. Paulette Kahalepuna (feather lei), Roy Benham (hala lei) and other specialty lei makers are also being invited.

We are all invited to observe and listen to lei making kupuna in scheduled talk-story sessions and watch them demonstrate their lei making skills. Existing videos of Marie McDonald and Irmalee Pomroy will also be shown, and they have been invited to fly in from their Neighbor Island homes.

The Choy family and friends, Happy Tamanaha and Bill Char will also do floral lei-making demonstrations. After years of humbly walking away with big prizes at lei contests, they can share their inspiration — native Hawaiian flowers, in particular — but also the exhilaration that could come from making lei for a hula dancer and for the horse of a pa'u rider.

Minako Ishii and Nathan Yuen will share photos and provide an opportunity to photograph some of our lei kupuna at work. They'll also display your lei and lei-making photographs and books.

This time, the featured lei demonstrations occur in the main exhibit room of Linekona, which is air conditioned).

Come join us for a celebration that will allow you to learn at the knees of the best, watch skillful hands weave and create amazing lei in true Hawaiian fashion.