Friday openings at Studio1, The ARTS at Marks Garage telltale signs of a revitalized arts scene in Chinatown area

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol, ADVERTISER STAFF WRITER

Jodi Endicott sees a momentum building in Honolulu's arts scene. The Kailua artist's collection of paintings, "Bears, Bulls and the Big Board," is one of a handful of exhibitions opening with receptions Friday in downtown Honolulu and nearby. Endicott said she hopes that her exhibit at Studio1 and the other shows will attract attention and support for more local artists.

Endicott's paintings focus on the stock market and were inspired by the metaphors, power and emotions involved in its sometimes frenzied, circuslike atmosphere, she said. Her collection includes more than 10 paintings, which she has worked on for about six years.

" Maybe this work will draw people in who don't usually look at art," she said. "Maybe stockbrokers who have never been to a museum before will come and see this show, or people who haven't ever really invested in the stock market before ... they might find something in this work. I'm hoping that it will gather people from all walks of life and get them excited about the arts." Studio1, which opened in October, is part of 1King Artist Center, a facility that will also house a performance hall and bar. Endicott said showing her work at "this new marker of our developing cultural corridor" will be an opportunity to lure people from the financial district.

"Bears, Bulls and the Big Board" is Endicott's first solo show in more than six years. Her last exhibition was "Tubers" at The Contemporary Museum in 1996.

Owner Jack Frick said he hopes the center will also help draw crowds into the Chinatown area's evolving arts scene.

"I'm as excited as the (art) community is, and they just keep me motivated," Frick said.

The ARTS at Marks Garage, just a few blocks from Studio1, will also hold a reception Friday for the opening of its collection, "Dreaming in Color," featuring local artists Calvin Collins, Elea Dumas, Jessica Kim, Inka Resch and Noe Tanigawa.

"Usually we don't see galleries having openings on the same night, and that was one of the things I wanted to do, trying to get Marks Garage and Studio1 to work together," Endicott said, "because if they work together, there's a momentum. There's something happening."

Rich Richardson, assistant director at The ARTS at Marks Garage, said it's an exciting time for everyone involved.

"I'm hopeful that there will come a certain point where you have a lot of things going on at one time," Richardson said. " ... I'm looking forward to seeing how this all turns out."

Endicott is optimistic that her show and the others that open Friday (see boxes) will be an impetus for people to seek out other art happenings at different venues.

Events like these are among the signs of a revitalized arts scene, signs that also include the renovations of the Hawai`i Theatre, as well as the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts' Nov. 3 opening of the Hawai`i State Art Museum, which was the center of a cultural celebration that overflowed the capitol district, offering free tours of other museums, including the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Such happenings indicate that the arts will thrive and perhaps even help the state in a more significant way, Endicott said.

"If people get excited and really see what the potential is (here), I think we could do some really wonderful things and we could have a real vibrant, new economy," she said.

Reach Zenaida Serrano Espanol at zespanol@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.