Honolulu / Waikiki 2008
HUGEAUX - An Artist's Diary -
The 6th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities 2008.
Honolulu / Waikiki, Hawaii of the island of Oahu.
written by Hugeaux aka Mr. Hugo R. Miller
( see archives for factual locations, dates, times, etc.)
Day one - January 10, 2008.
This is the day before the 6th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii. I took the opportunity to explore this paradise and to my surprise I was in for a beautiful and refreshing awakening. I started the day out by hiking to the top of the Diamond Head crater. This is a challenge for the spirit, legs and lungs. This .7 mile climb is full of all the scenic photographs that a photographer could desire. The exhausting climb to the top is filled with the breath-taking aromas and foliage, that I refuse to stop climbing. At each term there created a panoramic view of the crater and its engulfing father: The Pacific Ocean.
My Florida upbringing isn't surprised by the beauty of the ocean, however I have never had the chance to seat atop of the ocean and peer down into its beauty. Many nationalities make this historic climb and you can hear the grunts and growns of pleasure as they impatiently awaits what is at the top. Every turn made me think that the end was near, as my breath became heavy and the scenery kept me focus.
By the afternoon my thrust for this paradise drove me to Nuuanu Pali Lookout point and what awaited me there was a rainforest kind of paradise. The mountains seemed to spew steam as the wind and vapors rose from the valley upward into the clouds. Opposite to the climb of Diamond Head, Nuuanu Pali Lookout descends into the forest and exhausts one on the climb upward and outward. The beauty and the wild Hawaiian ginger is everywhere. Flowers and foliage dominated as I could only hear the sounds of water in the mountains. I am in a paradise hallucination euphoria.
I finished the day going to pay homage to the statute of King Kamaamama (sp) and also the Queen of Hawaii, whose name escapes me at the moment. After the 12- hour flight into this Hawaiian paradise, I can truly say that one night of sleep would seem like a daydream. Tomorrow the conference begins.
Day 2: January 11, 2008 The opening (part I).
Director and coordinator Darren Garvey has really put on an explosive international conference. I started the day attending an elaborate breakfast banquet and a getting to know each other. It was amazing that many of the presenters had 10-20 hours journeys to this paradise. The presentations on today were very enlightening. I attended the first presentation given by Dr. Russell (above) on the topic concerning why African Americans are behind when learning 2 or 3 languages and there limitation into the international business and education market. The conference than flowed onward to another session concerning the visual arts at an all girls college (Agnes Smith in Decatur, Georgia). I posed the question to this panel concerning their procedures in archiving their exhibitions. This was a very informative session. During the mid-day I attended a performance given by opera singer Diane Bolden-Taylor ( University of Northern Colorado) who gave a breath-taking recital on Negro Spirituals post 1960's. This was the break need before lunch. It is lunch-time now that I am writing this update 2:00pm pacific time,
First Day - Part 2. January 11, 2008
After Lunch , I had the pleasure of listening to two dynamite presentation. Edinam spoke on the lack of art and computers in the Ghana Educational system and Curlee have a Homage to Faith Ringgold. Surprising that Curlee is well familiar with the NCA and his homage and informational documentation on Faith Ringgold was remarkable. Faith Ringgold in one of the few African American women artists who has a paper trail (documentation) to follow. Curlee is making sure that this remarkable Living Legend - Faith Ringgold be etched in the Humanities Stone.
By the evening of this 10 hour day, I was completely exhausted, however I made room for Len Bernstein's Photography presentation-workshop. I was very glad I attended. His workshop was a great visionary show and tell as we all gave impressions on some very famous photographs and photographers of the times. This conference is really becoming great international conference. Tomorrow, I shall vision the Aloha Flea Market.
Day 2 - Part 1 -January 12, 2008
Aloha
This is the day I present, however I took an early start (5:45am) and visited the Aloha Stadium Flea Market. What started out as a 20-minute drive took me 1 and one half-hours to complete. I went pass the stadium and ended up in west Hawaii. Very beautiful and very lost. I back-tracked and ended up in Pearl Harbor of Pearl City and a military personel directed me to the flea market. The sun was rising behind the mountains and I found a great joy at the flea market. I made it back in time for the breakfast banquet for more meet and greet. Getting lost could have never have been so fun.
The keynote speaker spoke this morning (Dr. Andrew B. Schoedinger - Boise State University). This was time to re-group and get some time saving activities done. There was no session during the Keynote speaker session. I am meeting some very interesting scholars especially from the southern states. I sat with Edinam who is very interested in cultivating the fine art in Ghana. I mentioned to her that NCA was a chapter there, and she welcomed me with a visit. I shall continue to attend more of the afternoon session before my session at 4:45pm in the Hilton Hukio today.
Mahalo (Thank you).
Day 2 - Part 2 - January 12, 2008
Aloha
After the keynote speaker, I had the privilege of sitting in on Janaka Lewis (Northwestern University-Atlanta) presentation "Elizabeth Keckley and Freedom's Labor. From this session onward the session hopping began. I had no idea that my Diamond Head hike would condition me for all the hotel hopping sessions. After Janaka I hopped over to hear Dr. George Rivera (University of Colorado) and Tony Ortega ( Regis University) session. They gave a revealing session on how their Mexican and Chicano culture influences the world. From there I hopped over to the other hotel to give my History of ARTE MECCO paper to a potential editor, then hopped back over to the other hotel to hear Dr. Raphael Thoene (Vienna-Austria) The Three Musketeers discussion, on classical music and The Three Musketeers.
