Even Joseph Kony is Known on Maui

(Updated 3/23/12)  

Just took this picture today.  This structure near Hookipa Beach frequently gets a new paint job each month, or even twice a month. It's visible from Hana Highway.  I missed the paint job last week, but stopped this morning and to my surprise, saw a mural about Joseph Kony, the Ugandan warlord who is now news central.  Saw the Invisible Children's video a few days ago too, maybe the same time the muralist did.  Some may argue that the video is too simplistic or is pure emotional manipulation, but it's made Joseph Kony a household name.

Repainted Kony public mural just East of Ho'okipa.
Quite likely a completely different mural artist.

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I saw this second paint job a couple of days after the first Kony paint job. Initially, I thought the mural artist was pro-Kony with the words "Jerkoff" clearly outlined. Now, I think the artist was trying to convey the idea that Kony should "Jerk Off."  The artist added a happy face on the Africa continent. 

Amanda of Gluten Free Maui mentioned that the murals here are done by different artists - whoever is daring enough to do a paint job can climb over the fence.  By the way, Maui, like the rest of Hawaii, expressly forbids billboards because it disrupts the scenic landscape. This was a major piece of legislation pushed through by The Outdoor Circle back in the 1920s. 

So... this quaint pillbox is like a billboard, but in a far more artistic way, and I believe it enhances the landscape and the local flavor of Maui. If there were lots of painted pillboxes all along the highway, that would be one thing, but having only one makes it worth photographing.