Students Learn More Than Art From Chun

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This mosaic of Father Damien, the vision of Peggy Chun, was created with squares of paper painted by students at Holy Trinity. Photo from Shelly Mecum.

The spirit to create is as alive as ever in artist Peggy Chun. The Nuuanu resident, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2002 recently completed an 8-by-4-foot mosaic of legendary Father Damien with help from 142 Holy Trinity School students. And the irrepressible Chun already has a new mosaic idea in mind.

Her new idea is to paint a mosaic of St. Francis of Assisi - set in Hawaii. She wants to paint him with mongooses, chickens and mynahs, said Holy Trinity teacher Shelly Mecum.

“She raised the issue of St. Francis. I’m trying to figure out what formula she’s going to need,” said Mecum.

Chun still has the use of one of her eyes, which she uses via her computer to spell out messages to communicate with others. When working on the Father Damien mosaic, Chun was able to direct its creation by spelling out messages for Mecum, who then conveyed the ideas to the students.

“Peggy completed the entire thing with her vision. It was incredible. She would explain exactly what the formula would be,” said Mecum, who is also one of Chun’s dedicated caregivers, aptly called “Peg’s Legs.”

The Holy Trinity students painted squares of paper for the project but didn’t use them all, so the leftovers will be used as part of the new St. Francis mosaic.

“They (the students) became absolutely devoted to Peggy, devoted to the project,” recalled Mecum. “They had just the endurance of angels, hour and hour, month after month, painting little quarter-inch squares.

“The kids learned a lot from her,” she continued. “They learned about life, about not giving up, the joy of giving, service. If you asked any of the kids, they are certain Peggy painted this painting. They totally got it. It was a big thrill for them.”

The Damien mosaic was first unveiled at the state Capitol March 15. A second unveiling is in the works, to be held at a local Barnes & Noble, at which copies of Chun and Mecum’s book, The Watercolor Cat, also will be for sale. The ultimate destination for the Damien mosaic is the Vatican, where Mecum is hopeful it can be presented to the pope.