Jason Schwartz did ZOOM with Attorney Michael Gilberg in New York, where he specializes in Special Needs individuals, focusing much on AUTISM..
Summary
### Summary
This video presents a rich and multifaceted conversation hosted by Jason Schwarz from Maui’s Neutral Zone, featuring two principal segments: an in-depth interview with Michael Gilberg, a special education attorney based in New York and Connecticut, followed by a profile of Belinda Lee, a long-established and highly respected Maui-based artist and gallery owner. The video also touches on themes of genealogy, family history, the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in the education system, the evolving Maui art scene, and the deep cultural and natural beauty that inspires local artists.
In the first segment, Jason and Michael discover they are distant cousins and engage in a warm genealogical discussion, revealing connections to notable figures such as Janet Yellen. Michael explains his legal work advocating for children with disabilities—mainly autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and mental health challenges—who often struggle to receive appropriate educational services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). He reflects on the challenges parents and schools face in defining what constitutes a “free and appropriate education,” the financial constraints of school districts, and the need for more accessible legal and social resources for families. Michael shares his personal motivation stemming from his own undiagnosed Asperger’s diagnosis and stresses the importance of parental advocacy and legal support.
The second segment shifts to Maui, where Jason visits Belinda Lee at Maui Art and Gifts, a gallery she has managed and nurtured for decades. Belinda shares her journey as a self-taught artist inspired by the island’s natural beauty, detailing her evolution from participating in local art shows to owning multiple galleries. She highlights her dedication to realism, especially in depicting marine life and Hawaiian landscapes, and her commitment to quality over mass production. Belinda discusses how the recent Lahaina fire and other social challenges have affected the local art community but expresses hope in the resilience and renewal of Maui’s artistic spirit. She also recounts touching moments of cultural exchange and generosity she has experienced with local Hawaiian community members.
Throughout the video, themes of family, community, cultural heritage, advocacy, creativity, and resilience are woven together, creating a powerful narrative about connection—to one another, to place, and to purpose.
### Highlights
– Genealogical discovery: Jason and Michael find they are fourth cousins once removed, connecting their family histories to notable figures like Janet Yellen.
– ⚖️ Special education advocacy: Michael Gilberg explains the complexities of securing appropriate educational services for children with disabilities under federal law.
– The challenge of “appropriate education”: Discussion about the subjective nature of what constitutes a free and appropriate education and the tension between parental expectations and school resources.
– Belinda Lee’s artistic journey: Self-taught artist and gallery owner for over 30 years, deeply inspired by Maui’s natural beauty and committed to realism and quality.
– Impact of Lahaina fire: The devastating fire’s effects on the community and the art scene, balanced with hope for recovery and revitalization.
– Community and cultural gifts: Belinda shares stories of receiving meaningful, handmade gifts from Hawaiian community members, reflecting a deep cultural connection.
– The broader mission: Both guests emphasize the importance of awareness, advocacy, and celebrating diversity in family, education, and art.
### Key Insights
– **Genealogy as a bridge between generations and places:** The genealogical connection between Jason and Michael illustrates how family histories can span continents and generations, linking individuals in unexpected ways. This highlights the importance of exploring personal heritage to deepen identity and foster intergenerational understanding. The discovery of notable relatives like Janet Yellen adds a layer of historical and cultural significance, showing how individual family stories intersect with broader national narratives.
– ⚖️ **Complexity of special education law and advocacy:** Michael’s explanation reveals that while IDEA guarantees a “free and appropriate education” for all children with disabilities, the term “appropriate” is inherently subjective and often contested. This creates an ongoing struggle between parental advocacy and school district limitations, especially financial. The tension reflects systemic challenges in balancing equity, resources, and individualized needs, underscoring the need for knowledgeable legal advocates and informed parents.
– **Economic and systemic barriers to access:** The discussion about school districts’ reluctance to spend money on services and the lack of funding for legal representation highlights a critical barrier for many families. It exposes a gap in the support system where children’s needs may go unmet due to financial constraints, and parents without resources may be unable to fight for their child’s rights. Michael’s call for programs to fund legal aid for special education cases spotlights a systemic inequity that requires public attention and policy solutions.
– **Art as a reflection and preservation of place:** Belinda Lee’s lifelong dedication to painting the natural beauty of Maui embodies the role of art as a cultural and environmental archive. Her meticulous, realistic style captures not just images but the spirit of the island, preserving it for future generations. This practice fosters community pride and serves as an artistic response to environmental and social challenges, reinforcing the idea that art is both a personal and collective expression.
– **Resilience of the Maui art community amid crisis:** The Lahaina fire is a traumatic event with lasting impacts on residents and the local economy, including the arts. Belinda’s testimony of survival and the reopening of galleries like Village Galleries reflect the resilience and determination of the art community. This resilience is crucial for cultural continuity and economic recovery, emphasizing the role of art in healing and rebuilding communities.
– **Cultural exchange and community connection:** The gifts Belinda has received from Hawaiian community members—such as handmade leis, ka wood, and blue obsidian—symbolize the deep reciprocal relationship between artist and culture. These exchanges highlight the importance of honoring indigenous traditions and the natural environment, showing how art and culture are inseparable from community identity and mutual respect.
