Awards & Articles

HAWAIʻI Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards: Best of Maui

• Best Art Gallery 2024 (2nd) / 2023 (3rd) / 2022 (3rd) / 2021 (3rd) / 2020 (3rd) / 2019 (3rd) / 2018 (4th)
• Best Store for Souvenirs 2024 (4th) / 2023 (4th) / 2022 (3rd) / 2021 (3rd)
• Best Non-fashion/Non-clothing Boutique Store 2020 (2nd) / 2019 (2nd) / 2018 (3rd)
• Best Place to Buy Local Art 2016 / 2015 / 2014

Maui Times’ Best of Maui Readers’ Poll

• Best Art Gallery 2023 / 2017 / 2009
• Best Local Jewelry Store 2019 / 2018

Additional Awards & Recognition

• Best of Lahaina – Best Art Galleries & Dealers 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008 / 2007
• Certificate of Outstanding Achievement – Office of Mayor Alan Arakawa 2012

6 Off-the-Beaten-Path Things to Do in Maui, Hawai‘i

“Spend time in Upcountry While a lot of attention has focused on West Maui and the recovery efforts in and around Lahaina, it’s worth heading to Upcountry to show support there as well. The region is also recovering after wildfires in and around Kula. Spend time in the adorable town of Makawao, after returning from a hike in nearby Haleakalā National Park… Invest in local artists by heading into Maui Hands, a locally owned trio of art galleries (the two other locations are in Paia and Wailea) featuring everything from handcrafted furnishings to ceramics and paintings…” (May 2024)

HAWAIʻI Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards

“Congratulations again to Maui Hands for receiving our 2014 Readers’ Choice Award.  It really is a testament for a business to place in HAWAIʻI Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.  HAWAIʻI Magazine does not provide any choices or suggestions for the categories.  Readers really need to know and remember the businesses they want to vote for.  Being that the majority of HAWAIʻI Magazine’s readers are on the mainland, this award says a lot about the businesses they vote for!”

Pride Of Maui ~ No. 1 Art Gallery

“With four locations around the Island of Maui, Maui Hands has their art gallery formula down. They represent over 300 local fine artists, jewelers, potters, glassblowers, sculptors, woodworkers and various artisans. Their first location opened in Makawao in 1992 and have since grown to a collection of four Maui Hands galleries around the corners of the island: Makawao, Paʻia, Lahaina and Kaʻanapali. Each gallery offers a rotation of art shows on display, and live local artists for weekly events.”

Best Of Lahaina Awards Art Galleries & Dealers 2017 ~ U.S. Local Business Association

“Maui Hands is among a very small group of companies that have won the Best of Lahaina Award for 10 consecutive years. This distinction has qualified Maui Hands for the 2017 Lahaina Business Hall of Fame.”

Maui Time Weekly ~ Best Art Gallery 2017 & 2009

“There is certainly a high proportion of art galleries on-island, and understandably so. But such a profusion may actually be quite paralyzing for those who want to check out, and possibly buy, a decent piece of art or two. A gallery must have a plan, a theme, a common thread to lure people in. With its four locations (Paʻia, Makawao, Lahaina, Kaʻanapali) and a somewhat enigmatic name, Maui Hands doesn’t just display a few overpriced Maui-inspired landscapes. Instead, owner Panna Speas [Cappelli] seeks to highlight the work of artists living on Maui. This makes for a sweeping collection of paintings, ceramics, jewelry and even hand cremes for your viewing and/or purchasing pleasure.”

Maui News ~ Best Art Gallery 2009

“From Lahaina’s busy Front Street, through the casual beach-side elegance of the Hyatt Regency Kaʻanapali, all the way to local, laid-back Paʻia, Maui Hands Gallery is The Maui News readers’ choice as the island’s best art gallery. In its collection representing some 300 artists in a variety of mediums, a theme underlying the beauty on display is a deeper reflection of island life – not just the spectacular scenery but the emotions and awe it brings out in creative souls. All of the artists represented are local to Hawaiʻi; a significant number are local to Maui. Opened by Panna Speas Cappelli in 1992 to create what she calls ‘a much needed retail space for a multitude of talented Hawaiian artisans,’ the gallery currently operates three locations, offering a rich selection of unique locally created pieces in every medium and style.  ‘The beauty of it all is that the income stays right here in our own community,’ she adds. ‘And with financial rewards being so low this past year for all 320 of us involved with Maui Hands, the knowledge that lots of people voted for us is especially sweet.'”

The Crafts Report – “The Hawaiian Touch” 

“Panna Speas [Cappelli] is not an artist but she certainly has the heart and soul of one. Because of her upbringing, she’s always had an appreciation for good art, music, dance and writing. Speas is the guiding force and vision behind Maui Hands, four galleries scattered across beautiful Maui, featuring the handmade works of Hawaiian artisans. The inspiration to start a gallery came largely due to meeting artists who were very good, but didn’t have the right venue for their work. “It really started with me liking small, beautiful things,” Speas says.  Initially Maui Hands started with 25 artists and borrowed $2,000, use mostly to cover deposits. When Speas first decided to open a gallery, she forced herself to make five cold calls to artists every night before dinner, asking if they would give her some of their work to carry in her new gallery.” (Written by Richelle Tremaine)

MAUI Nō Ka ʻOi Magazine ~ “Keepin’ It Real”

“A short stroll south on Lahaina’s Front Street now offers rich rewards for art enthusiasts and beachcombers alike. In a sea of “Made in Taiwan” keepsakes, the new Maui Hands, kitty corner to the Banyan Tree, is a mixed media treasure chest of genuine Hawaiian-made artwork. Just like its sister galleries in the Hyatt Kaʻanapali, Makawao and Paʻia, the Lahaina location carries the eclectic work of some 300+ local artists and artisans working in a variety of media, including oils on canvas, ceramic, glass, gold, and native woods. These artsy finds offer everything from exquisite to funky – just not phony.”

Maui News ~ Best Of Maui

“Hawaiʻi’s largest collection of local artists and artisans – 300+ in all – are represented in a unique and eclectic array of paintings, ceramics, prints, sculpture, woodwork, jewelry and hand-blown glass, as well as distinctive accessories for kitchen and bath. With the exception of limited edition prints, every piece is made by hand, and therefore one of a kind. You’ll have to visit all four stores to see it all!”