In 1932, when John Kelly quit his job as Art Director at the Star Bulletin to work full-time on his art, Kate had several life-sized busts and plaques already bronzed.
Kate’s sculpture of “Leilani,” a model who inspired both she and John.
To help support her struggling family, Kate produced a series of small, painted figurines for the tourist market. The series includes a lei maker, lei seller and a hula dancer. They were a convenient size to be tucked into a suitcase and taken home by tourists, which added to their popularity. She was the first to popularize these small replicas.
This little hula dancer was cast in bronze for an August 2021 Exhibit honoring hula at Downtown Art Center.
Kate also created two small sculptures of surfers. These miniatures caught on quickly and sold well in gift shops in Waikiki. Some ended up as hood ornaments – one was even sported by Duke Kahanamoku! The series launched what emerged (regrettably) as a trend of dashboard hula dancers, found with frequency on peoples’ cars across the nation in that era.
For more information on the life and work of Kate Kelly, take a look at her full biography.