Every first Friday of the month, Nu'uanu Avenue in Downtown/Chinatown becomes a showcase for art, both traditional and modern. Galleries open up with new exhibits from many different artists. Team Kenation visited the July 2006 First Friday and reported with pics and descrips.
Mark's Garage
displayed a myriad of ceramic pieces, from the beautiful to the bizarre.
Mark's Garage also held a saké tasting concession with a buy-your-own handmade
saké cup for $5. The saké
stand also advertised its own Joy of Sake event happening later at the
Neal Blaisdell Center and had tickets available for purchase.
Shannon
Abac, an art student of the University of Hawai'i stands next to her creation,
named Take It. Abac explains her piece as representative of "all
the women of the world" and the freedom to give one's feelings to another yet
with much caution. The net, in hand, encompassing the star became a
last-minute addition to the piece, after someone had accidentally detached the
star from the hand of the artwork. Caution, indeed.
A unanimous favorite of Team Kenation was the Hot Seat (shown right), which one of our members prefers it be called the "penis-chair." Either way, it'd be one hell of a love seat. This and many more unique displays were shown around the block in many of the participating galleries.
We then visited the Ong King Arts Center
located a few blocks away from the First Fridays main attractions but with a
unique gallery of its own. Ong King hosted an all wax gallery with the
theme of destruction in its art. Because all the artwork was made of wax,
the stability of the displays were very short-lived, hence the destruction
theme. With unusual displays from the wax pieces (shown below) hanging
from the ceiling --you decide what they are-- to the wax rings for sale ($0.25),
Ong King's gallery was a
feast for the eyes. A live band also played for the gallery's onlookers
with an eclectic vibe of violin string and guitar riffs. Except for the
wacky/scary dude throwing wax beer bottles at random people, the wax gallery was
fascinating and fun.
JULY 7, 2006