– **Raising awareness and fostering access to resources:** The conversation underscores the critical need for greater public awareness about special education rights and available legal resources. Michael’s recommendation of national organizations like COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates) and the encouragement to seek qualified attorneys point to
Transcript with Timestamps
00:00:10 – 00:01:45
[Music] Aloha everyone and welcome to the neutral zone. I’m your host Jason Schwarz here in Maui. Maui neutralzone.com. We’re also on KKU 88.5 FM, the voice of Maui. Simocast Zaku Maui Community Media channel 55 on cable. You can go up to YouTube SL YouTube.comdream Maui and the numeral one. In other words, if you’re looking for us, you can find us. And all you need to do is, oh, by the way, mauyneutralzone.com. We have a search engine on the site. You can search by name. So you can find this
00:01:06 – 00:02:21
show or we have a bunch of other shows for a lot of years. So some of you on Maui might say, “Who’s this guy? Why isn’t he in the studio with you?” Well, that’s because Michael Gilberg is where are you Michael? In New York, right? Westchester County, New York. Westchester County, New York. To those of you that don’t know New York, that means out of New York City and up the lazy river, not too far to the county right uh north of New York. And uh I ran into Michael in a very fun way.
00:01:44 – 00:03:03
I you know it’s you know that thing about you should check to see your ancestry and I never knew past my not the 2000 but 1900s. And so I had uh there was a family tree and there was Michael Gilberg who reached out to me. I thought, “Wow, I have relatives that I don’t know about that I can actually track and trace.” And um Michael, you were on the list. How what are we second or third cousins or much more distant? We are fourth cousins once removed. Well, what does once removed mean?
00:02:35 – 00:03:35
Different generations. So I’m actually a fourth cousin to your father even though he would have been 50 years older than me. But because of how generations work when you go over time, I’m the same generation as your father. So, you’re the generation of children I don’t have yet. Oh, see that’s now that I know that I’m no close. Even though you’re even though you’re older than me, I’m a generation above you. It’s how things work when you go over multiple generations and hundreds
00:03:04 – 00:04:20
of years. So, your grand what is it? Your grandfather your grandfather greatgrandfather was named Jacob Yellen. Yeah, Jacob Yellen. I was named after him. Right. So, his his mother’s name was Caleb Ba Gilberg, and she was a first cousin to my I think it’s great-grandfather. She was a first cousin to my great-grandfather. Wow. But I couldn’t be off a generation there. So, I can’t really if I can’t get any closer, that might be as close as I can find out in the family because, you
00:03:42 – 00:04:58
know, it’s funny. We never really talked back generations as I was growing up. We had uh my great sorry my great great grandfather was first cousins with your uh great great great grandmother. I think it is. Yeah, it’s hard to visualize it. I have the tree in front of me, but it’s hard to visualize. But I found thousands of relatives all over the world doing this on all sides of my tree. Well, that’s interesting. I don’t know. I should someday take a closer look, but the relatives I have that are still
00:04:20 – 00:05:32
alive are in now in the mainland. Did you ever speak to my brother in Wyoming? I did. I spoke to you last time I spoke to your brother. He was in California. Oh, yeah. Now he’s And now he’s in Wyoming. Yeah, he is. And there’s Well, I have no one else in Wyoming. So, I have a goal to visit all 50 states. So he’d be the one and only person to see in Wyoming. Me too. But uh when I spoke to him, he was somewhere in California. Yeah. And he sold his house in Boulder Creek. And I guess they were a mile from
00:04:56 – 00:06:09
the edge of the fire there. And that uh was enough to make his his wife not want to stay around. So they moved to a nice place there right I guess pretty close to Montana. Yeah. Well it’s very different than Maui. I’m sure of that. And so is where you are. How uh how is the weather these days? It’s nice. Sorry. It’s nice today over here but it’s been up and down. The weather I think weather is difficult everywhere. You know we hear from Hawaii. We hear about things on the mainland. It sounds
00:05:33 – 00:06:52
like one giant mess. Nothing is predictable anymore. We’re seeing all kinds of changes in the weather. One thing that I noticed is that um here in Hawaii, we are blessed. Whatever is going on, wherever it is, we’re here in paradise. I still love New York. I haven’t been there in so many years, but I look forward to going back here before the end of my days. Now you when I ran into you and heard what you did, I thought this is really a subject that crosses lines. It’s through, you know, there may
00:06:12 – 00:07:18
be specific laws, everything. So tell me a little bit more. You work with people that have autism and and special needs. I’m an attorney. I’m representing people with all sorts of disabilities, autism, dyslexia, ADHD, mental health issues, children, uh, anybody who’s still in school, who’s having a dispute with the school district over the appropriate educational services, they’re entitled to under the IDA, which is the sorry, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. So, the law says every
00:06:45 – 00:07:51
child is entitled to what’s considered a free and appropriate education. Every child is entitled to a free and appropriate education based on their individual needs and that sometimes may be hard to accommodate. I trust well it’s also every parents and ch and schools have different idea of what’s appropriate for each child. So what you say might be the appropriate for this child might not be what I think is appropriate. It’s in a very the word appropriate is very subjective. And so
00:07:18 – 00:08:24
it’s the question of what is this child capable of. Nobody’s entitled to the best, but nobody’s entitled to the worst. It’s it’s whatever is again appropriate. But the definition of appropriate varies from child to child and perception. You know, parents always want the most they can get. Well, you know, and I imagine as they come to you as an attorney because they’re not getting what they feel is appropriate. Is that generally it? Correct. And in many cases, you know, most cases, it’s the schools not wanting
