Wednesday 29th July 2026
Artist Salon hosted by Talanoa Arts Forum in American Sāmoa
Talanoa Arts Forum will host a panel discussion featuring the members of the local arts community in American Sāmoa on Wednesday 5th August 2026.
Presented in partnership with the Jean P Haydon Museum in Tutuila Island, the panel discussion entitled ‘Cultural Preservation and Innovation in Action: Bridging Heritage and Contemporary Practice’ explores artistic methods that reinforce cultural preservation and innovation in contemporary practice. It examines how safeguarding traditional knowledge, narratives, and crafts fuels storytelling, education, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, while modern methods and media breathe new life into heritage. Panellists from ethnomusicology, children’s literature, craft-making, performance, and contemporary art share strategies for balancing authenticity with imaginative reinterpretation, fostering credible representation and diverse protagonists, and building cross-cultural partnerships. The discussion spotlights practical tools for sustaining crafts and communities, alongside examples of projects that honour heritage while expanding reach through sustainability and modern media.
Panellists include Dr. Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, Kuki Tuiasosopo and Tanuvasa Tau'ili'ili Alpha Maiava (TAF) and moderated by Yuki Kihara (TAF). More panellists to be announced soon.
Additionally, the panel discussion is presented in the context of Fa’atasiga: Artist Salon and provides an opportunity to discuss each other’s practices and to gain insight into the arts community in American Sāmoa.
Talanoa Arts Forum would like to acknowledge the support of GHC Reid and the American Samoa Council on Arts, Culture, & Humanities.
Panellists profile:
Dr. Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka is an environmental advocate, educator, author, and community leader from American Sāmoa. Her publication of anthologies and children's books aims to elevate Pacific stories.
Kuki Tuiasosopo is an ethnomusicologist, music director, and the Fine Arts Department Chairman at the American Sāmoa Community College (ASCC) in Mapusaga. He teaches courses in music, drama, and speech while preserving traditional Sāmoan music culture. Tuiasosopo is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Jean P. Haydon Museum.
Puataunofo Tofaeono is a multimedia artist, photographer, and traditional siapo (bark cloth) maker. Known for her vibrant documentation of island life and cultural preservation work, she also conducts educational workshops on traditional Sāmoan motifs.
Gabby Alafagamalufilufi Faʻaiʻuaso is Samoan filmmaker from the villages of Fagatogo and Nuʻuuli, Amerika Sāmoa. Her work celebrates the indigenous storytelling, cultural preservation and Pasefika identity. She graduated from the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and returned home to help grow the film industry in Amerika Sāmoa, starting her first creative media business, Alafaga, and later co-founding Fale Film. She is a 2024 Wyncote Fellow with American Documentary and PBS, as well as a 2024 PEAK Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti Fellow. Much of her work centers cultural preservation, environmental conservation and community health. She has participated in acclaimed film programs and festivals, including the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, Festival of Pacific Arts and Māoriland. Her documentary work includes “Not a U.S. Citizen,” which explores American Samoa’s unique political and cultural identity and was produced through Firelight Media’s HOMEGROWN initiative in partnership with Pacific Islanders in Communications and PBS. Gabby continues to amplify Samoan stories while mentoring emerging filmmakers and supporting community-driven storytelling.
Tanuvasa Tau'ili'ili Alpha Maiava is a music composer and filmmaker. Tau’ili’ili recent docuseries entitled Instruments of the Moana (2024) focused on the origin narratives of 8 sound producing instruments from Sāmoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Niue, Solomon Islands and Fiji. Tanuvasa is a co-director of Talanoa Arts Forum.
Moderated by Yuki Kihara, co-director of Talanoa Arts Forum.
Partners:
