Dress the part for Honolulu's ARTafterDark
Walk past the Honolulu Academy of Art at dusk on the last Friday of the month and instead of a closed sign swinging in the wind, you'll see hundreds of Hawai'i hipsters streaming past the large lion statues near the front entrance.
Once inside Academy patrons are instantly aware of a theme, which changes monthly and often ties-in with the featured exhibit. Live-music, festive drink specials, and pupus (appetizers) entice art savvy individuals to dress according to the night's motif.
At a recent event, “Let Them Eat Cake,” March 30, the celebration was impart to honor museum founder Anna Rice Cooke and commemorate the Academy's Birthday, which is actually April 8, but what's a week early when you've been going strong for the past 80 years? (The Academy opened its doors on April 8, 1927.) Yet instead of a 12-piece orchestra a la Cooke's era the ArtafterDark crew decided to blast '80s music and woo the crowd into decorating their own cupcakes, fresh from the Hokulani Bake Shop. Beer and wine along with colorful cocktails from Tiki's Bar and Grill helped the crowd get into the grove even if they were in skin-tight spandex or their best Madonna garb.
For those truly interested in art, and not just looking festive on a Friday, museum docents offer informative zip tours. Of course this month was dedicated to Mrs. Cooke and Academy guests were given a glimpse at her collection prowess with her, "A Vision of the World: The Anne Rice Cooke Collection."
Now in its fourth year ArtafterDark attracts a little over a thousand people each month and with the cost a mere $7 for non-members and gratis for members, the venue provides music, world-renowned art, and priceless people watching without a high price tag. Also, if you decide to become a member at AandD you're entrance fee counts towards your membership.
These monthly galas run from February through November each year and then go on a short hiatus so that AandD can plan its annual Starlight Ball held in January. Tickets for the ball are usually $75 with all of the proceeds going towards the Academy's youth art programs. Much more swanky than the monthly soirees the Starlight Ball is a black-tie event and a venerable whose who of Honolulu.
So before you dive in with the major collectors sample this month's “Wanderlust” on April 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event promises soothing jazz, zip-tours of Germany craftsman, Albrecht Durer's 15th century woodcuttings, and a chance to try your hand at printmaking with the guidance of Honolulu Printmakers. For this event you'll want to wear a frock and some flats, the perfect shoes for skipping through the courtyard and all the open galleries.
For more information visit the ArtafterDark Web site at www.artafterdark.org