00:07:51 – 00:08:57
to spend money. You’ll get the occasional parent who wants things that are unreasonable, but usually the parents are being reasonable and the schools don’t want to spend the money. At least from where I sit. No, I’m sure with all the things that are happening with the federal government and cuts, uh, does it impact your area and are they pulling from monies? Likely, but we’re not there yet. It’s so soon. We haven’t seen it yet, but we’re going to see it. So, that’s going to be quite a public
00:08:24 – 00:09:47
issue, I’m sure, immediately, right? Especially because parent again parents are going to fight for their children and I think the whole public is the public softening or softening. Are they aware how important it is to give equal education to everyone outside of the school? Let’s put it this way. Unless you have a child with a disability, you’re not really aware of the law. I see. So it really is not a subject generally even considered. Most people don’t get into that area. Well, people don’t think of rules unless
00:09:06 – 00:10:27
it affects your life like many topics. So um when you work with different kinds of people, what kind of needs come up? Are there any things that we might point to an example or people that are in schools uh might understand how they can better serve? just sort of looking generally when I think of uh disabilities I think of mental vis disabilities and physical disabilities well there’s all kinds and generally speaking the people I represent I mean it could be anything but generally they end up being people with mental health
00:09:47 – 00:11:02
issues autism mental health dyslexia like the learning disabilities ADHD the physical stuff they don’t discriminate as much there usually there is a wheelchair ramp or there isn’t. And so generally speaking, you know, I don’t get cases of kids, as I say, who were in a wheelchair or blind or deaf because those kids, they give them the services because it’s more obvious. I see. So many of these cases that you have are people that are not necessarily perceived as disabled. Is that what
00:10:25 – 00:11:44
you’re saying? or what’s an appropriate level of service, right? I guess the individual every individual case is just that, an individual case. Exactly. Wow. So, how you how did you get into something like this? That’s really uh a real specialty. Uh I grew up with undiagnosed asperers at the time, which they now lump into autism, and I was in special ed and did not get the right services. So, I wanted to go into this to help other children avoid a lot of the problems I’ve had. That’s a great reason. Um,
00:11:04 – 00:12:23
do you find that there are many differences between you deal in your jurisdiction of uh New York only or do you New York and Connecticut? New York and Connecticut. Are the rules from your experience very different in each state? Well, it’s a federal law, so it’s it’s pretty similar state-to-state, but there are nuances and differences within each state. And um I got when do you find yourself negotiating or you find yourself going to court? What do you find? Most can settle the cases, particularly
00:11:44 – 00:12:46
in Connecticut. New York’s a little harder. New York City is its own animal that’s separate. But when I go to court, I go to court. I litigate and I and usually the the goal is to win. Oh yeah. Yeah. And win is services services for the parents and for the child. And so you know if you have to fight it the problem is sometimes parents can’t afford it. And you know as an attorney you have to make make money and there’s no guarantee. So it’s tricky. You can’t help all these kids.
00:12:15 – 00:13:38
It would be great if there was a program out there to pay for kids service, to pay for attorneys for kids who need it, whose parents can’t afford it. That’s a great thing to uh realize. Is there such a thing? I don’t have like a a uh any kind of focus in any of these fundraising places. Maybe we should start one. That sounds like a really worthwhile thing to do. Um, you know, there’s I have a a friend here who he and his wife started a youth sort of I want to call it a bridge center of a place where kids can go for
00:12:56 – 00:14:04
a couple of weeks and cool out from the parents and deal with um are most of the disabilities that you deal with um again parents it’s generated. I mean like here you’re hearing about this kind of a service they’re paying for it out of the I don’t know what you mean by parent I mean people have disabilities so I don’t know what that are naturally within them so I don’t know what you mean by parent generated well you know when someone comes to you the kid may have a need but it’s the
00:13:30 – 00:14:43
parent that comes to you is it the child child can’t come to me on their own but let’s say here in uh here in Hawaii by example xyz services having a problem with with the family grouping and the kid just needs a breather. He just had big fight with mom and dad. They don’t exactly know what to do. He needs to go. So this guy built a shelter, spent, you know, millions of dollars, him and his wife, created this interim space and they got a staff and they’re all trained and everything. So I’m saying to me that
00:14:06 – 00:15:18
would be yet another source of someone there saying this person needs special assistance. So that’s why I was just wondering if they’re that kind of there must think service I call them bridge places around here in Hawaii. That’s a rare thing in that there’s a lot of things needed that just strictly like you say there’s not facility for it. So this is somewhat at least in our experience here kind of unique. So I wondered as an attorney you ever hear from some group that says I’m here and we have a kid
00:14:42 – 00:15:55
that’s in this home and it’s somehow not really understood that this young woman or man could use additional uh services and we’d like to hire a specialty attorney. I’m just talking out loud, but um especially if like you say the law is a federal law and so so someone potentially could someone potentially hire you from here for an activity while No, you have to be licensed within the state. I can only work within New York and Connecticut. And what kind of specialty would this be
