Kailua Village Artists

Parking and Commerce

In Kailua Village

It started during Ironman 2022 when several of the parking lots in Kailua Kona were blocked off and repurposed for triathlon related tents. When the event was over and the parking lots returned to their normal purpose, there were new signs and kiosks to collect parking fees. Since then, with the exception of one county-owned public parking area, which is always full to capacity, and progressively distant street parking, it costs between $9. and $15. per hour. Does it make anyone else wary that despite the dozens of signs telling you how to pay for parking, and what all the fees are for failing to do so, none of them actually provide an hourly rate? Moreover, parking requires downloading an app and creating an account for the "convenience" of being able to pay by credit card.

A local driver's license is worth 90 minutes of free parking in some of the lots; but that only supports locals with a focused agenda. It does not support a casual stroll along Alii Drive just to watch the waves or the sunset. It does not support going for a swim and sitting on the seawall to dry off in the sunshine. It does not support the chance encounters between friends who haven't seen each other for a while and get caught up in just "talking story"  when they happen across each other on the sidewalk. It does not support browsing the shops. It does not support meeting a friend for a leisure cup of coffee in the village. Locals are not the pre-dominant consumers on Alii Drive; however, Kailua Village is incomplete without them.

Visitors are also rethinking how much time they spend in Kailua Village. Where it used to be that they could casually stop in the Village for an hour or two in-between scheduled activities, they are choosing other places to spend that time. This is especially true among the repeat visitors to the Big Island. Kailua Village's quaint, casual, relaxed vibe is about simply enjoying the moment. Paying $25 for a couple of hours undermines just being in a place without having any particular agenda. 

Yes, phone calls and letters and petitions have been going out to businesses, property owners, business associations, and our county council. The bottom line is that the paid parking lots are privately owned, so the owners can do what they want. It takes time and costs money for the County or other interested parties to purchase land and create additional free parking.

Perseverance Is Our Middle Name

KVA wouldn't be the longest running artist's co-operative in the state of Hawaii (that would be 37 years and counting) if we weren't persistent, determined, and creative survivalists.

We too have been affected by parking fees. We are privy to "discounted" monthly parking rates; however, those parking passes are issued to only one license plate per parking pass, non-negotiable. We'd need ten monthly parking passes, which would cost more than 30 days of parking. 

Some of us have been coordinating drop offs and pick ups with friends and family to avoid needing to park. But that's more gas and time out of someone else's day. Most of us park on the street, farther and farther away as the situation worsens, and walk. It can get even more complicated when we are loading and unloading art or supplies. This isn't a whine; just merely making the point that we are affected as much as the next frustrated person.

WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF OUR PATRONS!!!!!!! We appreciate the people who come in and announce that they are repeat visitors to Kona and that they always make it a point to stop into our co-op gallery. THANK YOU!!!

We are trying to make it worth your effort to visit our by offering quality art at reasonable prices, at least as reasonable as we can afford. We are investing more time and energy in our website, newsletter, and Facebook pages to get our art beyond our gallery walls, on platforms that don't have a parking fee. We are creative people coming up with creative solutions so that we can survive.

Aside from being able to afford the real estate, most of us could fill the entire gallery space with just our own work. At some level, the gallery is simply a space for us to exhibit samples of our mediums and styles. We each have more. Some of us also do commissions.