Feed the Artists – Moving Out Into the World!

The folks at Feed the Artists are taking their good works initiative — born in Black Rock City — out into the real world. Learn how you can help. They write:

Feed the Artists (aka FtA) is a communal art grant that enriches Burner community ties through food gifting. The program has literally fed thousands of artists since 2007, and inspired radical collaboration amongst diverse groups of Burners. FtA has grown quickly at Burning Man, as many have come to embrace the program’s four primary goals:

  1. To support artists in the Burning Man community
  2. To create healthy and meaningful interactions between artists, theme camps, and their peers through bonding, collaborating, and sharing resources for the benefit of the entire community: Radical Collaboration.
  3. To elevate the role of food on the playa to an art form.
  4. To allow the power of these shared values to generate a self-sustaining tradition at Burning Man, then the Regional Burns, and then to the world beyond.

Over 1500 artists were fed in 2010 by over 50 theme camps, who stepped up and participated in the program, including:
Red Lightning, We’re Ped-i-Culous, The DETH End, Academy of Rogue Therapists (A.R.T.), White Trash Superstars, Vertical Camp, The Wanderer’s Camp, Camp Robonia, The Big O-ven, Camp D.O.A., Colonel’sFrothy FrozenFortuneFloats, Peace Camp, The Hookah Lounge, Super Friends, Entheon Village, Roots Society, Post Nuclear Family, Table Nectar, Miajuana, Shadyvil, Deviant Playground, Camp 11:11, Camp Who?Ville, Midnight Poutine, Black Rock Diner, Spin Art Camp, Del Fuego Art Wall, Ja’Bar, Ludo O’Dillo’s Publick House, Poly Paradise, Dust City Diner, Camp Question Mark, Tree Ring Circus, Mystopia, Purple Palace Camp, Sacred Spaces Village, Tarwater, Whiskey and Dust, Home Free Dome, Hookahdome, HBGB Healers, Funky Town, Urban Pirates, Burnstream Court, Deb & Darla Camp, Camp Remember, and Camp Fishit.

For 2011, FtA will evolve by:

  1. spreading its wings to encompass the Regional Burns,
  2. facilitating more theme camp participation,
  3. facilitating more FtA meals throughout Burn week, and
  4. promoting more mobile food gifting.

The keys to accomplishing this will be:

  1. raising the funds necessary to modify our online reservations system to accommodate multiple events, and cover our other expenses (our first Kickstarter campaign of 2011 has already begun)
  2. recruiting of volunteers with website design and maintenance skills and print graphics skills so we can modify our website and produce the materials necessary to make this transition happen smoothly, and
  3. making sure all the Regional Event teams are aware of FtA and how they can use it to augment the sense of community that is developed at their events.

We’ve refined a great system, have a clear plan and vision, and have eager crew members that want to make it as easy as possible for theme camps to feed artists. What we need now from the Burner community at large, in order to reach our goals, is:

  1. Donations to our Kickstarter campaign
  2. Volunteers with graphics & web design/build experience
  3. Contact with Theme Camps who are interested in participating in 2011, and
  4. Contact with Regional Burns who would like to host their own FtA programs

Through the support of our friends at the Burning Man Project and everyone in the broader Burning Man community, we know that we can continue to take the FtA program from strength to strength, and bring a program that was born and incubated at Burning Man out to the default world! Join us, and help us in our noble quest! It all starts at our website: www.feedtheartists.net.”

About the author: Will Chase

Will Chase

Will Chase is Burning Man's former Minister of Propaganda, working on global communications strategy. He was the editor-in-chief for the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter and the Burning Man Journal, and content manager for Burning Man’s web properties. He also oversaw the ePlaya BBS and Burning Man’s social media presence. Will first attended Burning Man in 2001. He volunteered as the Operations Manager for the ARTery (Black Rock City’s art HQ) and was on the Burning Man Art Council from 2003-2008. He was Web Team Project Manager and Webmaster from 2004 until he transitioned to the Communications Department in 2009.

3 Comments on “Feed the Artists – Moving Out Into the World!

  • Luka Lukasik says:

    FtA movement rolls on high vibrations all the way trough… Pre week and I’m extremely happy seeing expansion over the hot flow of Burn week.

    Feeding artist is a world wide NEED to save, inspire and support creative spirits above their grey communities. IF every country would have camp FtA I imagine all colors of the RAINBOW painted on brick WALLS dividing our Brothers and Sisters. Sculptures at the gates, recyclable ENERGIES, harmony at every corner.

    Stand up FEED THE ARTIST

    Love & Light

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  • Danny says:

    Thanks to Will and to the whole Burning Man community for making FtA even possible! We’re so grateful for such a warm and generous and abundant community to be part of. We’re within striking distance on our Kickstarter, so right now every single donation makes our hearts collectively skip a beat! Mucho Culinary Love – Danny (http://kck.st/epFbKa)

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  • emily alice says:

    This was my first burn and my first time working with Feed the Artists. I’ll be doing it all again and again(…). The most amazing pieces of my experience were those connecting with artists, providing food, and creating community.

    Thank you, all, for making home possible. I am proud to be a burner, a feeder, and connected to all of you in such a profound way.

    Loves!

    …ea

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