ASC’S NAMESAKE EVENT: STEAM-CON
Saturday, March 14 2p-6p
2026: STEAMPUNK ISLAND
Please join us for the inaugural signature event of the Arts & Sciences Center (ASC), created to stage the genius of our community and celebrate the science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics thriving right here in Puna and across Hawai‘i Island.
Rooted in ASC’s founding vision to help our community live, learn, and thrive together, STEAM-CON brings together master artists, cultural practitioners, scientists, engineers, inventors, educators, and students for an afternoon of inspiration, connection, and hands-on discovery. This event is designed to spark curiosity, elevate local work, and illuminate pathways for learning, innovation, connection and opportunity that exist close to home.
Throughout the event, guests will encounter:
• TED Talk-style presentations and featured exhibitions on a central stage
• A fine art gallery showcasing accomplished local artists
• Demonstration booths and hands-on creation stations for all ages
• Immersive audio/visual and experiential installations
• Roving artists and live creative elements to keep the space energized
• Food and community gathering, with plans to feature an imu as a living example of indigenous science in practice
STEAM-CON places special care and intention on honoring indigenous arts and sciences, ensuring traditional knowledge, cultural practices, and ʻike kūpuna are represented with respect, accuracy, and depth. From Hawaiian cultural education and environmental resilience to cutting-edge research and innovation, the event highlights how ancestral wisdom and modern inquiry continue to inform and strengthen one another.
While STEAM-CON encourages keiki and families, it is equally designed to engage seasoned art collectors, researchers, cultural leaders, and lifelong learners. The goal is for attendees to arrive curious and leave in awe, newly aware of the extraordinary creativity, intelligence, and collaboration quietly unfolding in our community.
As ASC’s first annual STEAM-CON, this event marks the beginning of a growing tradition. Each year, it will continue to evolve as new voices, ideas, and partnerships come forward, strengthening the web of connection that makes Puna and Hawai‘i Island so resilient and vibrant.
Currently fielding all parties interested in showcasing your arts & sciences genius!
Featuring…
Iopa Maunakea of Imu Mea 'Ai and Men of Pa’a
Imu (underground oven) and Mea 'Ai (food) are at the heart of ancient Hawaiian culinary tradition. Mea ‘Ai is supporting ASC and HAAS with an immersive experience inviting participation in building an imu, using locally sourced plants and stones to create a traditional underground oven. The food slow-cooked in the imu is not just a meal—it's a connection to generations of knowledge passed down through the land. At the heart of both Imu Mea 'Ai and Men of PA'A are the values of servant leadership, personal transformation, and ‘ohana (family).
imumeaai.com
Kumu Lei of Hua ‘Āina
Leialoha Ilae-Kaleimamahu is from Mokuhulu, Puna on the island of Hawaiʻi. She presently works and creates educational experiences in Hawaiʻi through her business called Hua ‘Āina (leikcreative.com).
She’s been teaching for over 30 years. Her passion is being on the land and creating special educational opportunities for herself and others. She focuses on Hawaiian language, the Hawai’i Environment and Practices of Hawaiian culture which includes Hula (Hawaiian Dance).
Her experience as a Kumu has led her down a path that is truly unique to who she is. She’s taught hula for 25 years in and outside of Puna, and comes from a tradition of hula through the lineage of Hālau o Kekuhi.She has ʻūniki (graduated) under Kumu Hula Kekuhikealiʻikanakaʻoleohaililani of Hālau o Kekuhi as a Kumu Hula as well.
Jenna Macy
Jenna Macy (b. 1993 Honolulu, HI) is an interdisciplinary artist with research-based practices of interactive ceramic sculpture, video performance, and sound. They have received various awards and recognition for their work including “Best In Show” in Artists of Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibition 2022, the Windgate Fellowship(2016) and the Career Advancement Fellowship(2022) from the Center for Craft Creativity and Design. Their work resides in public and private collections.
John Mydock
Mydock’s love of working with wood, combined with 40 years of artistic excellence on custom motorcycles and antique cars resulted in the unique “Mydock Touch” seen in his painted vessels. His highly developed artistic skills in airbrushing, pin-striping, gold leafing, sculpting and fine art painting result in unique artistic and finely crafted designs on his wooden vessels. He now incorporates colorful intricate layers of original designs, which are influenced by Polynesian Tattoo Art, the beauty of Nature and further inspired by Visionary Art. Mydock interlaces and weaves these images into his distinctly unique style of Pyrography on his wooden vessels.
