To reach the goals outlined in our 2030 Environmental Sustainability Roadmap, we’ll all need to do things a little differently. These changes need not be limiting—instead, they can open new avenues for innovation. This Journal series introduces you to the artists whose sustainable approach to making art is a vehicle for their creativity.
“Liquid Forest” Illuminates the Plastic Waste Problem
The environmental crisis humanity has created is overwhelming. Massive plastic polluters only care about profits not people. Scientists have drilled down and are exposing the ticking time bombs of micro and nano plastics in our oceans, air, mountaintops and within our bodies. I felt compelled to act! Around the same time, Burning Man Project announced …Read More
Creating “Sanctuaria” ~ An Interview with Regenerative Artist Cecilia Pagkalinawan
Destined to rise in Black Rock City this year, “Sanctuaria” is a regenerative installation by the Sanctuaria Collective that will serve up shade and sanctuary in the desert. A metaphorical safe haven to all Animalia, “Sanctuaria” beckons to a simpler time when all we needed was air, water, food, shelter and each other. The piece …Read More
Introducing the 2023 Black Rock City Honoraria
Burning Man Arts is thrilled to announce the artworks selected for Black Rock City 2023 Honoraria art grants. There’s nothing quite like this first preview of art installations to make our dusty city start to feel real! The Selection Process When we select the Honoraria projects, the artworks we fund reflect an experience we would …Read More
How the Temple Builders Guild Was Built
By BrinkleyLaunched in 2020 by a team of seasoned Temple builders, the Temple Builders Guild is a collection of craftspeople who apply playa expertise to provide infrastructure and resources to creators of community art projects. Their purpose is to share human resources, accrued knowledge, tools, equipment, and practical solutions to reduce waste, increase efficiency, promote sustainability, …Read More
Dave Keane & Folly Builders’ Next Act: “Paradisium,” a Sustainably-Built Forest
For some organizations, sustainability is something they have to do, an add-on that helps keep integrity intact and values respected. For Folly Builders, sustainability is simply who they are. The Bay Area big art creators seamlessly weave environmental stewardship into their massive installations from inception through finale, manufacturing dazzling immersive experiences that refuse to place …Read More
The Radical Reciprocity of Art for Trees
You can’t create giant wooden art without sacrificing a few trees. This is a fact that’s never been lost on Syn, aka Melissa Barron, an artist and activist who has been firmly planted in the inner sanctum of the Burning Man community—her partner, Lightning Clearwater III, is a board member of Burning Man Project and …Read More
“The Tinkle Drum”: The Sweet Melody of People-powered Art
If you’ve watched Desert Arts Preview and followed other Black Rock City art announcements, you’re aware that we’re championing playa installations that take sustainability into consideration. What does this mean? Among other things, a sustainable artwork may use renewable energy, be created from repurposed materials, and be built locally instead of transported across the ocean. …Read More
Waking Dreams: Evoking Greener Burns
If Black Rock City and our global community are in fact a manifestation of our collective dreams, what have we been dreaming for the past few years, and what might that look like in the light of day? For many, the pandemic has offered a space for reflection on the need to make our ephemeral …Read More
“The Solar Shrine” Creator — An Interview with Honoraria Recipient Antwane Lee
By Erin DouglasI received my first text communication from Antwane Lee in early March 2020. The seriousness of the coronavirus was still up in the air and at that point Burning Man 2020 was still on. I would soon learn this never-been-to-Black-Rock-City, Chicagoan architect was persistent, intelligent, sure of what he wanted, and a big thinker. He …Read More
Waking and Dreaming, Building and Doing: Collectively Imagining the 2022 Man Pavilion
By Kim CookGreetings friends, participants, artists, citizens of Black Rock City. Yes, we will burn the Man this year! We’ve been hard at work on a magnificent plan for this central part of our cultural event. As we did in 2019 and 2020, we invited a group of artists to suggest a concept for the Man Pavilion …Read More
Introducing the 2022 Black Rock City Honoraria
By Katie HazardBurning Man Arts is thrilled to announce the art installations selected for Black Rock City 2022 Honorarium art grants. There’s nothing quite like the announcement of our Honoraria artists to get us psyched to build our city in the dust, and our anticipation is higher than ever after two years away from the playa. Things …Read More