I worked at International Market Place, where Duke Kahanumoko, Don Ho, Mrs. Jackie Kennedy and many others would pass through. I was 19 and pregnant with my second child. Edward Leeteg painted on blackvelvet. Each day I would wonder through the art gallery to see a shop filled with Leetegs original art. The ones that I was naturally attracted to was his wife breast feeding their child. My second favorite was the fisherman.
Edgar Leeteg is famous in the world, especially highly respected in Mexico and Asian countries.
His paintings are about people that are humbling and pure in spirit. Secondly, if one has a seemingly faintness about art, one would see the beauty of light on dark that is almost majestic.
I had a Leeteg and I threw it in the rubbish can, I beknown to what I had. That painting I'm happy to note was picked up by my neighbor that happily explained why I should keep it. I told him I didn't want it because in that moment in time my husband was shot in Vietnam and I was not sure what condition he was in.
Barney Decker was a store keeper at the International Market Place and was shot dead!
We lost so much during those god awful years--most of you have not experienced the ugly war where 50,000 or more died before people woke up. My second child was born at Tripler.
One can go to Mexico and see duplicates of Leeteg blackvelvet and in most Asian countries all of the blackvelvets duplicates his work.
People who are not so ignorant can take note of how Mexico economics rose to the occasion of wanting to live a quality of life, make money, and feed their families. We have a waste of human talents in Hawaii because of the market, fools, and people that are generally mean spirited to not allow education to occur beyond their 2 cent thinking!
Taken from "Hale o na Alii o Hawaii":
"One of the most important projects undertaken by the Association was the opening of a store in the Young Hotel Building. "A Store for the sale of Hawaiian articles, mats, fans, hats, calabashes, tapas, baskets, beads, and paper leis, quilts, etc. The effects of this project will be far-reaching; we will draw the other islands closer to us because we will ask them to send lauhala, other raw materials as well as finished articles which will be sold and the money sent to them. The Hale O Na Alii, by its good will and hearty cooperation may be the means of reviving the industries of the past. The more we study Hawaiian history, the more wonderful our ancestors appear. We have lost much of the culture and refinements of our forefathers, however, if we do the things they did, it may be that the atmosphere of the LONG AGO may return and bring to us a heritage that we have neglected, that of being the descendants of a great race noted for its intelligence, ambition and nobility." Halau O Wahiikaahuula Ahahui Poo 1918-1958
Such bravery to admit the truth in 1958...that they 'negelected, that of being the descendants..." so very powerful!
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