1 MACI: First Fridays is a monthly event that showcases the vibrant art and cultural scene of Honolulu's Chinatown. I'm your host, Maci Carney and I am joined by my co-host, Emma Davidson to take a deeper dive into what makes this event so special.
1 EMMA: First Fridays started over a decade ago as a way to promote local artists and businesses in Honolulu. Since then, it has become a cherished tradition for not only locals, but also visitors. On the first Friday of every month, you’ll notice crowds of people strolling the streets of Chinatown to experience the unique energy of the event.
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2 MACI: First Fridays embraces a greater sense of community within Chinatown. On the first Friday of every month, you'll see families with young children, college students, and elderly couples all mingling together; enjoying the art, music, and food that the event has to offer. We spoke with event vendor Nathan Cippile to get his perspective on that sense of community that First Fridays brings.
NATHAN: (INSERT AUDIO CLIP) “I think here, at the art museum, this is kind of like the epicenter. This is Chinatown, right. This is known as the heart of Chinatown. And heart is an acronym that stands for something but art is part of it.”
2 EMMA: We also talked with event staff, SueAnna Jushowich to get some more insight regarding just how big the support system is here for the First Fridays events.
SUEANNE: (INSERT AUDIO CLIP) “It gets busier. This is maybe half of what it becomes by the end of the night… This is around 350, maybe 400 and we’ve seen it get up to like between 500 and 700 (people)”.
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3 MACI: Aside from the music and food that First Fridays offers, the heart of First Fridays is the art. The event showcases the work of local artists, with galleries and shops opening their doors to the public and offering special galleries and performances. It's a chance to see the diversity and creativity of Hawaii's art scene up close and personal.
3 EMMA: One of the things that stood out to me was the diversity of the art on display. From traditional Hawaiian crafts to contemporary paintings and sculptures, there was something for everyone. It was clear that the event organizers put a lot of effort into creating a range of styles, ensuring that there was a variety of art to see and experience.
4 MACI: At the art exhibit, we had the opportunity to speak with local artists to get their thoughts on the beloved event. Artist, Solomon Enos shared his perspective with us.
SOLOMON: (INSERT AUDIO) “We are creating art at an art museum. Which is pretty radical. Normally, we are encouraged to not touch the art. Not only are we touching the art, we’re making art.”
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4 EMMA: Going against the rules and touching the art is one thing that makes this event so enjoyable for so many. Speaking of rules, the world has been centered around strict guidelines due to COVID and because of this, First Fridays was put on pause for two years. Guests also feel relieved that the rules are loosening.
GUEST: (INSERT AUDIO: class audio 2) “A few years ago, everyone went to First Fridays. So it was a lot of fun. And then, I actually haven’t been back since the pandemic started. We were just talking about how fun the memories are.”
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5 MACI: Thankfully, the world has been getting back to a sense of normalcy and First Fridays was able to resume so more guests can make new memories with friends and community members.
5 EMMA: Yeah, I’d say it's clear that First Fridays has succeeded, yet again, in bringing together the community in a celebration of art, food, and culture.
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