The session on Islamic Decorative Art in which I wanted to attend, didn't launch on time, so I took a quick breather back at the hotel (15 minutes). I was off again to listen to Isaac Blankson ( Southern Illinois University Edwardsville via Ghana) session on speech and communication and its affect on Ghanaian culture. This was a very electric session open to discussion. Time for my session was dawning near so I began to prepare myself, however I did happen to sit in on Kim-Loing Chew (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts - Singapore) session on the Buddha cave drawings of Dunhuang.
My session: I was amazed at the attendees of my session (Conference etiquette). Many people who I met and whom sessions I attended, attended mine. As, the night was dawning there was a performance for all of Latin music in the ballroom of the Hilton Kuhio. I danced salsa and stayed for half. This day was truly the zenith of activity and endurance. Tomorrow I shall attend the African American Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, morning worship service, near Pearl Harbor. Mahalo.
Sunday Day 3 - January 13, 2008 - Part 1
Aloha
I started the day at the conference laptop laboratory. There was a lot of information I needed to download before the day began. I met Curlee Holton at the breakfast banquet for a long talk. Curlee is very grateful of my presentation, as it sledded light on how written documentation by well known African American Humanitarians exists. We talked a little about NCA with a renewing interest of the organization. Curlee is a person whose friendship shall serve an importance.
I later met Fiona Oliver Te Momo ( Massey University-New Zealand) at the tattooing history session. She informed me on the South Pacific area and my personal interest in Papua, New Guinea. By this time I was ready to attend the 10:45am morning worship at the African American Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in east Honolulu. The Church is pastored by Rev. Dr. Dwight E. Cook. Like yesterday, I got lost, but had to turn around and take the right turn.
The morning worship was very tropical with a southern Baptist ambiance. I had always heard of these white walled, height ceilings and hurricane fan blowing churches. The breeze and the pastor's baritone voice reminded me of my own Atlantic Tropics. The church I believe is a scared sanctuary so I didn't photograph. A real Pacific - Southern Baptist delight.
After lunch I returned back to the conference to attend a session by Joseph Thompson on the Digital Humanities and the Internet. I next hopped back to the other hotel to listen to Virginia Whatley Smith (University of Alabama-Birmingham) session about WEB DuBois visit and writings while in china. Next, I hopped back to the other hotel to catch the session by Jerald Walker (Bridgewater State College-Massachusetts) on the "The Heritage Room: Angry Black Male-Stereotype and the Realities of Humor, very revealing. Mahalo.
Sunday - Day 3 - January 13 - Part 2
Aloha
Nothing could have been so pleasing and relaxing of this third day than the evening performance of Lee Hyung-Hwan, whose Komungo music world with Korean traditional music ensemble " Poong-Ryu" (Choong-Ang University). I captured the finale of the day when I hopped over to catch the beginning session / recital by opera singer Luvada Harrison (graduate student - Florida A&M University) on the music of Italian composer Franco Alfano. Dinner tonight would be the burger shop on the corner. It has gotten to the point that the woman at the register called me Mr. Miller (my name tag around my neck), because I eat there so often.
Throughout my visit I had the pleasure of waking and listening to all pacific island reggae music. Tomorrow is the last day and the Luau. Look forward to my photo-documentary of my visit to Honolulu, Oahu of Hawaii. I leave tomorrow for Chicago after the Luau for my photography exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry titled " Black Creativity ". This is a group show, before my return to Florida. Mahalo.
Final Day - January 14
Aloha
The day started like always with the breakfast banquet meet and greet. I then hopped over to sit in on the session on Linguistics by members of National Cheng Kung University: Kimmy En-hsuan Chin and Dr. Shelly Ching-Yu Hsieh. Next I hopped over to sit in on session by Abayomi Okunowo (University of Colorado) and his session about mistaken identity and linguistics on the Yuroba theatre drama dialogue " The gods are not to blame".
I remained in the room for the session by my friend Ratna Mullick (Sultan Qaboos University) and her session " Power point in Classroom presentation: enhancer or distractor as Art. Ratna mentioned my presentation " The Importance of Documentation and The History of ARTE MECCO" in her presentation concerning the great usage of power point presentation, thank you Ratna.
I next hopped to the session of Terri Leo Mauu (pacific liaison-Unitec New Zealand) who spoke on the Pacific Cultures of Learning: Issues and Challenges. This was a very enlightening session. A very pacific presentation. I remained in this room for the final 3 presentation of the 2008 conference. Dr. Fiona Te Momo (Massey University) and her presentation called "Cultural Shifts and Identity on the Maori Culture - an indigenous New Zealand culture. Also Sangwon Sohn (University of West Georgia, USA) presentation on Modern and contemporary design and lastly Ramiah Nena (Bangkok University). Honolulu There was nearly 1,500 international presenters. Hawaii is really a PARADISE!!!! MAHALO !!. I am now off to Chicago for the Black Creativity group exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Illinois.
Special Thanks to Darren Garvey (Coordinator) as tiresome as his job could be made me very welcome.
A special Thank You to Madame Justine P. Devan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (NCA) whose contribution support helped assist me to the conference.
PS. I wrote a letter to myself from Honolulu, which is not presented with this article at the time.
An African American Indian contribution to the Fine arts through the Humanities
Copyright Hugeaux All Rights Reserved
