It’s been a few weeks since I came back from Hawai’i after attending the second ever POW WOW event (recap here). In a nutshell, POW WOW was an event that celebrates the background and process behind creative initiatives. These days, the focus has unjustly been placed on the final product. It’s this imbalance which creates a truly finite sense of our relationships with a product as often it evokes no meaningful connection. POW WOW’s premise was to have people roll through and see artist’s work in a studio environment, allowing you to interact and experience first hand how brushes, spray cans and paint can all come together. Several creatives both local and international were brought in including Kamea Hadar (Hawai’i), Prime (Hawai’i), Ekundayo (Hawai’i), Jasper himself and an internationals such as 123klan (Canada), Jeff Hamada (Canada), Suitman (Hong Kong/USA), Will Barras (England), Yue Wu (France), Aaron De La Cruz (USA) and Meggs (Australia).
I was invited on behalf of somebody I consider one of my best friends, Jasper Wong (seen above). Despite only knowing Jasper a few years, he’s developed into one of the personalties I truly place on a pedestal as a model human being. Those are bold words but I stand 100% behind it. I’ve seen this guy work like a dog for nothing more than developing a community and helping the betterment of a burgeoning artistic community. The financial picture for this event was non-existent as it really was helping his hometown develop and nurture its own creative identity.
Knowing that people from Hawai’i are a special breed and represent some of the most genuine people around, I was looking forward to a first hand experience in regards to how the social landscape really affects the locals. Away from the touristy bullshit, I’m confident to say I saw a great deal of Hawai’i as it was meant to be experienced. Local beaches, local food and local people all made for a great time. We stayed in a sweet shack conceived by Kamea Hadar’s dad as a sort of artist sanctuary where artists could come, stay and be inspired. The camaraderie amongst artists, fellow media and film crews (a documentary set for 2012 will showcase the whole process) was amazing and despite nightly roast sessions, it was good times all around. Even fun Eugene decided to make an appearance or two.
POW WOW Hawai’i was simply the best event I’ve ever been to straight up. The concept itself is bulletproof, the people on board were more than awesome and finally I think it achieved its goal of bringing light to the arts in Hawai’i. But to end things on a slightly negative note, I know the effort and monetary involvement required to run this event. POW WOW was never about making money for Jasper, but I can’t help but hope that he can find some way to ensure that POW WOW doesn’t stop after this event in Hawai’i. The difficulty with artists has always been to balance business and art, but for sustainability across the board, this is entirely necessary. I know this event made huge waves and that hopefully it will be much smoother sailings in subsequent years.
There are a lot of people to thank for the success of the show but a highly deserving hats off to Tiffany Tanaka and her crew at Fresh Cafe/Loft in Space, Kamea’s fam and Jasper’s mom, she’s the best.
-Eugene
Birds are everywhere… chickens, hens AND storks