00:15:19 – 00:16:49
a known specialty? It’s called special education law. I see. Okay. Well, that seems to me like a a real around here. I’ve been here now 37 years, actually exactly half of my life. So in that time I’ve experienced that we’re lacking in uh social service help in that um it’s hard to measure progress but if it is uh I I don’t know how you guys rate it but I say how many times do people that are in jail or go to jail go to jail again and go to jail again and are they having nuclear family
00:16:03 – 00:17:26
problems and domestic violence. Those can interplay into what I do. Not necessarily, but they can be an interplay. I see. Okay. Um, do you have any uh part of this I want to say that you get to celebrate with your clients? So they I’m sure they’re all that the win are very much appreciating. But I wonder, you know, um how this is this an ongoing relationship there or is it strictly for something like need to special need? It depends on the case. Some kids I’ll represent for a small period of time
00:16:45 – 00:17:53
just to get them one thing. Some kids I will represent for years at a time. Again, it varies from case to case. But you spe This is really like a very specific specialty and you’re probably busier than you know what to do with. I couldn’t imagine. I wish I was busier, but unfortunately I’m not the greatest at myself at time management. Well, and also maybe I think the um getting the public to understand that this kind of help is available. You know, sometimes that’s got to be really
00:17:19 – 00:18:41
important. I hope that if um you share this with people or we can put it on public broadcasting wherever you are or whatever you’d like. [Music] A lot of interviews. Pardon me. I do a lot of interviews. You do? Okay. Radio, TV, little of each. Either whatever’s around like this. I see. Well, that’s good. Well, I’m glad I’m part of a of an aware culture that’s aware of how important what you do is. And it’s important to know that in my case, the Schwarz name is there’s hidden
00:18:00 – 00:19:06
Schwarzes out there in the world. Mel Brooks knew that may the Schwarz be with you was the right thing to say. You know, I’ I’ve been very encouraged over my life. people, you know, there aren’t that many Schwarzes in Hawaii. It’s not like Smith here. So, uh, over the years, my name has stood out and, uh, it’s not yet accepted as a local name. Maybe after 38 years, not 37, they’ll say, “Ah, he’s one of those Hawaiian tribes.” It’s a it’s a common Jewish name. But as
00:18:33 – 00:19:33
I was saying with this small world of genealogy, I don’t know if you realize your father’s first cousin is Janet Yellen, who was the former Federal Reserve chair. I remember Janet as maybe I was like a little guy. She was six or seven years old. I remember waving to her last. I remember she’s old. She’s older than you. Oh yeah, a little bit. But she was uh I don’t know how much older, but I was a little guy. Do you know how much older? You probably do. Five years. five years. Yeah. Okay.
00:19:03 – 00:20:23
Because she was a little girl. I remember that. And um she’s still a little girl actually, I think. But she carries. But that’s the magic the magic of genealogy, finding out, especially when you find somebody notable like that as a relative. Yeah. And I I just remember as a nice cousin, but uh that’s uh you know, that’s a real exciting thing to realize. and realize that the fabric of our country is all kinds of people, all kinds of colors, all kinds of religions, all kinds of everything. And how I
00:19:43 – 00:20:43
believe it’s super important for us to honor the fact wherever people are from and whatever is going on, we got to love each other more, right? And and and that’s what you also find as you go down the generations genealogically, everybody came from Europe. They were all Ashkanazi Jews. But as you go down the generations, you find a lot more people who’ve married out, who’ve married, people who are not Jewish and more, what’s the word I’m looking for? Diversified. Diversified.
00:20:13 – 00:21:26
Yeah. I don’t know how they got me as 100%. I don’t know what that means. That means my mother and father and all the way back as far as they can see in my genes were all Jews. Correct. We’re all Ashkanazi Jews. Wow. Well, I always thought of myself as a, you know, a mixture, but I guess that’s really not, huh? A lot of people in that generation that your parents and my grandparents were in when they came here that age range, you know, they weren’t marrying out. People started marrying, I would say, non-Jews.
00:20:49 – 00:21:47
In your generation, you and my well, even though I’m the generation above you, you’re around the same age as my parents. the baby boomer generations when people started marrying out and not always not marrying necessarily Jews. Some did, some didn’t. But before that, it’s much rarer for the people born in the 1920s to see them marrying non-Jews. But I’ve found it on branches of my family. Like I said, I’ve done this on all sides of my family and I have about 11 12,000 people on my family tree right
00:21:18 – 00:22:29
now. Wow. But but Janet is the most famous living one. Is she? She’s the most famous one still alive. Wow. On any side of my family. Yes. Well, I wonder. She probably would remember me. We What? She has a little more time. I’ve been in touch with her. She has a little more time on her hands probably now than she did a couple years ago. Yeah. She’s still in Washington. Yeah. As far as I know. I mean, she was until the the end the end of the last administration. I haven’t I don’t know if she stayed
00:21:53 – 00:22:44
there or went back to the Bay Area, right? But I’ll be in touch with her soon. But yes, but it’s it’s interesting, like I said, what you find when you do genealogy. Like I said, thousands of people all over the world, although apparently your brother’s the only one in Wyoming because nobody nobody else wants to live there. Are there any other Schwarzes or any other people in Hawaii? Schwarz is a very common name. Very common name. So I find Schwarzes all over on different branches of my family.
00:22:19 – 00:23:23
It’s a very common Jewish name. You got them in Hawaii? Not in Hawaii, but I’ve had relatives in Hawaii and other branches, but Schwarz, like I said, is a is a common name. No, not not only Schwarzes. I was curious about uh whether there were a lot of family in Hawaii. That’s the side you’re on. You’re probably the only person on the side we’re related on, but I find random people on various sides in Hawaii. Well, if you speak to Janet Yell and tell her uh her father that I’d love to speak to her, she’d be
00:22:50 – 00:23:57
a welcome guest here on the show. Um, I really, um, I know this was sort of spur of the moment and I’ve been just to try and encouraging on. I really have appreciated that you’ve done that kind of homework on the family and uh, I felt very appreciative when you gave me a call and um, got in touch. People, it takes a lot of work. I’ve reached out to thousands of people all over the world and some help, some don’t, but it’s It’s not always easy, I’ll tell you, because it takes a lot of
00:23:25 – 00:24:45
time. Yeah. Well, I if ever you come here, I’m a really good tour guide. I know all the secret places. That is good because I’ve never been to Hawaii. It’s on my list. And it should be. I know. I I don’t know how the world is thought, but Maui had a fire. August 8th is two years. And although they like to say the area around it needs help, the whole island has been really damaged by what’s happening. And we have classes of houselessness here. It’s like extraordinary. We’ve been uh suffering
00:24:04 – 00:25:06
from not enough housing. And this put a an a real I feel like that’s a that’s a national issue. Yeah, it sure is. Well, you’ve been a really terrific guest. anything that important that you think you want to tell people about anything really, but anything like with special ed and you know autism awareness that’s my big issue having as I said grown up undiagnosed. If you have a child in special needs and you don’t think they’re getting what they need from the school, call a local attorney.
00:24:36 – 00:25:48
I would say the best way to find an attorney is to go to the national organization copa. I’m on their board, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, copaa.org. And there’s attorneys in basically every state who do this. copaa.org. Yes. Okay. Well, that’s great. Michael, you’re a um I very much appreciate you taking the time with me. Absolutely. And I know we haven’t spoken much, but that can change. I’m very open if ever there’s anything that I want to say gathering.
00:25:12 – 00:27:05
And I will keep you posted when I make it out to Hawaii. Hopefully someday. Good, good, good. Blessings to you, my friend. I hope that uh that if there’s anything you ever need from here, give a whistle. No worries. And thank you guys for joining us out there in television and radio land and the internet. We’ll see you again. Blessings. Aloha. [Music] Aloha everyone. This is Jason Schwarz, your host here at the neutral zone, mauyneutralzone.com. You can find us on 88.5 FM and we are the voice of Maui Ka Ku Simocast on
00:26:07 – 00:27:38
Akaku Maui Community Media TV for oldsters like me. You can find us up on the web at Maui Neutralzone.com at YouTubedream Maui and the number one. In other words, if you’re looking you can find us. Well, today we have a really special treat. Rather than being in the studio, I came out to the west side to visit an artist who is very busy. Maui art and gifts in Hunter Kawaii, Maui, west side of Maui. We are here with Belinda. She likes to say Virginia Lei because around here when you see L E I G H, you know that
00:26:53 – 00:28:07
might sound like Lee, but if you just hear it, you might think it’s Virginia and spelled L E. Virginia Lee was Who is that? I don’t even know. But Belinda Lee has been an artist here for god knows longer. Probably as long as I’ve been here. I got here in 88. You were probably an artist in 88, but what I had heard was that you were the queen of Front Street, meaning you were a gallery owner many, many, many, many years, right? By the way, I talk a lot, so please jump in. Maui, please. Uh, some
00:27:30 – 00:28:45
of you know, uh, Belinda Lee or Belinda Le, so you can spell it right. Um, if you haven’t been here, it is worth coming here because you see the art behind me and on this wall all the way here and all the way here and you’re going to see as we run around. You’ve been very prolific and incredibly varied in your style. You This is You got to talk. I feel really blessed to get to live here 43 years and paint what I see. Wow. You see good things. Well, we’re all blessed when we’re here.
