Mel Bell-Grey originally from London England has lived in Kauai Hawaii for over twenty years. He is a creator, writer, director editor Multimedia artist, Mel has extensively worked in the performing Arts world, holding residencies and winning a Prince’s Trust grant from the Prince of Wales foundation in England, On his work creating musical instruments for people suffering from the debilitating effects of muscular dystrophy.
He is a trained professional dancer and worked as a music lecturer for Halliwick college in the UK, a facility that offered young adults with disability opportunities for education and self advancement. He developed arts programs for the probation services in London England, aimed at long term prison inmates, he has worked throughout the UK as a Youth Worker in-particularly with at risk youth and those with learning difficulties.
Among Mel’s unique experiences is him traveling to Bosnia right after the war with the city of London’s Art convoy to bring art as a form of human expression compassion and relief to war torn areas. Mel Bell-Grey has produced 10 music albums composed over a hundred songs and has toured and performed all over the world as an artist and musician. He has composed film scores written feature film scripts, and is a graduate of the San Francisco School of digital film.
In 1999 Mel launched EYES WIDE OPEN PRODUCTIONS located in Kauai Hawaii, EYES WIDE OPEN PRODUCTIONS is a film music theater facility. EWOP produces stage productions, documentaries, music videos, commercials, interactive dance videos, info commercials, and short films.
In 2010 Mel Bell-Grey working with Kauai Dance Center created a stage production called “Once Upon A Dream” which was the beginning of the Mokan and Mokan inspirational characters. From stage production to 2017 the concept developed into The Mokan and Mokan Show for television. Which up until 2019 aired on Spectrum OC16 5 times a week throughout the state of HAWAII.
Dr. Terence Liu
Associate Director
Dr. Terence (Terry) Liu is Associate Director for Eyes Wide Open, a Kaua’i-based state-of-the-art media facility with a local and international mission to document and assist others in telling their story through video, music, art & multimedia dimensions.
Terry is also a free lance (volunteer) consultant on Kaua’i island engaged with Kaua’i County Office of Economic Development, Rice Street Business Association, and Garden Island Arts Council in a creative community projects for the historic Lihue town center in coordination with the renovation of a Kress department store building into an arts center and an ongoing US DOE TIGER grant to support reconstruction of Rice Street.
In January 2017, Terry Liu was hired to serve as Hawai’i Arts Alliance consultant and served as Interim CEO from August 1, 2017 to September 30, 2019. As Interim CEO, he developed a conceptual framework and strategy to strengthen education, community, and advocacy missions. Dr. Liu brought to Hawai’i Arts Alliance decades of first hand observation of evolution in grant making and philanthropy. He hired Dr. Sara Mizban, psychologists, to develop a mental health and creative wellness program, Dr. Teri Skillman, public sector ethnomusicologist to serve as Associate Director, and turned over the CEO helm to Aaron Salā, the astoundingly qualified Hawaiian musician, ethnomusicologist, and networker on October 1, 2019.
Liu worked at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Folk & Traditional Arts (1990-1996) and Arts Education (2000-2016) programs. He consulted hundreds of applicants annually, managed panel reviews, and processed grants. He gained communication skills as a federal employee assisting non-profit organizations seeking grants. He was also the agency’s collateral duty EEO counselor and helped found the NEA employees union to improve communication between management and staff.
When he was temporarily laid off from the NEA (1996-1999) due to national politics and downsizing Terry Liu served as Folk and Traditional Arts Manager for Arts Council for Long Beach California where he managed budget, contracted field workers, produced events, raised funds, and gave technical assistance to community-based traditional arts organizations throughout Southern California. During that time, Terry Liu, Amy Kitchener, and David Roche founded the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. ACTA has assets today are over $1.5 million.
He has degree in violin performance from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music (1979), a MA Ethnomusicology from University of Hawai’i at Manoa
(1982), and a PhD Ethnomusicology from Kent State University (1988). Dr. Liu plays violin in mariachis, electric bass and electric violin in rock bands, and is Usui Reiki Shinpiden (master) Level teacher and practitioner.
Board Members
Ray Charron
Owner and Curator
Aloha Images
Kapaa, HI
Moon Lake
Graphic Artist
Kapaa, HI
Douglas Aimoku Duvauchelle, MD
Lihue, HI
Doctor of internal medicine affiliated with Veteran Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care
System-Department of Defence in Honolulu and Wilcox Medical Center in Lihue.
