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Lani Yamasaki
Ms. Yamasaki is a distinguished artist, author, Hawaiian culture and arts design practitioner and consultant, and indigenous community-based economic development trainer. She integrates the arts, humanities, environmental stewardship and indigenous community-based economic
development in her work and promotes Hawaiian culture, sacred ecology and sustainability. Ms. Yamasaki brings a holistic and practical approach to designing innovative multi-cultural and intergenerational educational programs. She has extensive experience serving the Native Hawaiian, Native American and Canadian First Nations communities for over twenty years as an instructor, trainer and private consultant. 50% of LYCD profits are donated to humanitarian and environmental projects.
In 1996, Ms. Yamasaki founded ‘Ano‘ano Aloha, Inc. a federally recognized charitable educational non-profit and also serves as president for this Hawaiian grassroots organization. ‘Ano‘ano Aloha is Hawaiian for planting seeds of life. The mission of
‘Ano‘ano Aloha is to merge the spiritual legacy and respected time honored sustainable practices of our Hawaiian ancestors, with the best scientific and technological advances of our time that are appropriate for Hawaii’s environment, peoples, and cultural landscapes to create healthy and sustainable communities. The organization collaborates with partners to integrate environmental stewardship, cultural conservation, agricultural career pathways, marine career pathways, the arts, humanities, and sciences to create vibrant initiatives and social economic opportunities for Hawaii’s communities, particularly in rural under-served areas.
The Smithsonian Institution Museum Programs Division twice awarded Ms. Yamasaki’s achievements as an artist and museum leader in diversity. An environmental artist, her wall-sized Italian glass mosaics of healing plants are permanently installed at the flagship branch of American Savings Bank in Honolulu and the Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore – the latter is the largest glass mosaic mural in the world. Her art is represented in over thirty corporate collections worldwide. Currently Ms. Yamasaki is writing and illustrating ‘Ano‘ano Aloha – Seeds of Life. This work honors the harmony that exists between the spiritual and natural worlds of Hawaii. Sacred stories honoring Hawaiian culture, ecology and oral history complement this visual narrative of Native Hawaiian plants. Earth Aware, an imprint of the award-winning Mandala Publishing serves as her publisher.
Ms. Yamasaki has served as a consultant to The Kamehameha Schools, American Savings Bank, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo Architects, Pei Cobb Freed Architects, The Ford Foundation, NOAA, and First Nations Development Institute among many others.
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