In 1968, Millard Sheets created three exclusive mosaic murals for the Coco Palms Resort.
Two or so remain.
The Forgotten Mosaics.
Lost in paradise.
Millard Owen Sheets was an American artist, teacher, and architectural designer. He was one of the earliest of the “California Scene” artists that helped define the art movement. Many of his large-scale building-mounted mosaics from the mid-20th century are still extant in Southern California and around the globe, and at one crumbling, little resort in the middle of the Pacific.
A celebrated mid-century artist. A remote topical island. Enduring developer greed. What could go wrong?
Three murals were executed for the Coco Palms – “The Birth of Hawaii,” “From the Advent of the Missionaries” and “The Races of Hawaii” in 1968. Designed by Millard Sheets and executed by Francis Chun, Mildred Downing, and supervised by Sherry Stanton on 12″ tiles. The building is damaged and decaying. Developers don’t care, and mother nature is no match for for the greed of man.
Last showing, priceless art.
A masterpiece, in a disaster place.
Three Millard pieces are made of square hand-painted tiles cemented in place: Two 4’x6’ murals depicting people of different cultures with grace, beauty and detail, and “The Birth of Hawaii” a large 6’x20’ mural depicting the creation of the islands with dramatic volcanic eruption, land, sky and sea. All have been pecked away by scavengers and vandals.
The art contains beautiful details, striking forms and remarkable technique. It tells the history of the creation of our islands and the people who lived here.
Millard artists and the team expressed Hawaii in the most beautiful way, and the craftsmanship and artistry in the work is a masterpiece. Beautiful color themes, intricate and thoughtful pattern and textures, every square is a work of art into itself, and together tell story of creation, and humanity and harmony.
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Capture the art for history
Document, tell stores, get some publicity, photograph, research and investigate. Capture through word, image and memory this beautiful art. It’s the Internet age, somebody is going to find it and enjoy it. A final resting place for the art,
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Reach out to Millard people
Millard Sheets preservationists and enthusiasts live all over the world and are located predominantly in California. The artists son for many years raised funds for the costly but rewarding efforts to save his fathers art.
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Make a plea to Developers
Pressure Developers to value art and our community history. They may build another resort or level the place, but letting vandals chip away and spray paint beautiful art is negligence. Who knows, Developers are people too.