00:28:07 – 00:29:25
There’s so much natural beauty. I mean, God creates it all and I just get to copy it. How did you become such a beautiful, talented artist? You’ve been doing it a long time. Just practicing after I graduated university. I just started practicing part-time, nights, weekends, squeezing it in wherever I could. Wow. and self self-taught and you have amazing stuff. So when you say you paint what you see, what does that mean? Well, from the moment I set foot on this island, I have been aruck. There has
00:28:47 – 00:30:06
always been something beautiful day and night. large, small, doesn’t matter if it’s the leaves on the trees or the birds or the whales. There’s just always something incredibly beautiful here and I just love to paint it. How’d you become a gallery person? Well, I um started showing at art shows down under the banyan tree and uh that was when the owner of the three galleries in Japan approached me and asked me to show in his galleries and he bought all my originals directly from me
00:29:27 – 00:30:41
and had me ship them over there. Wow. And then I started showing at a craft show in the Canary Mall back in the 90s. And that is when I met my dear friend Jonathan who owned a gallery there and we went together running that one and it was basically a co-op. So I learned a lot about gallery business besides just doing art shows. Co-op meaning meaning there were several of us artists at seven of us artists at least who showed our work in there and each one of us took turns working in the gallery. a
00:30:04 – 00:31:21
model that we’ve seen over the years here. Yeah, exactly. And then I got the opportunity when this space became available to lease this space and my husband brought it to my attention and I said, “Okay.” And he totally supported me through the whole project setting it all up and everything and that was I had this gallery at Maui Art and Gifts 30 years. Wow. So you were were you here and on Front Street also or that was before? Well, I was uh at first I was here and on Front Street and um then um and I was
00:30:42 – 00:31:52
showing in Jonathan’s gallery. I let him have the galleries completely and run them like he always did. And then he opened up another one in the um across from the banyan tree in the center there, the Warf Center. The Wararf Center. And he had a gallery there for Rest in peace, by the way. Exactly. And may Jonathan rest in peace. We lost him in the fire. Oh my goodness. But anyway, um now where were we? We were talking about you were first doing it here and there. Oh yeah. And then so while I was running
00:31:17 – 00:32:43
this one and then later I got the opportunity um to partner with a fellow who was showing down on front who had his own gallery down on Front Street and we partnered and then he turned out to be a bit of a lack of Totally Honest. And so he ended up leaving the island and um I we closed that one and then I still had this one going and then later few years later I opened Gallery 505 which was 3,000 square feet. Wow. Yes. And turned out that we leased three spaces, made them all into one, brought in an architect, redid the whole thing.
00:32:00 – 00:33:05
It was stunningly beautiful. and the famous restaurants and luau were all there. We had lots of traffic and we did very very well. We had the best artists from around the world as well as local artists. What a great gift to all those artists having someone to I mean that’s the gift of an artist. He gets a gift or she gets a gift of someone else selling the art. It is quite something to think that you’re an artist who does the work and also can stand and sell it. That is a great combination.
00:32:33 – 00:33:46
Really strange to a lot of people to walk in and meet the artist running the place. Yeah. It’s very It’s not the usual thing. No. And not an artist of your ability. This when I look around, I mean, while we’re doing this, we’re walking around. So, you have two full walls filled with so many different pieces with so much unique style. Each one is very individual. It’s not like you’re a mass producer of No. Oh, let’s do the above and below thing. Let’s you you know the deal. You’ve been here
00:33:10 – 00:34:22
through all of it. I know. Well, I’m very old-fashioned, too. I’ll spend months on a piece. I won’t quit till it looks real. Layer after layer. Wow. Well, it shows really extraordinary work. And a lot of people I really enjoyed their commissioning me to paint one what they want for their wall space, what size. It’s been very enjoyable to have them be happy with my work and guide me through special paintings. Wow. Any uh customers of note that you want to talk about? Well, I didn’t know this was coming.
00:33:47 – 00:35:00
Oh, well, you don’t have to. You can tell me no. No, not right now. Okay, that’s perfect. If I think of one later, I’ll No, you know, I always, you know, some people like to name drop, but I’m sure through the years you’ve had, well, I can see with your work, if anyone was fortunate to come in here or to be seeing your pieces, they are comparable to anyone and everyone that I’ve seen around here. You really are a professional artist. And I can see that you have it looks like you have set the trends around here
00:34:23 – 00:35:30
for all these years that you know I’ve watched them promote all kinds of different people but I’ve never really heard of Belinda Lee except I’m fortunate to run into you through a few very very special people who said you know who you really need to see. You need to see Belinda. What a gift. Thank you for letting us in here. Well, you’re very welcome. Thank you for being here. I’ve been really blessed and I appreciate what you’re saying and doing. Have you um through the years watched
00:34:57 – 00:36:07
