Howard Hughes Corp. co-title sponsor of next Honolulu Biennial

The Honolulu Biennial Foundation announced Wednesday that the Howard Hughes Corp. will once again be a title sponsor for its contemporary arts festival in 2019. Howard Hughes is joined by the Taiji and Naoko Terasaki Family Foundation as a title sponsor of the festival to be held for the second time next year.

Next year’s biennial, titled “To Make Wrong / Right / Now,” is scheduled for March 8 to May 5, 2019 on Oahu and the Big Island. It follows the inaugural Honolulu Biennial titled “Middle of Now | Here,” which was held last spring, featuring more than 30 artists from Hawaii, the Pacific and Asia at nine venues across Oahu.

Next year’s biennial, curated by Nina Tonga from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Te Papa and Scott Lawrimore, exhibit designer at Bishop Museum, with local arts consultant Josh Tengan as assistant curator, will feature more than 40 artists and artist collectives from Hawaii and the Pacific..

“We are honored and delighted that two of our trailblazing partners who made Honolulu Biennial so successful in 2017 have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting and celebrating the arts, cultures and the communities linked by the Pacific Ocean,” said executive director Katherine Tuider in a news release, “through the generous, co-title sponsorship from our founding title sponsor, The Howard Hughes Corporation and The Taiji and Naoko Terasaki Family Foundation.”

The sponsorships will go toward new commissions by contemporary artists from Hawaii and the cultures linked by the Pacific Ocean, educational initiatives and outreach and logistical support for the public arts festival.

In 2017, the Honolulu Biennial brought nearly 100,000 visitors to nine exhibition sites across Oahu and had an estimated economic impact of $35.7 million, according to the foundation.

“Building upon the amazing success of the Honolulu Biennial in 2017, we look forward to supporting the second edition of this dynamic arts festival in 2019, which will once again feature Ward Village as its hub, and continuing our efforts with their entire team,” said Todd Apo, Howard Hughes vice president of community development in a statement.

Honolulu-based artist Taiji Terasaki said the Taiji and Naoko Terasaki Family Foundation was delighted to expand its support of the biennial as co-title sponsors.

“We believe that the arts improve the quality of life for the people of Hawaii and through the platform of the Honolulu Biennial, propels Hawaii as central for creative discourse globally,” said Terasaki.