Jeff Gress
• – • SALT at Our Kakaako
About the speaker
Jeff Gress is a Honolulu-based artist, designer, and muralist whose work centers on hand-crafted typography, sign painting, and culturally grounded visual storytelling. His practice includes large-scale hand-lettered murals, traditional sign work, gold-leaf gilding, and custom type design—often carried from sketch to final installation to preserve a strong human touch in built environments.
Rooted in Hawaiʻi, Gress draws from local language, surf and street culture, and the visual character of island life while engaging global lettering and design traditions. The result is work that feels both distinctly local and contemporary.
Gress is recognized for dynamic murals and landmark typographic pieces that activate storefronts, cultural venues, and community spaces, turning everyday architecture into expressions of place and identity. His public art and signage across Honolulu and beyond emphasize clarity, legibility, and craft, whether he’s creating a single word or a full wayfinding system. He has contributed to major mural and street art projects in collaboration with artists, cultural organizations, and businesses.
Beyond walls, Gress designs logos, event graphics, and identity systems that adapt the boldness and precision of his mural work to print, packaging, and architectural signage. By pairing hand-drawn lettering with measured digital refinement, he creates visual systems that feel both timeless and responsive to contemporary culture. Across mediums, his work positions typography as a form of storytelling that honors Hawaiʻi’s heritage while engaging a global visual dialogue.
Local partners
Our mission is to serve Hawaii’s creative community by providing platforms for collaboration, learning, and cultural expression. Through innovative programming and transformative public art initiatives, we aim to enrich lives, revitalize communities, and inspire future generations of artists and creative thinkers.
As the emerging epicenter of progressive urban island living, Our Kaka‘ako is a vibrant community, encompassing nine city blocks in the heart of Kaka‘ako, that is home to artists, entrepreneurs, chefs, innovators and influencers. Rooted in Hawaiian cultural values and anchored by a strong sense of place, Our Kaka‘ako embraces creativity, inspires learning and discovery, and serves as a catalyst for new and innovative ideas. As a popular place to dine, shop, work, live, learn and visit, Our Kaka‘ako is truly a unique, dynamic local community.
Spend some time and relax at the new SALT at Our Kaka‘ako. SALT is a city block driven by passionate chefs, artists and entrepreneurs. From the hottest eateries to one-of-a-kind events, SALT is a local gathering place to eat, shop and have fun.
Named after the pa‘akai (‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i for “salt”) ponds that once dotted the low-lying wetlands of this area, SALT at Our Kaka‘ako is Honolulu’s epicenter for local culture, food, shopping and innovative events. Comprising of 85,000 square-feet of curated retail, restaurant and mixed-use space, SALT is a dynamic city block designed for exploration and engagement. SALT is the 2018 winner of the Shopping Center of the Year (SCOTY) award, presented by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) serves as the official tourism agency for the State of Hawai‘i, tasked with managing the Hawaiian Islands’ iconic brand responsibly. HTA’s role spans marketing the Islands, preserving Hawaiian culture, protecting the natural environment, and strengthening local communities.
Jamba Hawaii blends real fruit and additional healthy, whole ingredients into each delicious fresh juice, smoothie, or energy bowl you order, for the most robust flavor possible. Our baked goods and savory food items are made with wholesome ingredients free from artificial ingredients or flavors, ensuring high-powered nutrition to keep you going for your active Hawaii lifestyle and busy schedule.
Honolulu Coffee was founded in 1992 with one small kiosk in downtown Honolulu.
We strive daily to provide the complete Hawaiian Coffee experience. We feel that our past and future success is contingent upon maintaining and exceeding these goals.
Our Hawaiian style concept stretches throughout our cafes on three different islands and our expansion in Asia. As a result, people around the world are able to experience our great Kona coffee and outstanding customer service.
Creative Lab Hawaii is a State of Hawaii program composed of three separate modules: Immersive Programs, Ideation Workshops, and Public Programs. Their intention is to accelerate global export of Hawaii’s creative content and creative products to strengthen our creative entrepreneurs’ capacity for success.