some of the artists that are now celebrated in their growth step? Have you been following any artists from here that have kind of taken off? I’m sure you remember. I actually when I moved in in 1988, I moved into a house that Chris Lassen was living in the house before and people said, “Oh, we have a guy that was here that now has his own gallery and blah blah blah.” He’s one and I think of him as a commercial artist. He sort of painted what was the style of the day and you know some people said,
00:35:32 – 00:36:34
“Oh, he’s not an artist. She’s an illustrator and all that kind of conversation. Chris used to come in here regular years ago about 15 25 years ago. Come in here on a regular basis raving about my turtles asking me how do you make them look so real? I want would you please come and paint with me in my studio? But I never did. So he’s he’s one example, isn’t he? But there are um over the years I don’t really know of artists that have graduated from here. We were such a
00:36:02 – 00:37:12
significant art market. A lot of the sales were happening here. They didn’t need to go anywhere else in the world to be seen. So, um, what do you see with art on this island now? You probably had the big, you know, long view and after the fire and what’s kind of happened, what do you see reemerging these days? Anything? Well, I’m really happy and blessed that I was north of the fire and all the winds were blowing north to south and I managed to survive without being highly impacted other than the pain and the
00:36:38 – 00:37:56
sorrow. And then I’m also really happy that um Village Galleries is opening again in a new location. Lyn Shu has worked really hard to get that going and she’s quite an incredible person herself. Yeah, I know. Been a long time also. But what a generous gesture to speak of another gallery. Well, and I was happy that Chris bought Prince Sellers and he opened in the Canary Mall and he comes in here too as well as Lynn and says hi and lets me know what’s going on. And I was really happy that he opened up quite a long
00:37:15 – 00:38:45
months ago. And um hopefully, you know, people keep pushing forward and art continues to be something beautiful, a part of Maui that people love. Well, hopefully on this web, my web on the web where we promote art and music and the culture of the island, you’re going to be there and in a prominent spot. I already see your spot there. We want to showcase the art of Maui to the world and let the world jump in and help Maui even if they’ve never been here or not sure when they’re coming
00:38:02 – 00:39:21
because I think a lot of people recognize that a huge chunk of what was Maui was Lahina and the art scene here. And uh I think that there’s so many talented people. We need to bring them up and give them an opportunity to be seen and shared by the world, including you, of course. Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. And I still showing artists that like I showed 30 years ago like Joe Ireland and and um I’ve been helping Raphael some and he’s been selling pretty good in here. And you know, we’ve um pottery, glass, all
00:38:41 – 00:39:51
kinds of different artist. You have other artists in the middle of the store and yeah, so it really feels I must say your stuff is your stuff’s the best. We won’t share that. I think I’m just amazed. Look at that piece behind us. I mean, I can see it in as I’m videotaping here. I used to dive a lot and I tell you that was in the days before we had digital printing and we took all of our film to one hour Fox Photo and got it developed. I have file cabinets full of photographs. I loved it going to another
00:39:16 – 00:40:14
world like that. And not only does all your gravity go away, but all this incredible beauty. And so I can just always just let me see what I want to paint today. Okay. And then I can flip through the photographs, pick out the one I like, pin it up on the wall, and look at it as if I was doing a portrait of someone. Look at it while I’m painting and get it all accurate. And that’s what this piece behind us was. It was actually the original’s a little larger. That’s a limited edition.
00:39:45 – 00:40:46
Wow. I And I’ve been really blessed. I’ve had like a doctor in St. Louis, him and his wife commissioned me to paint three five- foot paintings for their big home with the big tall walls. And it’s it’s always encouraged me and inspired me to move forward. When you’re here during I’m going to say during the day, when can you find time to do between customers? when I’m not busy doing something else. And then I don’t usually lately I haven’t been opening until like 10:30 in the morning. That
00:40:16 – 00:41:17
gives me like five hours at home if I want to get things done then and do some painting. You get up at 5 in the morning. Sometimes before that even. Yeah. And then sometimes a little later too. You never know exactly. But most of the time before that and then in the evening too. I usually a lot of times I close early at 600 6:30 and I’ll go home and get some other projects going then. And then I close on Sundays now. So that’s been given me more time too. And obviously you love it. You couldn’t
00:40:45 – 00:41:51
be here as much as you are unless I love and I love meeting all the people that come in and share all their experiences with me. It’s like having social hours all the time. It’s beautiful. Yeah, I can see that. And um I when you are picking a new piece, you’re still doing it the same way. picking from a photograph and not doing that. Most of the time if I wanted to look exactly like a place like the one I did of Black Rock over there, I will go right out there first thing in the morning like I did be right when the
00:41:19 – 00:42:13
sun’s beginning to tip the mountain, take a photograph of what it looks like, throw in the shadows, the collars, everything, pin it up on the wall, and then I’ve had people while I paint it, I make it look real. And I’ve had people come in and point to the room they’re in there on the Sheridan. It cracks me up because I took the time to get it accurate. But if I want a place to look exactly like it is, then yes, I will take a photograph and look at the photograph while I’m painting.
