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First Friday Art Walk
Rating Details »
Categories: Art Galleries, Local Flavor [Edit]
ChinatownNu'uanu and Hotel
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 521-2903
6 reviews for First Friday Art Walk
Honolulu's Chinatown. Unique among all others, since its inception in 1860, created by Chinese plantation workers whose contracts had expired, these industrious thrifty workers, during their tenure on plantations, saved their money. Opened small shops catering to their own and soon, Chinatown was a firmheld tradition and a major "locale" of character on Oahu. Although debatable now, exactly what race may constitute the majority in Chinatown, it remains a stimulating, culturally diverse shopping experience to this day. It has seen many incarnations as the ages pass. The accidental fire in 1886 decimated some of the area. The deliberately set fire in 1900, created to hold in check, and attempt to control plague carrying rats, which unfortunately burned out of control, took out most all of Chinatown. But like the mythical Phoenix, it rose from the ashes and resumed its role as unique and affordable home and host for many. During the Whaling era and shortly thereafter, it contained many ship's chandleries, mercantile shops and numerous grog shops. Most notably among them, one of King Kawika Kalakaua's favorites, The Pantheon Bar. In its latter days, known as "the oldest bar in the newest state." Now, sadly it serves the unceremonious, subservient role as dumpster storage building. (Look for the ship's ballast stones in the area used as sidewalk pavers.) During and after the war, you would see in evidence thousands of white sailor uniforms. In the 60's and 70's, the era of The Glades, Chinatown was a little rough and tumble. As the Glades club (The Boys will be Girls Revue) was located on the mauka side of the Hotel St, everyone knew; straight sex, makai side. Mahu da kine, mauka side.
I miss the days when pawn shops, second hand stores, billiard parlors, all night grindhouses, funky old bars and tenement buildings dominated "Hell's Half Acre". To relive those days, one must turn to the movies bearing the aforementioned title, and "Big Jim McClain" ... also various early Hawaii 5-0 eps. For the fire era, see Heston's film, "The Hawaiians" based on the last fourth part of James Michener's magnum opus.
Modern Chinatown is a shadow of its former self, thanks in part to father time, and the machinations time brings along; the different Mayors with their concept of "revitalization", the wish of the city/county/state to turn the area into work-play- living spaces with redeveloped lofts in every block. This all brought the usual suspects: Mainland chains coming in. Rents skyrocketing. Parking decreases greatly. Gentrification increases, uh, greatly. We now, at his moment in time, enjoy it while we can, because at this juncture, we have a plethora of fairly intriguing restaurants and shops, not the least of which are individually owned stores with unique products not found elsewhere and... Art Galleries! No beeg ting now braddah, but back in the 60's or 70's, if you mentioned the concept art gallery in the same sentence that "Chinatown" is uttered, to the loonybin ya go! But now, First Friday is proving to be a great vehicle delivering all that Chinatown, in its current incarnation, has to offer. Each and every trip to the event, I make a new discovery, learn something new, experience a dish hitherto unknown to my palate... and isn't this what the life fully lived really should be about?
Anyway, last First Friday, I discovered the courtyard on Nuuanu just makai of Beretania, where we see the "US Post Office Contract Station" ("getcher Postal Contracts here!") and The ArtBoard gallery... holds an overflowing little event, kinda like an art/music/shopping/food lover's mini paradise. You may find this to be a pretty entertaining way to start off your next First Friday trek. Or not. But if yer unsure, here's a lil vid of it...
http://www.youtube.com...
Artwalk? I suppose you could call it that. What would I call it? A gathering for the island's wannabes. You will rarely see a person actually looking at the art. It's more about being seen and getting drunk to most. I've been more than a few times, and I've got to say, I would actually enjoy it more if they called it what it was: a block party. Then at least art lovers wouldn't go and have to listen to pretentious snobs talking about imagery and light when they can't even tell the difference between a photo on canvas and mixed media. Call me picky, but I wanted to go to an artwalk to, well, walk around and see art. It can be enjoyable. Just set up tables outside, block off the streets, and call it a block party, it's much more honest and much more accurate.
Did you wake up today at noon in your beach house in Kailua and realize that its only a half day away from being the first Friday of the month and just can't wait to go to Chinatown? Did you put on your ultra cool, hip, ironic, organic cotton, and overpriced overalls that you got from that "enter ultra cool hip trendy boutique here" and take a leisurely stroll down to K-town for an Acai bowl with organic granola? Do you sometimes have to make the occasional long distance call home to mumsie and dadsie to send some money for the rent (or do you fix bikes for a living)? Does your tattoo tell a tale of sadness and despair or just a souvenir of that time you got shit faced in Waiks? Is that handle bar moustache of yours just for comedic effects or are you just lazy to shave and hoping that handle bar 'staches will make a big comeback? Are you Soooo not worried about the swine flu because that shit only happens to po' folk?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then you're a hipster.
Because, you know, only hipsters hang out in dingy old towns that rightfully belong to the immigrants and hobos that inhabit these places 24/7. Only a dodo brained degenerate would think that it's ultra hip and cool to party all night and disturb the quietly disturbed hobos while they try to catch some z's. Hipsters think that their presence must bring some pzazz to any dumpster dive of a joint, sadly it doesn't, sadly they just stink up a joint faster than a silent fart, sadly they must be stopped, sadly there is no diversity when they're around, and sadly hipsters are just rich people in disguise. They think that its edgy to hang out in Chinatown and that by imitating a hobo every first of a month is like some sort of charity work.
Art: so-so
Atmosphere: lousy
parking: junk
Dirty Hobos sleeping/peeing in doorways: Check
I support everything local but I refuse to support local douchbaggery and I advise you to do the same too.
After years of neglect and decline, this event has almost single-handedly breathed new life into the area.
There is a very fresh atmosphere and a very alive type of vibe on these nights.
The atmsphere is great for two different purposes that can coincide with one another: To go out and appreciate local art, and to go out for a night of entertainment.
All of the local galleries open their doors to the public to showcase their artwork. Passer-bys can come in as peruse and commentate. Though it doesn't seem like the galleries sell much. I'm not a big fan of much of the art here, but I love the experience. Besides venturing through the galleries, people can come to Chinatown to have dinner at the neighbor restaurants, or have a few drinks at one of the many bars/clubs in the area.
The crowd is incredibly civil, and no unnecessary bullshit really goes on here. The crowds of people are nice and controlled, and this will help this event from continuing in the future. The array of people is quite diverse, ranging from the neighborhood regulars to business executives.
Parking is a huge problem though, so come early. Besides people sticking around after getting off for the weekend, there are also droves of people coming into the area for the event.
Definitely something to check out whether you're a native or a visitor, you should check out this event.
If you like big crowds that are more concerned with standing with their backs to the art, having witty conversations while drinking complimentary box wine, then First Friday is for you. If you want to actually SEE the art, go to Third Thursday or Second Saturday. They're way less popular and more enjoyable.
just in case there's someone out there that hasn't heard about downtown honolulu's swelling art walk in the heart of chinatown, it's a 34-gallery cultural monthly event with support from the city and the Hawai'i arts alliance.
find your way to nuuanu and hotel street and dip in and out of all the galleries situated everywhere. chinatown literally comes alive and it's actually causing me to not give all the stars here due to the larger than i'm comfortable with amounts of people everywhere.
it's a must for visitors though, i think. get out of waikiki sometimes, you know?
5 to 9 p.m on the first friday of every month
