Karen Lei’s Gallery at Kahakuloa

Karen Lei’s Gallery at Kahakuloa is a private art-and-craft gallery above Kahakuloa village, set behind Elephant Rock and facing the bay. It’s a good place to browse for a while and enjoy the view; this is a shop stop, not a museum visit that needs a long block of time. The approach on Kahekili Highway is narrow and winding, so it’s best for drivers comfortable with that kind of coastal road.

There’s on-site parking, and the gallery grounds look down toward the village and bay. Include Elephant Rock below the bluff if you photograph the view; it gives the ocean a clear sense of place. An on-site restroom is reported, but access for people who aren’t buying has been inconsistent, so ask before relying on it.

Inside is a mix of paintings, photography, jewelry, ceramics, metalwork, sculpture, wood, glass and gifts. Karen Lei Noland is an oil painter and makes jewelry, including pieces with Tahitian black pearls. The gallery highlights local artists, but ask about a particular piece if its origin matters; this is a broad art-and-gift collection, so don’t assume every item was made on Maui.

Noland opened the Kahakuloa gallery in 1993 on her family’s ranchland. Her grandfather ranched there, while her grandmother taught at the village’s one-room schoolhouse. Her grandfather and mother gave her the parcel where the gallery now stands, and Noland says the landscape continues to inspire her painting and jewelry.