As we say goodbye to a tumultuous 2008, we welcome 2009, hoping to see works that will delight and inspire us. Below are a few things to look forward to.

Art: This year, the Honolulu Academy of Arts will host a rare display of a pair of exceptional imperial Korean folding screens from its permanent collection, following restoration by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage of Korea. Among the largest and most unusual Korean screens to survive from the Joseon Period (1392-1910), the screens depict symbols of longevity, traditionally used to celebrate the birthdays of important members of the imperial family. Due to their fragility and historical importance, the display time is limited from Feb. 18 to May 17.

Then, May 14 marks the return of the academy's regional, juried exhibition “;Artists of Hawaii.”; The 58th installment of the revamped exhibition will provide selected finalists with the possibility of having a studio visit by guest curator/juror Laura Hoptman, senior curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York.

At the Contemporary Museum, Hawaii-born and internationally acclaimed ceramist Toshiko Takaezu will be honored this month with the exhibition “;Toshiko Takaezu Ceramics: Gifts from the Artist,”; featuring works that have been donated to the museum. The show features these gifts, as well as works from private collections, also in celebration of the museum's 20th anniversary. The show opens Jan. 18 and will continue through Feb. 22.

Film: ”;The Tempest,”; yet another film version of Shakespeare's romantic and mystical comedy, has been quietly filming on Lanai and the Big Island with a number of Academy Award winners and celebrated actors in the relatively small cast, including Helen Mirren as a female Prospero, Jeremy Irons and Geoffrey Rush, and director Julie Taymor.

It may not be the next major blockbuster, but it's likely to attract plenty of attention from critics when it opens in 2009, which should carry over into awards season.

Produced in part by the locally based TalkStory Productions, it could give Hawaii's neighbor islands a nice boost as a production destination.

Television: The biggest entertainment news in the islands has to be “;Lost,”; which begins an extended Season 5 on Jan. 21 with a review show and two new episodes after an explosive end to Season 4, cut short by the writers' strike.

In a series of tantalizing flash-forwards, we learned that the Oceanic Six aren't doing so well back in reality. Any number of official and unsanctioned promos on YouTube make it clear that Jack must return to the island to save those he left behind. But he has to bring everyone with him—including Locke, who was last seen lying in a coffin.

“;Well,”; the always-compelling Ben says in the ABC promo, “;thank God for second chances.”;