An Eventful First Friday

February's First Friday was a milestone in the art renaissance of Chinatown, Honolulu. People came out in droves to see the Chinese New Year celebration along side the art walk that was simultaneously occurring. It was also the first time newly renovated artist lofts were available for open house. Hotel Street became the most concentrated I had ever seen with party goers. I looked inside Smith's Union Bar which is normally empty, to see customers filling it to capacity. Vagrants and homeless were interspersed with the crowd who spilled out onto the street.

It was a special night for me; I started off doing my T-shirt gig in Chaplain Lane where I participate in a flea market entitled Shop, Bop, and Grind. Later that evening, one of Hip Hop's founding fathers was in attendance down the street at bar/venue Next Door. D.J. Kool Herc, who is given credit for making Hip Hop breaks popular in the late 70's-early 80's, performed to a full capacity. The Jamaican born, New York native had the crowd roaring with his innovative style of blending old and new music genres. Many in the crowd had no idea who Kool Herc was, yet for myself, who is a Hip Hop head (enthusiast), it was an event I had been waiting for five years to witness (I missed his performance at Next Door in 2005).

Seeing many friendly faces on the dance floor reminded me that Honolulu is a collective area of society where artists, artisans, and audiences reciprocate positive energy in a way that few cities do. The city's cultural diversity is a major contribution that is paralleled by the tradition of ohana.

The February First Friday opened up Chinatown's gateway to a larger audience, combining dual festivities whereby helping its popularity. The art walk seems to get bigger every month as the number of reasons for attendance grows: art appreciation, shopping, partying, performances, relaxation, and cultural dining. The emergence of a well rounded art scene is giving the city a reason to be hopeful for an economical upturn.