Bryant Neal, newly elected vice-president of the nonprofit Maui Arts League, is well-known across the island for his numerous accomplishments. Arriving on Maui in 1982, he immediately fell in love with the island. He eventually became a partner and vice-president of the Lahaina Printsellers, Ltd., where he became absorbed in original vintage maps and prints of Hawaiʻi. “The history of Hawaiʻi continues to fascinate me,” Neal shared. “After leaving the gallery I continued to share my knowledge and my collection through different venues.”  

Today, Neal is the founder, director, and curator of Story of Hawaiʻi, a museum exhibit and gallery. A born storyteller with a degree in theater arts, he provides a historic depiction of Hawaiʻi through his travelling exhibit, with one of the largest collections of Hawaiian nostalgia and original maps in the state. Neal is often found at the Maui Swap Meet on Saturday mornings displaying and selling his affordable map reproductions. “I tell the story of Hawaiʻi using vintage maps and documents starting from Polynesian migration through statehood,” Neal explains. “It’s the chronological sequence that makes it an interactive and memorable educational experience.”  

Neal is also known locally for his annual recitation of excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the Maui County building. “It’s important,” he noted. “Plus, every year new people get to hear it.” His community service work includes the arts as well. Neal is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit, Jazz Maui. He is passionate about providing opportunities for resident and student musicians to participate in high-quality jazz music education and performances through festivals, music clinics, and dance workshops. Every Sunday, Jazz Maui partners with Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate in Lahaina for an evening concert through its Chocolate Laulima program that supports local nonprofit organizations. All the proceeds from the concert ticket sales benefit Jazz Maui’s music education programs. 

Always busy, Neal is also on the Board of the South Maui Learning ‘Ohana. “The ‘Ohana was the beginning of the charter school movement in Hawaiʻi,” Neal said. “Additionally, at the Kihei Charter School there is an innovation building designed to share community events. Maui is one huge ‘ohana!”