From March 8 to May 8 the Honolulu 2017 Biennial will come to Oahu and hopes to merge Hawaiian culture and other international cultures together.

“Hawaii is the middle of nowhere or in the center of everything. We believe the ladder.” Co-Founder of the Honolulu Biennial, Isabella Hughes explained. The interactions with other cultures are very limited here in Hawaii, but the Honolulu Biennial gives Hawaii a chance to experience cultures around the world. The motto of this year’s biennial is “Middle of Now and Here.” This exprssion shows how the biennial is welcoming the merging of culltures.        

Hughes has been around the world. One place that she has visited is the Middle East. “The media shows that the Middle East as an enemy. Art can take a face of an enemy and turn it around, through their culture and art.” The relationship between The Middle East and The United States have been hostile. “Best way to know culture is through visual arts,” Hughes expressed. Art can help people understand where an individual comes from.

“Art is a wonderful way to learn about new cultures,” said Hughes. Hughes believes that art can also bring human closer together, “It can lead to a more tolerant and peaceful world.”