Greenwell Mouse House

A miniature Christmas Village created by beloved island painter and Kona resident Martha Greenwell was on display at the Isaacs Art Center at Hawaii Preparatory Academy from December 1, 2008 to January 5, 2009.

The Christmas village, affectionately known as “The Mouse House,” made its fourth appearance on the Big Island. The Mouse House made its first Big Island appearance in December 2005 at the Kona Historical Society when the village returned to Greenwell from Oahu after more than 20 years of being part of an annual holiday tradition at the Queen’s Hospital Auxiliary’s “Festival of Trees.”

Upon its debut, Karen Anderson best described The Mouse House in a story, which appeared in West Hawaii Today. “The whimsical village features handmade wooden mouse characters in tiny settings that incorporate everything from an antique horseshoe barrel, sewing machine drawer and medicine tin to a horseshow nail box, kerosene lantern and wooden Japanese bucket.

“All of the historic artifacts came from the attic and tool shed belonging to her in-laws, Frank and Violet Greenwell of Palani Ranch.

“Using a jeweler’s saw to craft miniature mice made of bass wood, Greenwell spent eight years assembling the village beginning in the 1970s. The creation features holiday mice partaking in a variety of activities such as wreath making, cooking, sewing, and candy making—imaginative vignettes that combine her passion for collecting miniature furniture along with her expertise as a Christmas-ornament maker.”

“If it is true that in every adult, a little child is asleep, this little child will be awakened by the wonders of Martha Greenwell’s Mouse Village, truly the most magnificent of its kind I have ever seen and another testimonial to Martha Greenwell’s creative genius,” said Bernard Noguès, Director of the Isaacs Art Center.

The Isaacs Art Center at Hawaii Preparatory Academy is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Admission is free.