Daniel Moe of Moe Hot Glass
Being drawn by a powerful calling from the Big Island of Hawaii in 1999 was a key factor to further expand his reverence to Mother Earth with his creative glass work. He currently lives and works in Puna, where he gets his inspiration from living close to Pele, the Nature force of the volcano Kilauea which is located just a few miles away from his home/studio. The Puna region is also known for its dramatic ocean waters. Waves eternally and passionately crash on the breathtaking lava cliffs moving Daniel to give birth to his ocean wave series.
Adare
Adare (they/them) is a classically trained portrait artist, disability rights activist, and founder of Kīpaipai Art Foundation. Adare's portfolio is recognizable for its vibrancy, use of gold leaf, and focus on cultural diversity. As both a nonbinary and differently abled person with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Adare uses their portraits to shed light on social justice issues. Adare’s celebrated models include rockstars, authors, artists, indigenous rights advocates, and Queer icons who actively improve the world we all live in.
Ultraviolet Alchemist
Sam creates unique Cyanotype art in Hawaii, using plants, photographs, and the sun—a process as magical as the islands themselves. Each piece is a celebration of nature’s beauty and the timeless art of cyanotype printing. I'm an artist and mother living in Pahoa. What started out as a fun outdoor activity to do with my kids has transformed into my passion project. I love using plants I collect and press alongside photograph negatives to create interesting, high contrast images. From creating textiles for clothing to home decor, I am printing on everything!
Larry Bradfield
Interdisciplinary Artist
Alexander D’mazing
Alexander D'Mazing is an entertainer who artfully combines magic, circus mastery, theatrical brilliance, and joy-spreading. Elevate your event with the extraordinary talents of Alexander The Amazing – a surefire way to join the ranks of exceptionally entertained individuals!
Barbara of Pualani Bee Farm
Born on Oahu Island, Barbara spent much of her professional life as an art historian and curator, living and traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad before returning to the Hawaiian Islands in 2014. In the Fall of 2020, Barbara and Said established Pualani Bee Farm as a small, family-run apiary in Wa'a Wa'a, initially with only three hives, but then expanding over time to include an ever-changing number of bee colonies in Wa'a Wa'a as well as in Kilauea's highland regions of Eden Roc and Volcano Village.
NEXTECH
Since 2017, NexTech Hawai'i has connected hundreds of youth across Hawai'i island to fun, high-impact STEM experiences and mentorship opportunities that promote exploration and discovery in STEM subjects and careers, and builds the confidence to lead and serve.
Scientainment: The Physics Chanteuse
Lynda Williams is an American physicist, singer, writer, and activist known for blending science, music, satire, and performance art. She created and popularized the persona The Physics Chanteuse in the 1990s, developing a unique genre of science cabaret combining physics, politics, and entertainment. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, CERN Courier, Physics World, Physics Today, and People Magazine. Williams is also an outspoken advocate for nuclear disarmament, environmental protection, space ecology, and STEM.
Mary Jennings: Zero Waste at HAAS & Beyond
Mary Jennings has a background in environmental resource management and community organizing. She is the advisor for HAAS's Zero Waste Club, which has toured landfills, implemented a school-wide trash sorting program, supported County Bill 83 to make all county-funded or hosted events zero waste, and represented HAAS at the Hawaii Youth Convergence over Fall Break. They hope to travel off-island someday to attend larger national conferences on environmental solutions. Mary is excited to share with the community what the club has learned about our island's landfill crisis and immediate solutions that can be taken for positive change.
Uncle Tilos
Our aim is to offer thorough and easily comprehensible resources that explain the rationale and methods for optimizing your rainwater catchment system using our products and systems. This empowers you to make informed decisions for achieving superior outcomes.
Carter Gull of MATHCOUNTS
MATHCOUNTS is a nationwide program that offers fun and engaging programs to get middle school student excited about math. Every spring, MATHCOUNTS features competitions between middle schools, and our students at HAAS (coached by Carter Gull) will be competing on February 7th to qualify for Hawaii’s state competition on March 8th.