Midsummer Night’s Dream Machine: an immersive collaborative evening in the park with GMS, SoundsTruck NW, and the Oregon Symphony!
PORTLAND, OR – Gather:Make:Shelter, SoundsTruck NW, and Oregon Symphony are proud to present Midsummer Night’s Dream Machine, a free, immersive, family-friendly community celebration of creativity and collaboration set to take place on Thursday, August 14, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the PSU South Park Blocks (SW Mill to SW Market).
This vibrant evening transforms public space into a living, breathing canvas—where wearable art, live music, and spoken word converge in a powerful celebration of collective creativity. Midsummer Night’s Dream Machine honors the creative voices and lived experiences of artists from Gather:Make:Shelter (GMS), a collective of individuals experiencing houselessness and poverty. The event invites the community to witness and participate in a public expression of resilience, healing, and shared imagination.
At the heart of the event is a live runway presentation featuring original wearable artworks crafted by GMS artists. The runway will be brought to life with a mix of live and recorded music, including performances by musicians from the Oregon Symphony—amplified from SoundsTruck NW’s innovative mobile stage—adding depth and dynamic resonance to each look. Many of the pieces are the result of a creative exchange between GMS artists, Oregon Symphony musicians, and the SoundsTruck NW team, with music and design thoughtfully developed in dialogue to reflect and elevate one another. Together, these artistic expressions create an evening of reflection and celebration, centered on the strength of collaboration and the transformative power of art.
Bring your picnic, blanket or chairs, gather with friends, and enjoy a magical midsummer evening under the trees. Midsummer Night’s Dream Machine becomes more than a show—it becomes a heartbeat of community connection, carrying us toward a shared vision of belonging, beauty, and hope.
Event Details
Name: Midsummer Night’s Dream Machine
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2025
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: PSU South Park Blocks (between SW Mill and SW Market)
Admission: Free and open to the public
Estimated Attendance: 150 guests
Accessibility: Some ADA-compliant seating will be available. Guests requiring accessible accommodations are encouraged to contact info@gathermakeshelter in advance.
Program Highlights:
Live runway presentation featuring original wearable art by GMS artists
Musical performances by musicians from the Oregon Symphony, presented on SoundsTruck NW’s mobile stage
Poetry and spoken word woven throughout the program
About Gather:Make:Shelter
Gather:Make:Shelter is a Portland-based nonprofit that collaborates with individuals experiencing houselessness and poverty through arts workshops and creative mentorship. Founded by artist Dana Lynn Louis, the organization builds bridges between communities by fostering creative expression, dignity, and stability.
Learn more: gathermakeshelter.org
About SoundsTruck NW
SoundsTruck NW is a nonprofit that brings live performing arts to public spaces using a custom-built, solar-powered mobile stage. Founded by musicians Jon and Yoko Greeney, the organization reimagines streets, parks, and plazas as joyful concert venues—fueling connection through music, creativity, and community.
Learn more: soundstrucknw.org
About the Oregon Symphony
The multi-GRAMMY Award-nominated Oregon Symphony, led by Jean Vollum Music Director David Danzmayr, serves more than 500,000 people annually through live concerts and education and community engagement programs. Through innovative initiatives such as the Creative Alliance, the Oregon Symphony engages cultural thought-leaders to bring a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and inspiring musical experiences to our community that go beyond the concert hall and support the Symphony’s mission to move music forward. Online programming and syndicated broadcasts extend the Oregon Symphony’s reach to tens of millions more children and adults around the world. The Oregon Symphony has delighted audiences for more than 125 years and is the oldest orchestra in the Western United States.
Learn more: www.orsymphony.org
This event is co-presented by Gather:Make:Shelter, SoundsTruck NW, and Oregon Symphony, and made possible through the generosity of our additional supporters and partners:
