A few Fridays ago, I made the long journey from Ha‘iku to Lahaina to check out Lahaina Friday Art Night. I had a few key locations collected in my mind that I wanted to check out. On the top of my list was the Andrew Shoemaker Fine Art Photography Gallery. Before my arrival, I was familiar with Shoemaker’s photography, and was aware that his gallery on Front Street had recently opened in late spring of 2018.
I had been hearing a certain buzz about the attention Shoemaker’s gallery was receiving by residents and visitors, so I definitely wanted to experience what he had “in-store” for his gallery guests. I was not only pleasantly surprised, but also left his space feeling inspired that West Maui definitely has a thriving, almost urban, island-style art scene.
Located in the heart of Lahaina, in the Historic Front Street neighborhood, the Andrew Shoemaker Gallery is one of the newest editions to West Maui’s buzzing collection of locally owned and internationally renowned art galleries.
During Lahaina’s weekly Friday Art Night, the Shoemaker gallery offers a pretty sweet destination for conversation, refreshments, and live entertainment. The gallery is hip, has gorgeous lighting, and is embellished with impressive interior design elements. The walls are adorned with Shoemaker’s gorgeous, vibrant, and well captured landscape and nature photography.
The floor space is adorned with custom furniture made by Pacific Green Industries. Pacific Green is an award-winning furniture company from Australia, world famous for ethically manufacturing furniture, home goods, and accessories. In fact, visitors can make custom Pacific Green Industries orders via the Andrew Shoemaker Gallery. This is a pretty unique edge for a Maui gallery, fusing art with sustainable interior living.
At the Shoemaker Gallery, guests can find electrifying and eclectic fine art photography. At the gallery and online, art collectors (and I learned, celebrities, too) obtain open editions, limited editions, metal prints of various sizes, and the “Lamborghini of art prints,” acrylic face mounts.
Until the opening of his brick-and-mortar fine art photography gallery, Shoemaker’s pieces were found at local galleries throughout the island of Maui, on his website, or on the mantle places of various newlyweds and honeymooners who have traveled to Maui to celebrate and fortify their love. Without a doubt, his new gallery is a milestone for his artistic career.
Shoemaker has been a self-taught, professional, and award-winning fine art photographer for over 12 years. He was originally drawn into the photography art form by his own outdoor adventures: hiking, skiing, and off-roading. He’s a husband, a father, an artist, and an active South Maui community member.
Shoemaker and his wife moved to Maui in 2014, and since then his fine art photography has been showcased throughout Hawaiian island media outlets in print, on social media, and online. His photography has been featured in Maui No Ka Oi Magazine, Upcountry Magazine, Maui Jim’s Live Aloha blog, AMauiBlog.com, and various internationally renowned art websites like DeviantArt.com, DailyCamera.com, TheKnot.com, HiveMiner.com, Art.com, and many more. His photography is also represented in Island Heritage merchandise like calendars, magnets, and other Hawai‘i-branded merchandise that’s typically marketed to visitors.
Before arriving on Maui, Shoemaker lived in the San Diego area and captured myriad award-winning photos of California landscapes. On his website, you can see a wide variety of locational photography from Maui, the Hawaiian Islands, California, Arizona, and Japan.
Andrew’s photography is an interesting collection of nature photography, marine life, landscapes, and portraits. For a Maui resident, some images will be familiar to the eye, but others may trick you because of Shoemaker’s obvious talent with lighting. He has a real skill for the patience of capturing locations at the best time of the day, noting his calm and collected artistic disposition.
One of my favorite photos by Shoemaker is called “Edge of Creation.” It’s a portrait-oriented piece of Big Island lava flowing into the ocean with a celestial display in the background. It’s amazing and almost looks like a painting.
Until I spoke with Shoemaker in person, I wasn’t aware of his full professional range. Shoemaker is also available for portraits, weddings, events, custom arrangements, and commissions. After a long conversation about life, I asked Shoemaker about what motivates him to create his art. “My belief is that an image has the power to take your breath away, the power to heal and even make you cry,” he said. “My hope is that through these images, we can connect on a higher level and truly share how beautiful this world is with one another.”
For all Hawai‘i residents, Shoemaker offers a year-round, 10-percent kama‘aina promotion. The Andrew Shoemaker Gallery is also offering a variety of discounts and incentives on Lahaina Friday Art Nights during Maui’s 2018 holiday season (until the end of December).
Andrew Shoemaker Fine Art Photography Gallery
612 Front St., Lahaina
Open daily, 10am-10pm
(808) 463-8211
AndrewShoemaker.com
Photos courtesy Andrew Shoemaker
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