Playground (DPW Lead, San Francisco), Robert Atkins (Singapore Regional Contact), Yours truly (Megs, Regional Network Manager) and Snowstorm (UK Regional Contact)

Over 200 Regional Contacts worldwide and an extensive network of Community Leaders host Meet n Greets, art events, Burner Town Halls, hands-on community projects, CORE (Circle of Regional Effigy) builds and put forth a host of other efforts and events to keep our global community tight knit and Burners’ social calendars filled to the brim. After having transformational experiences at Burning Man and Regional events like Nowhere 2012, Burners throughout the world return home to the default world longing for ways to stay connected in between their sojourns to Burner events. Burning Man’s maintenance and nurturing of the Burning Man Regional Network is our answer to this widespread community need. I was drawn to Nowhere this year, a dynamic and creative gathering of over 1,100 Burners outside of Zaragoza, Spain because I knew it would be a rallying point for Burning Man’s European Regional Contacts and Nowhere’s own leadership network of what they term Cultural Attaches. I wanted to have a chance to chat with our Regional leaders face to face and also to create opportunities for them to meet one another. To this end, I hosted two meet ups—a Celebration at our camp, No Rules, and a more formal meeting of the minds at Nowhere’s No Info Center. Read more »

Dearest Burners,
I wrote this post from Nowhere last week and, being that I was in the Middle of Nowhere, you’re receiving it NOW. Enjoy! More coming!

Megs here. I’m writing you from the land of wind, dust and mountains outside of Zaragoza, Spain. After spending an unforgettable weekend at Lithuania’s Degantis Jonas (and, yes!, I promise to write a detailed account of my experiences there), I’m at Nowhere (http://www.goingnowhere.org/), a Burning Man Regional event where Burners are gathering from all over the world to build a beautiful city. Nowhere started nine years ago as a gathering in the desert in Spain (at that time, the moniker “Nowhere” was yet to be born) and has, over the years, grown into a thriving event with a highly developed infrastructure, twenty-four registered theme camps, and art and performance artists from across the globe.

Welcome to Nowhere! Minx of Media Mecca at Nowhere’s bright gates.
See the flags flapping? Wind! Wind!

We arrived at dusk last night after our San Francisco crew and our Lithuanian friends, Goku and Lleva, traveled in true Burning Man fashion with a van packed full of food, tent, water jugs, playa finery and all of the supplies we’d need to survive for ten days in the desert. The event officially opens on Tuesday but Nowhere crewmembers have been working out here for weeks getting the desert site ready to absorb the impact of the estimated 1,000 participants that will venture through the rocky canyons, down twisty and seemingly abandoned roads to make their way through Nowhere’s gleaming red gates. We’re here to help build the city. Read more »

Burn Wall Street 2012

I was fortunate enough to receive an update from Otto Von Danger on the progress of his large scale installation for this year’s Burning Man: Burn Wall Street.

Otto’s been part of the Burning Man landscape for quite a while now, first as part of the Man Crew, building the Man and Man base and then branching out to work on other projects such as the yearly return of his Frog Bat , Burning Man 2010′s Megatropolis and his Hippie/Raver Powered Lawn Chair. If you know him, you know he is driven to create large tangible things with a sense of humor and his work is not only interactive but he enjoys blowing it up before he burns it much to the delight of all.

Burn Wall Street is his most ambitious project to date and he told me,  “I’ve always been political, but this is my first art with a political meaning” and his aim is simple. Burn Wall Street is a fiercely “non-partisan to the core” installation that touches on everything from the Bill of Rights and Voter turnout to what Otto says are the two main goals of his piece:

Get Money Out of Politics and Regulate Wall Street.

Otto explains this as only he can,

 Both left and right, the Tea Party and the Occupy Movement, they’re always fighting about these wedge issues, but Burn Wall Street wants them to put that BS down for a minute, put away your Bibles and Manifestos, and come together to accomplish two things. We need to TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS and make it an even process with a constitutional amendment so the courts can’t come back and fuck us, and then we have to actually REGULATE WALL STREET. If they can put a kid in prison for selling drugs, they should be able to put a banker who steals millions of dollars in jail… really in prison, where they can introduce him to his new life partner Bubba. No more slaps on the wrist. These people are robbing your grandmother and my grandmother and everyone’s kids and walking scot free.