TheBrewz are a Kaka’ako-based production and songwriting collective. Having worked on over 200+ songs crossing multiple genres since their inception in 2019 including high-profile collaborations with Grammy-nominated producer and singer Kimie Miner, Sonny Sandoval, lead singer of multi-platinum Grammy-nominated band P.O.D.
Splitting time between collaborating with artists and licensing their music in large-scale advertising campaigns and major television shows, their efforts have already proven a great success in their short time together.
We are a Honolulu based digital marketing/creative agency. As a digital marketing agency, we take the “marketing” very seriously. Nothing is cookie-cutter and everything is tailored to our client’s needs and expectations. We are inspired by you. Your awesome is blended with our awesome — and with our powers combined; insert Captain Planet. JK. We strive to take your stellar ideas and build them into an unforgettable campaign. What’s considered an add-on service for most agencies is a basic inclusion for our clients. We take your requirements and intentions for your business vision and incorporate them into a personalized brand guide to begin any project. This becomes the first step into our epic, creative journey to tell your story in the best way possible.
MORI Hawaii is a creative platform that showcases a curated selection of art, apparel, and music inspired by Hawaii’s unique culture. The site features collaborations with local brands like Aloha Got Soul, offering vinyl records and merchandise, as well as works from featured local artists and other artistic creations. MORI Hawaii celebrates the vibrant creativity of the islands through its diverse offerings.
JPG Hawaii was founded in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2000 by three Hawaii born brothers with a dream. Originally starting as a small family business, JPG Hawaii has grown into one of Hawaii’s most unique print and design B2B serviceS companies.
Through our combined expertise, we have grown our list of services to provide a wide array of
resources to your business.
We work with clients from ideas and original concepts to final products. Our team can produce your project with the quality needed to make you stand out from the competition.
JPG Hawaii can help you increase your sales, promote your products, and enhance your overall brand image to bring it all to life!
Completely isolated from the rest of the world, Waiākea offers purity in its ultimate form. Located just outside the quiet town of Hilo and surrounded by rich, bio-diverse forest preserves, a deep well source sits at the eastern base of the Mauna Loa volcano, one of the purest environments on Earth.
Our Vision is to be Hawai’i’s premier pakalolo provider, true to our local roots, uplifting of local partners, and cultivating an experience that celebrates the unique diversity of Hawai’i’s cultural heritage. Our Mission is to embrace kuleana (responsibility) by sharing la’au lapa’au (plant medicine) and aloha with all. Our Purpose is to cultivate ‘ohana in all that we do.
We are a Native Hawaiian wahine-owned family business with a passion to serve the thriving local art community here on the islands. Located in the heart of Kaka‘ako, we feel that it is our kuleana to make fine art printing accessible for everyone. Whether you’re an established artist or an emerging creative soul, we at Ki‘ikau Printers are here to support you in your vision and help you bring your work to life!
In 2003 The Orchid Lei Company by ECAN RMS USA was established in Hawai‘i with the mission of embracing the tradition of lei giving culture by launching the new and transformed dendrobium orchid leis in both deluxe and signature premium leis. Our goal has always been to create a great company and loyal customer base that focuses on delivering high quality leis in each step of our operations. Now being the pioneer of creating the most unique and prestigious leis, we have over 550 various styles of lei in many different colors and patterns.
Additional details
Doors open to the public at 8:00am beginning with live music by Keilana, a light breakfast by Jamba Juice, and Honolulu Coffee.
First 150 guests get a special holiday gift from Spectra Foundation!
PARKING INFO: Enter on Keawe Street to access multi-level parking structure (P) 266 Stalls (10 ADA Stalls, 2 EV Charging Stalls) Automated Parking System Height Clearance: 7 feet Parking Garage Operating Hours: 24 hours FREE parking for the first hour, no validation required. With validation from SALT at Our Kaka‘ako shops or restaurants: 1st hour: FREE (no validation required) Up to 2 hours: $1 Up to 3 hours: $2 Up to 4 hours: $4 4 hours & up: $4 + posted rates
Standard Non-Validated Rate/Posted Rate: $3 per 30 minutes or fraction thereof. Lost Ticket: $48 Max. Daily: $48
Districtwide parking is available at: The Flats at Pu‘unui Keauhou Lane
Location