00:41:47 – 00:43:04
Yes. Hello, ladies. Come on in. We’re going to give a break. This is one of those moments. Come on in. Well, we took a break and we decided that uh we’re going to come back and kind of give you a few minutes more of Belinda. We’re gonna have to come back and visit her again. I am super impressed with your work and I’m impressed with you. You’re still looking like a young girl and you’re still painting with a style that is you’re still making new roads into how beautiful this place can be. You see a
00:42:24 – 00:43:49
lot in Maui, don’t you? Just like been Maui is just Hawaii is so blessed and I don’t think it’s any accident. God created all this natural beauty to constantly inspire us and lift us up. Yeah. Well, I am just amazed that you have been so prolific for so long. When I look around here, like I said, it’s just really inspiring. I see so many pieces and I say that looks like that looks like so I can see that you’ve been the one that’s been setting the pace. Isn’t that amazing? You know, we many
00:43:06 – 00:44:11
times we don’t really see, you know, who’s first, who’s second, but you’ve really set a I want to say the runway that others have been taking off on all these years. you know, you’ve really been setting the pace and the style that people didn’t realize is you, you know, you’ve been really a big leader here for so very long. What do you think’s going to happen in the future? You have any thoughts on the Maui artists that you’ve seen, any of them coming out of the
00:43:40 – 00:45:10
woodwork? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I’ve seen them enjoying painting again and finding markets where people appreciate their work. Yes. Well, we hope to be doing that and trying to showcase Maui’s art and music to the world. And uh I really want to thank you for all that you’ve given for all these years. And for all of you out there who don’t know Belinda, you will know Belinda Lee or Belinda Lei. I It’s funny you say that because I am just I really I’m just I think I sound like a little kid, but I feel like a kid
00:44:24 – 00:45:34
in a candy store here. I’ve never seen so much beautiful art and see someone who’s there sharing it directly like you do to the public. That’s a real talent in itself. You just It’s a blessing. Yeah, I can see that. It’s a blessing. It may be a lot of work. But it’s a blessing. Well, thank you for being here and giving some time to the people of Maui, you know. Well, the people of Maui give me so much time and inspiration and lift me up. I mean, even after the fire, some local
00:44:59 – 00:46:21
dudes brought in some ka wood and made it a gift to me. They love the way I was promoting all the natural beauty. And the another one came in and brought in the the natural sodalite, the the blue the blue obsidian that they found like eight feet below when they were doing construction in Lahina. Wow. And it’s not for sale. It’s for display so people can feel what we are, what we walk on, what we inspires us to look at and see. It’s amazing. Well, you are amazing. Belinda, thank you for joining me here
00:45:41 – 00:47:04
today. Are you kidding? Thank you. I appreciate all your time and all your consideration. You’re most welcome. Maui Art and Gifts. What’s the name of this shopping center? The Hanukkah Kawaii Marketplace. There you go. The Hanukkah. Ho Kawai. Honkai marketplace. In Hanukkah, Kawaii. Honkai. Well, thank you again for joining us. Pleasure. Aloha. Aloha. There you go. And so I’ve been very blessed with several Hawaiians born and raised here who have come in and treated me quite beautifully,
00:46:23 – 00:47:50
gifting me in the ways that they know. A Hawaiian lady came in, did some beautiful hoola, put her handmade lelay on me, beautiful flowers, and then also another lady came in and gave me her homemade flower made out of dried tea leaves. Wow. So, they’ve been knowing about you and now. And then this gentleman came in, this Hawaiian man, and brought in this gorgeous 6- foot long piece of ka wood, saying that it could make a beautiful tabletop. And it was all natural with the bark edge showing, and it was all
00:47:07 – 00:48:20
sanded down, polished beautifully to look at the grain in the wood. Wow. And said that, you know, he makes lots of tables, but this is a gift for you. And just gave it to me. And then another Hawaiian man came in and gave me this beautiful piece of blue obsidian, which is the lava rock he found doing construction about 6 feet below ground level in Lahina Town with the blue obsidian. Wow. In it. And it was just simply And it’s on display, not for sale. I can’t sit here without wanting to
00:47:43 – 00:49:36
focus on your art. Not that you’re not beautiful, but I am looking behind you. Just amazing your body of work. Well, I hope that when people uh can they find you on the internet also? Yeah. Maui art andgifts.com. AD or the symbol? AD Maui. Maui art andgifts.com. Wow. Well, thank you so much for uh giving me the time today. It’s been a real pleasure. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you guys for joining us. Aloha. [Music] There is no other one. What I feel here for you. Holding you in my arms.
00:48:52 – 00:52:09
Cradle you with my love. You’re all dressed in white. Looking in your eyes. Till all the world tonight I’ll be falling. You’re my shining star. From this day on I’ll be your friend. I’ll be by your side. Blessed are we this night. shower us with his love. Will you be mine tonight? Giving you all my love. And when we look back at our wedding day, this band of gold that we will share, never ending love for all my life. Then I do. [Music] Oh, [Music] hey. [Music] The time has come to make a change.
00:50:50 – 00:52:58
The time has come to unlock the hope that lives in each and every one of us. And we must do our part. We hold the visions God dreams of. Our hands can heal the ones we love. Let’s gather around and let us make a stand for you and me. Unlock the hope and there’s a better life. Unlock the hope. There’ll be no turning back. But nothing changes unless we unlock the hole. The time has come to make a change. The time has come to unlock the hope that lives in each and every one of us. And we must do our part.
00:52:03 – 00:54:19
We hold the visions God dreams of. Our hands can heal the ones we love. Let’s gather around and let us make a stand for you and me. Unlock the hope and there’s a better life. Unlock the hope. There’ll be no turning back. But nothing changes unless we unlock the hope. But nothing changes unless we unlock the hope. But nothing changes. [Music] Unless we unlock the hole. [Music] Unless we unlock the hope. Unless we unlock the hope. [Music] Unless we unlock the hope. [Music]
