We Put On Two Photo Shows In Honolulu To Raise Money For Maui
Images by Ruvan Wijesooriya and Nick Zinner
Flying two photographers from New York City to Honolulu to hang over one thousand and five hundred 4x6 photo prints spanning over twenty years to raise money for Help Maui Rise was quite an endeavor.
As you recall, in August, Lahaina, Maui was absolutely devastated by wildfires that turned the historic town into an inferno. The community is still struggling, and we thought it might be a good idea to do something to support them. We donated half of all sales from the Nora issue to the cause, but when we were approached to help support an art installation on the ground with talent like Ruvan and Nick, it was an easy yes.
Hosted by Treehouse Hawaii in Kaka’ako and Kaiao Space in Chinatown, the weekend was a flurry of photography, pina coladas, Japanese cigarettes, art heads, surfers, skaters, graffiti, hot tubs, the freshest ahi in the world, and goths on the beach. There is even a rumor of a matching-aloha-shirt photo shoot on the beach between drinks at the hotel and an udon dinner.
Speaking of hotels, we need to acknowledge the enormous support we received from Wayfinder Waikiki, who were kind enough to not only house Nick and Ruvan, but also host a celebratory pool party and even a pop-up darkroom in the pool-side suite. Any business that chooses to support art and artists as vehemently and passionately as the Wayfinder did this last weekend is an A+ in our book and well worth our and your support. Whether you are in town for business or pleasure, Wayfinder Waikiki is your best bet. Our editor even broke his face there, so you know it’s a good time. If you go to Honolulu and don’t stay at the Wayfinder, you are blowing it.
Anyway, like I said, with the help of Ayaka, Zen, Chris, Caleb, Aja, Anabell, and Bobby, we hung over fifteen hundred photos this weekend, all of which were only $20 and all the proceeds of which were donated directly to Help Maui Rise, an organization that donates directly to families in need.
The Hawaiians turned out for it, and then they turned out to the bar. If you find yourself in Honolulu for whatever reason, you’ll discover that the bar scene is quite strange. First of all, the abundance of Irish bars despite only a modest amount of Irish people. Who are these for? The military and the Chicagoan tourist, it seems. After the shows ended and the crowd - hopped up on inspiration and free Maui Brewing Company hard seltzers - dispersed from the sidewalk outside, we found ourselves a couple of nice little bars to hang in. One of which was notably better than the other, but at the end of a long night, you don’t want better, you want trashy, so after enjoying a superior and impeccable music selection at one institution, we inevitably found ourselves in the foggy grip of a worse one.
Nick being quite goth, it’s funny to observe him doing anything at all in the context of a tropical paradise, but even more so in a nightclub. He danced a little but we will spare him the indignity of photo evidence.
All in, it was a fun weekend for a good cause. Again, quite an endeavor. We are glad it’s over, but it was a fun weekend to be remembered.