Once that’s taken care of, right and left can go back to bickering over their wedge issues, but this needs to be done now.

Mike Matel paints the Bill of Rights

The press loves tension between the Right and the Left.  Mr. Von Danger says, “There is both left and right at Black Rock City but Burning Man supersedes that kind of shit. It is the perfect place for a project like this.”  He was interviewed by NPR at KUNR this week and you can hear the interview here.

In keeping with the idea of coming together, Burn Wall Street is trying to get speakers from all sides of our politics to speak at the 9 am keynote speeches throughout the week including Sharron Angle to give the Tea Party point of view, Ron Paul to deliver his Libertarian thoughts and Reverend Billy to discuss Occupy Wall Street.

Read more »

Burning Man 2012 Desert Arts Preview – Annual Artist Lecture Series

Thursday, June 21, 2012
6:30pm-10pm (program begins at 7pm)
Location: The International Art Museum of America
1025 Market St between 6th & 7th St, SF 94103 (click for map)

FREE admission!
…But if you wish to make a donation, proceeds will support the Black Rock Arts Foundation artist grant program and the Burning Man Project
Limited seating for 100, so COME EARLY to ensure your seat and not miss anything!

Portal of Evolution by Bryan Tedrick. Photo by Oly Rivas.

This is our very popular annual artist lecture series, where you get a sneak preview of some of the many notable art projects in progress right now for Burning Man 2012. You’ll hear directly from artists who are creating revolutionary works of art, often in radically collaborative ways. Some have been doing work on the playa many years and will be sharing humorous war stories associated with creating art under extreme conditions. This is also a great opportunity to learn how YOU can get involved and support these and other artists and projects.

If you can’t make it, look up their projects at the link below and directly contact these and other artists/projects you feel inspired to help and work with. Get involved and help make the art you wish to see in the world! Read more »

For the few hundred Burning Man participants from South Florida, Black Rock City can feel like it’s a world away. Not only are the Burners there separated from the playa by great distance (it takes five days of driving to get to Burning Man), but, as Jack Trash from Ft. Lauderdale jokes, “we have such a high water table but no ‘underground.’” Longing for opportunities to express their inner creativity in a place where the status quo reigns supreme, Jack and a tight-knit crew of doers and art-makers decided to bring the spirit of Black Rock City to their hometown.

And, what? What did these crazy Burners do? They built a zany, colorful, and interactive CIRCUS!

Photo by Bruce Almberg

Last weekend, as part of Ft. Lauderdale’s FAT Village Artwalk, the “Circus Basura” came to life! When Ft. Lauderdale residents came upon the circus, they were greeted with a “Step right up!” and were invited to participate in costumed photo shoots, games, and the quirky experiences of circus life! The suite of boardwalk games the “Circus Basura” barkers offer runs the gamut from silly to satirical. As part of the game “1% Pachinko,” one could put on a top hat and monocle, drop a gold coin down the slot and see where it landed. The gag is that the gold coin never makes it to the bottom but gets stuck along the way on banks, yachts, and fat cat bellies. The gag prizes included the highly coveted collection of Olivia Newton John workout DVDs and a host of other completely ridiculous and trash “basura” prizes. “The Circus Basura,” Jack explains, “is whatever you make it.” The game, costumes, and the antics of the circus crew combine to create a grand sense of play. The circus is an umbrella under which anyone can be whatever they want to be. It’s especially exciting that a circus of freaks is flourishing in South Florida because it’s something new for people to experience, it pushes boundaries and creates room for more radical acts of expression.

