6/27/2024
SUMMER SOLSTICE
A SPECTACULAR SETTING
OVERLOOKING THE CLARK’S LOWER CAMPUS AND SURROUNDED BY THE MOUNTAINS, THOMAS SCHÜTTE’S CRYSTAL SERVED AS BOTH A MEETING GROUND AND CREATIVE HUB FOR THE EVENING’S ACTIVITIES.
TRANSFORMED INTO A FAIRY-LIKE LODGE, THE INSTALLATION WAS ADORNED WITH BUCKETS OF FLOWERS AND GREENERY, A LARGE PRINTED SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES, AND STAFF PREPARED TO GUIDE VISITORS THROUGH THE ART OF CROWN MAKING.
VISITORS WOVE GRAPEVINES, BITTERSWEET, AND BLOOMS FROM FULL WELL FARM, A LGBTQIA+ AND WOMEN OWNED FARM BASED IN NEARBY ADAMS, INTO WHIMSICAL CROWNS.
A SOLD-OUT FORAGING WALK LED BY ARIANNA ALEXSANDRA COLLINS PROVIDED A MEANINGFUL ENTRY POINT TO THE SOLSTICE CELEBRATION.
STARTING AT THE FERNÁNDEZ TERRACE AND CULMINATING AT CRYSTAL, PARTICIPANTS DISCOVERED AND NIBBLED ON TRAILSIDE FLORA, FORMING A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GROUNDS.
ON SITE, CRICKET CREEK FARM SERVED PLATES OF CHEESE, EVOCATIVE OF LATVIAN "JĀŅI CHEESE" TRADITIONALLY EATEN DURING MIDSUMMER CELEBRATIONS TO SYMBOLIZE THE SUN’S VITALITY AND SUMMER’S PEAK ABUNDANCE.
WILD SOUL RIVER SERVED REFRESHING HERBAL TEAS BREWED WITH HERBS FROM THEIR SHOP.
RITUALS AND ACTIVITIES
WILD SOUL RIVER INTRODUCED GUESTS TO THE MULTICULTURAL TRADITIONS OF THE SOLSTICE THROUGH A SERIES OF EARTH-BASED RITUALS.
FROM A SMOKE AND BELL CLEANSE TO A COMMUNAL CALLING OF THE DIRECTIONS, THESE PRACTICES INVITED GUESTS TO HONOR THE CARDINAL POINTS AND THEIR ENERGIES. VISITORS WERE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE AS THEY FELT COMFORTABLE—WHETHER THROUGH SITTING IN QUIET REFLECTION OR JOINING IN COMMUNITY DRUMMING AND DANCING.
A HAND-CRAFTED EFFIGY, CREATED BY A LOCAL ARTIST, BECAME THE FOCAL POINT FOR THE BIDDING THE DIRECTIONS FAREWELL RITUAL, SYMBOLIZING GRATITUDE AND THE CYCLICAL RHYTHMS OF NATURE.
THE INTIMATE WARMTH OF A BONFIRE, PAIRED WITH S’MORES AND A MESMERIZING FIRE-SPINNING PERFORMANCE, CREATED A JOYFUL CONCLUSION TO THE CELEBRATION.
THE EVENING’S AMBIANCE WAS BOTH VIBRANT AND RELAXED, ALLOWING FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO ROAM FREELY ACROSS THE HILLTOP AND PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES AT THEIR OWN PACE. TODDLERS ENJOYED THE GRASSY SLOPES AND CROWN-MAKING, WHILE OLDER ADULTS FOUND MEANING IN THE RITUALS AND MUSIC.
ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNAGE ENSURED SMOOTH NAVIGATION ACROSS THE CAMPUS, WHILE LANTERNS ILLUMINATED THE WOODED PATHS TO THE BATHROOMS. A SHUTTLE SERVICE BETWEEN THE LOWER CAMPUS AND STONE HILL ENSURED ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL ATTENDEES, ENHANCING THE EVENT’S WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE NATURE.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS FOR THE SUMMER SOLSTICE EVENT WERE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE WAYFINDING AND CREATE A VISUAL IDENTITY THAT TIED INTO THE CLARK'S BRAND.
WITH MANY GUESTS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CLARK’S LARGE CAMPUS, THE GRAPHICS HELPED GUIDE VISITORS TO KEY LOCATIONS. A LARGE "SUMMER SOLSTICE" SIGN WAS DISPLAYED ON AN A-FRAME AT THE CRYSTAL ORIENTATION SITE, ALONG WITH THE EVENT SCHEDULE TO HELP GUESTS NAVIGATE THE DAY. SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONAL GRAPHICS FOR THE FLOWER CROWN-MAKING ACTIVITY WERE PLACED AT EACH CRAFT TABLE, ALLOWING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO PARTICIPATE. ADDITIONAL A-FRAME SIGNS MARKED SHUTTLE STOPS AND DIRECTIONS TO THE BATHROOMS.
THE GRAPHICS ALSO ENHANCED THE EVENT’S THEMES AND INCORPORATED ELEMENTS OF THE CLARK'S BRAND. THE BACKGROUNDS OF WAYFINDING SIGNS FEATURED A YELLOW GRADIENT INK WASH ON A WATERCOLOR TEXTURE, EVOKING SUMMER SUNSETS AND NATURAL TEXTURES. THE TYPE, AN ADAPTED VERSION OF THE CLARK'S FRANKLIN GOTHIC FONT, TOOK ON AN ORGANIC FORM. THE DESIGN WAS MINDFUL OF THE NATURAL SETTING, ENSURING THE GRAPHICS WERE VISIBLE WITHOUT DISTRACTING FROM THE VENUE’S BEAUTY.
FUTURE INSTALLATIONS COULD INCLUDE HAND-PAINTED ELEMENTS AND REUSED MATERIALS, MAKING THE EXPERIENCE EVEN MORE IMMERSIVE AND TIED TO THE ORGANIC NATURE OF THE SOLSTICE CELEBRATION.