BUILD THE TEMPLE!
WHAT IS THE TEMPLE?
TL;DR:
The Temple is a wooden structure, an effigy, a piece of visual art that during the event serves as a quiet place for Beardfest participants to gather and grieve/process. The Temple is built with the intention to be burned in a ritualistic closing ceremony, which will take place on Sunday night. Its placement will be on the beach by the Lakeside Movement Area. We’re looking for this year’s Temple Builder/Build Team (up to 4 participants).
Applications for 2025 are now live! Deadline is 5/16. Use the form below to apply.
MORE DETAILS:
As everyone who comes to Beardfest - or any other short lived, participatory, art-centered community event - knows, we throw a great party. For lots of attendees, artists and creators, this is a highlight of every year and ends up being a big community celebration. However, coming together as community isn’t always about the purely joyful gatherings we share. An essential part of the human experience are the somber, the serious, and the vulnerable moments; the ones we make sacred by choosing to honor or let go of things that trouble us, hurt us, or have moved on from our lives. It’s important to have a place where folks can go to experience these moments, no matter what they might be. The temple is a non-denominational space that is designed and constructed by the Temple builder and their build team and then opened up for the community to adorn as they feel they need to. We’re opening up submissions for those who would be interested in creating this special space for us to share.
What could the temple look like? It’s all up to you. The structure should be an accessible space for participants to go to quietly reflect, feel out grief or provide a listening ear - or simply to leave writing, photos or other artifacts they would like to leave behind. Will there be comfy seating? Sparse architecture? What kind of space reads as “sacred” to you, and would resonate with our community? Some ideas to get you started: a huge blooming lotus flower, with a sitting area inside; a dodecahedron made from recycled wood; a big hexagonal pergola with wooden flowers instead of real ones. The only limits are your imagination.
Importantly, the temple is intended to be burned on Sunday night, as part of a cathartic ritualistic closing to our community’s annual coming together. The structure should be designed with a burn plan in mind. The Temple can be closed early on Sunday to prepare it to be burned. If installing lights, electronics, or anything else that cannot be burned, designers should have a plan to safely remove these components before the temple is burned.
BUDGET: Up to $1000 for materials.
ADDITIONAL PERKS: The Beardfest Temple Builder will receive 2 free tickets, or 4 half price tickets for their build team. The Temple Build Team can enter as early as Tuesday 6/24 to start construction of the Temple.