Honolulu Academy of Arts’ “ARTafterDARK” returns this week for seventh year
The Honolulu Academy of Arts’ popular monthly ARTafterDARK events return this Friday for another season of post-sunset art exploration, noshing, imbibing and entertainment.
Haven’t been to an ARTafterDARK evening at the Academy yet? If you’re in Honolulu, you should go. The staff of HAWAII Magazine name checked ARTafterDARK as one of our favorite Hawaii fests in our 2009 Best of Hawaii issue.
Here’s the gist.
On the final Friday of each month—from February through October—the Academy opens the entirety of its interiors, collections and courtyards after hours for an evening of visual and performing arts, mixed with food and drinks for good measure. Each ART after DARK party boasts a theme, often designed with the Academy’s diverse permanent collection or a groovy visiting exhibit in mind.
Some examples? ARTafterDARK’S “Jet Set” night featured an around-the-world-and-back mix of samba dance (Rio), industrial DJing (Berlin), burlesque (Paris), Japanese art tours (Tokyo) and live traditional Hawaiian music (Honolulu). “So Sari” celebrated everything India, complete with street markets, bhangra music, Indian cuisine and tours of the Academy’s stunning Indian art galleries. “Moon Over Honolulu” escorted revelers back in time for an old school romantic evening in the city, replete with hula dancers, Hawaiian tunes, lei making lessons and vintage glimpses of Honolulu in art and photo.
You get the picture.
The theme of this Friday’s ARTafterDARK seventh season opening night is “Mad for Modern.” And surprise! Modern art will be all over the evening’s bill of fare. Among these:
• Zip tours of the Academy’s spring exhibit “From Whistler to Warhol: Modernism on Paper” and self-guided tours of the Academy’s modern art galleries.
• Live video installation, figure sketching and photo portraits—the last of these for a real-life art project by artist Elizabeth Curtis.
• Live and DJed modern tunes in the Academy’s Central Courtyard and Luce Pavilion.
• Food and drink available for purchase from Honolulu restaurants Town and Downtown.
The evening starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m. The Honolulu Academy of Arts is located at 900 South Beretania St. For more information, visit artafterdark.org.
One other tip if you’re going: Arrive early. Hundreds of residents and visitors show up for pretty much every ARTafterDARK event. Arrive late and you’ll likely get in. But you’ll probably have to wait in line.
Can’t be in town for this month’s “Mad For Modern” shindig? ARTafterDARK’s seventh season of monthly parties will continue through October.
Themes already announced for 2010 include “Noruz”—a celebration of the Iranian New Year and festival of spring—on Mar. 26, and “Camelot”—a tribute in art, food and revelry to the years of the Kennedy presidency, not King Arthur’s court—on April 30.