Photo by Bruce Almberg

The talented crew behind the “Circus Basura” has a history working together. Many of the South Florida Burners came together when Burners Without Borders mobilized to provide relief to Haitians in the wake of the earthquake. Several of the local Burners are airplane mechanics and they made daily runs to the airfields to repair planes that were taking food and supplies to survivors of the disaster. And, back in 2009, the crew transformed an old bus into a double decker art mobile fit for the playa. The South Floridians drove the “Nautibus” 3,800 miles to the Black Rock desert and gave rides to participants around the desert. “Building the bus was a really unifying experience for the Florida crew,” Jack says. With the costs of operating the bus and transporting it to the desert rising each year, the crew decided to skip bringing the bus to the desert this year. Instead, they’ve loaned it to their Burner brethren in Tennessee for the Summer and the TN Burners are working on restoring the bus and will take it to their first local Tennessee burn, Serendipity.
With the Nautibus project on a bit of a hiatus, the crew quickly rallied behind the “Circus Basura.” The circus has given the local Burners an outlet for their energy and creativity and, as Jack explains, “[They] all just like working together and being around each other.” The crew has been sewing costumes, building sets, and coming up with ideas for the circus for months. It seems that this past weekend’s successful presence at the FAT Village Art Walk is just the beginning. In early November, the “Circus Basura” will participate in Ft. Lauderdale’s annual Day of the Dead processional. They’ll be working in collaboration with Jim Hammond, a local puppeteer and set designer, to create giant skull masks and parade floats. There’s also been talk of a Day of the Dead costume ball. “There’s just nothing like this in South Florida! We’re excited we are taking the circus to the streets and that the folks here get to experience what we’re all about, what keeps us going to Burning Man year after year,” Jack muses. There are also plans for a few guerilla circus experiences in the area. For Jack, providing these circus experiences, “opens the door for anybody to try anything and enables people to do things they don’t normally do.” We can’t wait to see what the “Circus Basura” crew tries next!

Photo by Bruce Almberg

Want to run off and join the circus?

For more information on “Circus Basura,” you can feel free to contact southflorida here: southflorida (at) burningman.com with CIRCUS BASURA in the subject line and to check out their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/events/223273267784782/.

Want to build a circus in your own town?

Do it, you crazy Burner! Bring the big top, bring the noise, bring the red noses, and then tell us all about it!

Jack Trash’s advice to all of us: “Don’t dream little dreams. Dream big ones!”

Thank you, we’ll see you on the HIGH WIRE!

"Ouroboros", Photo by Ales Prikryl

Burning Man is not your typical festival … not by a longshot.  If you’re a first timer, you honestly don’t have any idea what you’re really in for — and just how great (or miserable) your Burning Man experience will be is directly proportional to how well you’ve prepared. Lucky for you, there are a LOT of veteran Burners who are eager to share their expertise with you to get you oriented so that you’re ready to take this incredible experience head-on and rock it.  They’re gifting their time and talents to help the greater community … because that’s what we do (Gifting and Communal Effort are two of the Ten Principles, after all).  Read on, and find one in your local area (they’re in no particular order). Also, you’re encouraged to hook up with your local Regional Network group and get connected. Read more »

Join the Black Rock Arts Foundation at San Francisco’s most innovative venue for art: ArtPad SF!

If you were able to attend our special event at ArtPad SF last year, you know how unique and fun this event is. Join us for a festive gathering of BRAF’s community of supporters, Burning Man’s art lovers, and the Bay Area’s leading art galleries and art scene.

ArtPadSF invites San Francisco’s world-renowned museums, galleries, arts institutions, and artists to transform the Phoenix Hotel into an alternative venue for art. The hotel is reinvented as a vibrant and visionary community of prominent international and local artists.

The art fair culminates in a lively evening of performance art, fashion, dance, music and art experiences on Friday night. This unique event celebrates the wealth of local talent in the Bay Area, and raises funds to benefit the BRAF’s public art and grant programs.

Tickets on sale now at blackrockarts.org/events/artpad-sf.

