Updates, Resources & Info (Oh, My!) for All-Things Art in 2022

To say that we’re excited to be building Black Rock City again (at long last) in 2022 would be the understatement of the year. Whether this is your first time thinking about bringing art, or you’re a long-time veteran of the process, please take the time to read this and share it with your crew. There are important changes you need to know before registering an art project this year. 

2022 ART INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

There have been several installation policy changes since the last time we gathered on playa; these include: updates to our mobile art guidelines, clarifications about prefabricated structures on playa, updated sound guidelines, and more. If you’re intending to bring art to Black Rock City in 2022, please read our updated Art Installation Guidelines in addition to this post.

REGISTERING YOUR ART

The Art Installation Questionnaire to register your art for placement on the open playa in Black Rock City is open from February 23 through June 1, 2022. 

Curious about what kinds of art can be registered and placed on the open playa? Check out this handy flowchart to help you understand whether your project needs to be registered through the Art Department.

REMINDER: Register Early! Traditionally, more than half of playa art is registered in the last few days (or even hours) before the deadline. Please don’t wait. Our artist liaisons do their best to speak with everyone during the registration period, but we’re a small team and people who register on the last day are the last to be contacted. When you wait until the last minute to register, you also join a big wave of last-minuters. This means our inboxes are flooded, and our time and ability to assist narrows — and, more importantly, your options (for placement, assistance, equipment, etc.) narrow, too. 

What if I miss the registration deadline (on June 1)? You may still be able to bring your art with you and register it on playa at the ARTery. Please see the Creating Playa Art page for more information about what kind of art is accepted as a walk-in, as there are quite a few restrictions compared to our standard registration process.

New for 2022: We are not accepting late art registration online. Registering on playa as a walk-in is your only option if you miss the June 1 deadline.

Fire Art Requirements: If you would like to be considered for burning your artwork, you’ll need to submit your Art Installation Questionnaire by April 15th. We’ll be publishing more information soon about this year’s Open Fire guidelines here in the Journal. 

Deliveries to Playa in 2022: The process has changed for artists who plan to hire a company or person to transport their art to Black Rock City. For more information about the permitting process, please see the Arranging Deliveries and Outside Services (OSS) Program web pages. 

RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS ON BURNING MAN HIVE

Burning Man Hive is a space for the Burning Man community and the Burner-curious to share their skills and knowledge, to learn from one another, and to support each other’s work in the world. It’s free and anyone can participate; simply create an account using your Burner Profile. We highly recommend these Hive courses to artists and the art-curious:

• “Burning Man Art: History, Place, Context”: Interested in what makes Burning Man art “go” (and where it came from)? Take a deep and varied dive into the ideas, people, and inspirations that shaped Burning Man art.
• “Solar-Powered Art on the Playa” or “Solar Power 101”: Take a look at one of these Hive courses if you’d like to upgrade your lighting or power using a more sustainable approach in 2022 and beyond.

IMPORTANT DATES

If you’re planning to bring an Art Support Camp for your project, take note of the following Placed Camp Questionnaire and ticket sale dates:

• Placed Camp Questionnaire for Returning Theme Camps/Villages: open February 23, 2022 at 12pm (noon) PST – March 31, 2022 at 12pm (noon) PDT
• Placed Camp Questionnaire for New Theme Camps and All Support Camps (including Art Support Camps): open February 23, 2022 at 12pm (noon) PST – April 28, 2022 @12pm (noon) PDT
• Main Sale for Black Rock City 2022 Tickets: 
  • Registration: March 23, 2022 at 12pm (noon) PDT – March 25, 2022 at 12pm (noon) PDT
  • Sale starts: March 30, 2022 at 12pm (noon) PDT

BLACK ROCK CITY HONORARIA UPDATE

We opened our Honoraria grant program again for 2022 and received 433 Letters of Intent. It was incredible to see all the mind-blowing things our community has been dreaming of creating during the past two years! After a lot of careful reading and thoughtful review, we invited 281 of those projects to submit a full grant proposal, which the Grant Committee is currently reviewing. Follow our channels in early March for the exciting announcement of selected 2022 Honoraria projects! 

THE 2022 TEMPLE NEEDS YOU! 

A quick update, direct from the Temple leads:
“With project work sites projected to open in both Reno and the Bay Area in April, the Temple Crew invites YOU to help build Empyrean! Fill out a volunteer information form here. Is fundraising your superpower? You’re needed now! Not near either project site? Not a problem! We have numerous ways to get you involved remotely and a stellar set of volunteer coordinators to ensure you feel welcome and well-placed in a role you’ll love. An updated design and additional information about the project can be found here.”

SEE YOU SOON! 

Thanks for reading, and gold stars for all of you out there, eager to create and build and dream in the dust once again. We can’t wait to see you and all your amazing art on playa for 2022 Burning Man: Waking Dreams. 

Cover image of “Bee or Not to Bee” by Mr and Mrs Ferguson, 2019 (Photo by Jamen Percy)