The second annual gathering of Equinox Music & Art Festival went off nearly without a hitch. Aided with a canvas of cloudless blue skies, sunny 80-degree and above temperatures, and the absence of rain entirely, it is safe to say that the 2019 installment of Equinox was an end of summer experience that will be cherished and highly anticipated for years to come.
This year featured the unveiling of a brand new festival grounds located in the secluded woods and sprawling fields of Minot, Maine’s Hemond MX & Off-Road Park, which provided ample privacy and plentiful space for stages, camping, art installations, and casual roaming.
Featuring two uniquely designed main stages to represent the contrast between the Sun & Moon, as well as a Harvest stage tucked away in a clearing amid fields of head-high stalks of corn, which allowed for seamless transitions from set-to-set that allowed for a variety of audible and visual performance options at any given moment in the day.
One aspect that truly supplemented the vibrancy of the weekend was the cohesive mentality between the audio and visual components of the event. Each scheduled set time within the daily lineup featured both the live audio performance as well as the accompanying VJ, which allowed for an unprecedented symmetry between the sounds, lights, and visuals of each performance.
Situated adjacent to sections of camping plots overlooking the Sun stage a large carnival tent was erected to house the immersive art gallery, which was well-manicured and seamlessly organized with the help of visual artist Dominik Lupo and Creative Director David Schunemann. The gallery adopted a free-roaming mentality, that allowed patrons of the festival to walk between the rows of hanging canvases and different mediums of art as they pleased, while the outskirts and corners of the tent were reserved for live-painting installations, graffiti demonstrations, and even a live wood-carving demonstration that could be enjoyed interchangeably with the musical performances provided throughout the weekend.
“The task of the Main Gallery Director can be varied and at times chaotic. While an art gallery in itself proposes an opportunity for visual artists of mixed mediums to join together in harmony, it’s within the finer details, such as the organization and progression of each display or the cooperative mentality of each constituent that can make all the difference in creating a compelling visual beneficence,” Equinox Main Gallery Director and multimedia visual artist Dominik Lupo shares regarding his mentality leading into the weekend.
Although the live gallery featured a variety of visual artists working between a diverse selection of mediums, the cohesive disposition of the event and the overarching symmetry between each aspect from audio & visuals to the logistics and coordination of the event was executed flawlessly.
“Fortunately for me, the community-driven initiative of Equinox saturated each feature of the event and allowed myself and a supremely talented team of colleagues to work synergistically towards a mutual vision of camaraderie under the guidance and supervision of David Schunemann. Colette Aimee was instrumental in helping with the logistics and organization of the gallery, Alex Carver & Ashley ‘Lunafox’ were set up with a live chainsaw installation right next to the gallery, Nate Hansen put together an exclusive line of corn-inspired artwork at the Harvest stage, and the ever-talented Adam Bozek, Dan Schaub, and Jorge Gutierrez spent the weekend exploring live demonstrations right in front of the mainstage,” Lupo reflects regarding the multifaceted, collaborative nature that allowed the art gallery to be one the most memorable features of Equinox 2019.
The cooperative and collaborative mentality saturated each nook & cranny of the weekend, ensuring that every member of the community whether merely attending to enjoy the music or contributing as a performer or staff felt equally as important within the overall diverse fabric that Equinox had to offer as an event.
Be sure to stay tuned-in with FUXWITHIT and Equinox for details, plans for expansion, and further information regarding next year’s end of summer gathering!
[Photos courtesy of JV Productions & ATS Photography]