Ticket Packages:

BRAF ArtPad “Super Star” Experience

6:00 pm – 1:00 am
$125 limited advance tickets only
Generous Hors D’hoeuvres selection provided by Chambers 6pm – 8pm
Hosted Bar until 9pm
Early Access to All ArtPad Gallery Rooms until 8pm
(Galleries open at their discretion after 8pm)
Gallery, art, music, performers and visual arts feast until late

BRAF ArtPad “Happening” Experience

7:00 pm – 1:00 am
$30 Tier 1 limited advance tickets
$40 Tier 2 and at the Door as available
One complimentary welcome drink
Access to All ArtPad Gallery Rooms until 8pm
(Galleries open at their discretion after 8pm)
Gallery, art, music, performers and visual arts feast until late

All tickets are 21 and over.

Entertainment

Bay Area artists set the stage for this exciting event with site specific and multimedia performances, interactive art, live music and DJs with original scores and mixes created especially for the occasion.

Celebrating the creative contributions of and with performances by:

- Adnan Sharif is the resident dj and promoter of Forward, A monthly that takes place in underground locations and clubs in SF, always bringing music and events to new places! (www.forwardsf.com)

- The Carpetbag Brigade collaborating with Teatro Taller of Columbia – By synthesizing acrobatic stiltwalking, butoh dance, contact improvisation, and physical theater The Carpetbag Brigade has pioneered a unique approach and corresponding technique that has resulted in 10 original feature-length performances and tours to Europe, Latin America, Canada and throughout the U.S. Now based in the Bay Area, they are just back from performing a new work in Columbia. We are especially fortunate to have them creating a unique collaboration with Teatro Taller of Bogota, Columbia for this very special ArtPad evening, who is debuting their work for the first time in San Francisco! (www.carpetbagbrigade.com and www.teatrotallerdecolombia.com)

- Dex Stakker – (Opel/Opulent Temple) – Dex Stakker – Spinning underground breaks, slammin’ electro, electro house and aggressive progressive at numerous community events and countless fundraisers. (www.dexstakker.com)

- DJ ICON (Illeven Eleven Records) – DJ ICON is an iconic figure in the dance music industry. With a career spanning over a decade, she has captivated audiences the world over with her magnetic stage presence and signature bass-heavy vocal-infused cross-genre DJ sets consisting of Breaks, Electro House and Dubstep. It’s no wonder she’s been dubbed one of the leading ladies of this domain! Her accolades include stellar reviews for her productions on Illeven Eleven Recordings, a spot in Shejay’s “Top 100 Female DJs”, being voted one of San Francisco’s best DJs in Nitevibe’s “Top 10 DJ Dreamteam” Poll, and touring throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. She has been a generous supporter of the Bay Area music and arts scene and is much loved throughout the community. We are pleased to celebrate her work as a Bay Area artist extraordinaire and expect big things to keep coming from this driven and versatile performer. (www.djicon.com)

- Gamelan X – Drawing musical inspiration from Indonesian, Balkan, African, Indian and American traditions, Gamelan X combines complex interlocking rhythms and sinewy melodies into an entirely new and visceral groove experience that excites and entrances the world. (www.GamelanX.com)

- KUNST-STOFF: A site specific dance performance specially conceived for ArtPad by internationally acclaimed and local artistic treasure, KUNST-STOFF Arts. (www.kunst-stoff.org)

…and much more! Stay tuned!

Black Rock Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit. A portion of your ticket price is tax-deductible.
poster credit: Jared Gutekunst

We had a little outing to Los Angeles  just after New Year’s, and we were down there in time for the Christmas tree burn on the beach last Sunday.

Zach Fromson organized the outing, and there were maybe a hundred or so people at the height of things. Zach and his crew had spent the weekend gathering trees; they had gone all over the Southland in a rented truck picking them up, and then they hauled them all to the beach.

When we showed up, we saw a big truck loaded with trees, so of course we walked over to help unload them.  But the guy in the back of the truck looked at me kind of funny and asked, “Are you part of the family?” and I said, “uhhhh … Burning Man?” Then the guy said no, this was a private thing, a family thing, and “the other people are over there.”

The “other people” would be the Burners, of course. But it was a smaller group than you’d think for all of L.A., but although it’s a big, big place,  the Burner community seems to be spread hither thither and yon.

Zach, on the left, organized the LA beach burn

Read more »