2013 in the historic downtown district of Sarasota, Florida. The mission of the Harvey Milk Festival is to honor the life of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay Americans elected to public office, by fostering emerging talent in musicians and artists who support diversity and reject discrimination, and to promote equality for LGBTQ people through supporting equal rights legislation.
Admission is free to all events with the exception of the HMF film component.
On May 17
th, HMF/Art will host
The Equality Art Gallery exhibiting local and national artists at
MillerBrady Fine Art Gallery.
On May 18th, HMF/Music will feature a stage at Five Points Park, featuring nine national and local musicians. Founder and HMF Board President Shannon Fortner believes this year’s musical lineup is particularly special due its diversity in genres, ranging from high-energy folk rock to catchy electro pop. “All of our performers believe in LGBTQ equality, creating a welcoming environment for everyone,” Fortner states.
The 2013 HMF headliner is French Horn Rebellion. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin the indie brother-duo have pioneered a new genre called ‘Next Jack Swing’ which mixes synth beats with funky bass lines. Garnering critical praise at 2013 SXSW, the band has toured with indie-pop heavyweights MGMT and Cut Copy. The Guardian states the duo makes ‘killer dance pop’ that sounds like “MGMT if they were to hook up with mustachioed disco producers from the 70s.”
Co-headliners include Clementine and The Galaxy, a NYC-based duo creating spacey art pop, gathering praise from The Huffington Post, Time Out New York and The Deli Magazine, which named the band one of the top emerging artists of 2013. Local Sarasota electro-pop quintet MeteorEYES will also co-headline.
Other musicians scheduled to appear include Good Graeff, Jen Rock and The Cry Babies, Bard and Mustache, Zulu Wave, Brazos the Rat and Waking Giants.
Art installations at Five Points Park will include an installation by Steve McAllister entitled The Labyrinth of the Unbroken Path.
Guest speakers include Michael Farmer, Field Coordinator/Gay/Straight Network Coordinator for Equality Florida and Tesla Gunderson, Also OUT Youth teen staff member.
The official after party for HMF/Music will be held at Throb Nightclub. The five-dollar cover will be donated to the festival for any attendee wearing an official HMF bracelet.
5/16/13 HMF/Film: Burns Court Cinema/506 Burns Ct. Sarasota Fl. 34236/I Am Divine screening @ 9:30 pm. $10 ticket. Advanced tickets can be purchased online at iamdivinehmf.eventbrite.com.
5/17/13 HMF/Art: MillerBrady Fine Art Gallery/614 Florida Ave. Sarasota Fl. 34236/Equality Art Exhibit 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
5/18/13 HMF/Music: Five Points Park/Intersection of 1st Street and North Pineapple Ave. Sarasota Fl. 34236/Main Stage Lineup 4 p.m. – Midnight.
HMF Official After Party: Throb Nightclub/2201 Industrial Blvd. Sarasota Fl. 34234. $5 cover. 12 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Visit Harveymilkfestival.com for full schedule.
For artist info or interview requests: press@feelmagik.com
The Festival’s Board of Directors includes President Shannon Fortner, Vice-President Turner Moore, Secretary Elisha Cash, Treasurer Tamsin Dayment, and Director Jen O’Connor.
