THE NIGHT STUFF
ARTafterDARK brightens nights

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

The Honolulu Academy of Arts' courtyards become outdoor dining spots during the monthly event, which features art, music food and drink in a beautiful setting. Photos by Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser

Mark Kadota and Isabella Hughes show their moves in an academy courtyard. The event aims to attract youngish art lovers to the museum.

Guests mingle in a courtyard at ARTafterDARK. The monthly event continues through October before a brief holiday rest.

ARTafterDark Where: Honolulu Academy of Arts, 532-6091 When: 6-9 p.m., last Friday of every month Entry: $7 general; free for museum members Age of crowd: 20s-40s What to wear: Jeans and solid tees to suits and designer cocktail wear Tonight's AafterD: "Planet Rice," featuring rice- and sake-tastings, rice dishes and Asian beers, live Asian fusion music, zip-tour of "Art of Rice" exhibition Up next: " '80s Night" (April), "Turkish Delights" (May), "Art Smart" (June), "Cool Nights, Hot Jazz & Blues" (July), "Havana Heat" (August)

The theme at the Honolulu Academy of Arts' ARTafterDark event 28 nights ago was "NeoNite: Encounters at the Edge." Post-work tonight, I'll be noshing on sushi and fried rice, sampling sake, listening to live Asian fusion jams and learning the artistic possibilities of our favorite sticky starch on "Planet Rice."

Still not one of the 800 or so young (and OK, even boomer-aged) Honolulans checking out AafterD each month? Skip H-1 traffic tonight, friend.

The Honolulu Academy of Arts has long been a place crying out for post-sunset noshing, entertainment and mingling. It always seemed a waste to let the museum — with its classic kama'aina architecture, intimate courtyards, diverse art collections and air of refined yet laid-back charm — spend so many weekend nights like some dateless single alone in the dark watching "JAG."

A dozen or so twenty- and thirtysomething Honolulu professionals — some of them museum staff, others volunteers — decided to change that.

ARTafterDark is the groovy result — a museum-hosted Friday pau-hana mixer with a goal of exposing young urbanites to all that is wonderful about the arts, visual, performance or otherwise. Launched in February 2004, AafterD has hosted 10 parties smartly designed to take full thematic advantage of the academy's diverse permanent collections and visiting exhibits.

"French Cafe" featured Jean Renoir films, caricaturists and tours of an interactive "Art & Life in Paris and the Countryside" exhibit. "Tiki Nights" had live Don Tiki grooves, Hawaiian grinds and a "Blue Hawaii" screening. Live salsa ruled at "Dia de los Muertos."

Monthly ARTafterDARK events will continue through October (see box) before a brief rest for the holidays.

"It's important that the academy be infused with young people, because there are a lot of things here that can appeal to them," said AafterD coordinator Lori Admiral. "The diversity of events keeps ARTafterDARK exciting.

"And it needs to stay diverse to appeal to as many different tastes as possible, because people are different. We'd never be able to capture a wide audience if we always did wine, cheese and jazz."

Admiral agreed that the museum was long overdue for a regular evening event like ARTafterDARK.

"The academy itself is so incredibly beautiful," said Admiral. "And it changes in complexity in the evening when you have the lighting and the courtyards. It just becomes a wonderful place to enjoy."

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.

NIGHTSPOTTING ...

MEI FLOWERS

If mash-up master DJ Mei Lwun's two weeknight spin sessions this week at Pussycat Lounge and Pussycat Junkies were a wee bit late for you to attend, keep Saturday night free. Find the previously unknown common musical thread shared by The Doors' "Break on Through," Panjabi MC's "Mundian To Bach Ke" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" at Think Pink, Skyline's special spring-break party. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Hanohano Room. 21 and older. Get there early.

PLAYING IN THE SAND

Need something to do before Skyline? Vertical Junkies are throwing a lunchtime Sandbar Party, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Show up at the He'eia Pier and let the VJ crew take you by boat to the Kane'ohe Bay sandbar. Neken performs live; DJ Dirty Rice spins. It's bring-your-own-food-and-drink, and $5 for the boat ride. Call Russ Inouye at 371-7900 for details.