HeARTburn 2020: Wow!!
The HeARTburn crew in Canmore are still basking in the afterglow of an event that left us speechless, with hearts full of warm fuzzies, and spirits buzzing with inspiration. It is fair to say that we absolutely crushed our goal of making HeARTburn V our best production to date. Our amazing friends brought their best selves from far and wide and filled the space with smiling faces and loving embraces.
Our chill space this year, transformed into The Garden, was a sleek, sexy, bass lounge with mind-melting visuals projected onto 4 huge polygonal screens surrounding a flowered sound stage. The stage visuals came compliments of our special guest VJ, Miirror, hailing from Nelson, BC. The Garden stage delivered sweet, chill, bass music by: Illustrator, Kenny, Knots, Smirk, and Howl. Squishy, wood-grained foam flooring provided an inviting surface for frolicking in the bassy vibrations between the DJ and the blacklit, cushioned garden grove. A variety of performances ensued, including aerial shibari, fabulous glowy juggling, flowing prop spinning of various kinds, and Cupid himself, flailing wildly as he glided across the ceiling, his arrow trained on love-struck garden victims.
Wall-to-wall cushions in the chill-out zone (thank you, Preston!) had a darker ambiance than previous years, making for a more intimate feeling. It was like we were cuddling in a plush moss field under the starry night sky. Only the sky was bespeckled laser points, the clouds foggy slow-fading colours, and the ultra-violet moonlight gave life to the white-spotted rave lizard, perched on a glowing mushroom. A magestic butterfly hung above the cuddlefest, its colourful and intricate patterns slowly morphing, thanks to projection-mapping by yours truly. Meanwhile in the corner, two local artists dazzled onlookers with an ever-changing, psychedelic oil & water projection, opening a portal to another dimension.
Our good friends and laser monkeys at MylesAway Entertainment once again came all the way out from Saskatoon to outfit our dance floor with mind-blowing sound & light. 🙏 This year we added dual anatomical hearts: a gorgeous, steampunk mirror-heart by Simon Jambon that rotated above the DJ, reflecting thick beams of light into the kaleidoscopic cacophony that immersed the space. At the back of the room, a giant, glowing red heart absorbed the laser and stage-light scattered by the biggest mirror ball you've ever seen, hanging in the centre of the room. The stage piece this year was a sweet custom wood design, featuring hints of The Man, by our very own Chris Fierro of FOMA club.
Our sexy friends shook their booty to the dance-beats of a great line-up of DJs: Goffles Waffles, Brad Robertshaw, SwaggaCats, and FingerTips.
The Gallery was bustling all night as HeARTburners made new connections and deepened old ones, among the swirling mobiles and vibrant visual art. No less than THREE bars satisfied our thirst with enticing libations: boobie shooters, a beer tub, and the well-oiled beverage machine we call the HeARTBar. This year's special cocktail was called the Luv-a-Lamp, and by the end of the night, most of the crowd could proudly proclaim that they, too, love lamp.
Much thanks to Steve Shigeishi for all but one of the photos (and video) on this page. The shibari photo was from knot master Remi Sauve's post in our Facebook event. Thanks guys! :)
All said, we are overwhelmed by the positive response from the community, and are bursting with gratitude for your love and support for this event. A huge thanks to our many volunteers, performers, artists, artsPlace, and all helper-outers! May you be happy and inspired, and we'll see you again next year. ❤️🔥
P.S. Please send us some photos! photos@heartburn.love 😘
Update: the event raised enough money to cover our costs for the event, and fund some awesome art projects for next year's HeARTburn. We are donating $500 to the Eagle's Nest Stoney Family Shelter, a safe haven for victims of family violence.