Artists’ Symposium 2015

In the spirit of facilitating collaborative connections, Burning Man Arts created the first ever Artists’ Symposium, an all-day event for artists to share knowledge and connect around mutual goals and needs. We’ve recorded and posted the symposium’s keynote event and workshops. We hope symposium will serve as a catalyst for future sharing and learning among artists in our community.

The Art Lifecycle: Case studies in collaboration, installation, and long-term planning.

  • Moderator: Stuart Mangrum (Director of Education, Burning Man)
  • Team Building — Catie McGee (Artist, Flux Foundation)
  • Build Week — Zach Coffin (Artist)
  • Burn — Dave X (Burning Man Arts)
  • Beyond the Playa — Kate Raudenbush (Artist)

Workshop 1: Project Management Basics

  • Moderator: Melissa Alexander (Exploratorium)
  • Team Leads — Jess Hobbs (Artist, Flux Foundation)
  • Volunteer Management — Pouneh Mortazavi (Artist, Flaming Lotus Girls)
  • Logistics — Cathryn Blum (Project Manager for Peter Hudson)

Workshop 2: Fundraising Basics

  • Moderator: Rae Richman (Philanthropy Advisor)
  • Creative Fundraising — Julia Whitelaw (Fundraiser)
  • Grant Seeking — Josie Schimke (Burning Man Arts)
  • Crowdsource Fundraising — Alisa Cordesius (Indiegogo)
  • To Schwag or not Schwag — Melissa Barron (Artist)

Workshop 3: Engineering Basics. Learn how to create safe and sturdy art.

  • Moderator: Jonathan Knowles (Director of Strategic Initiatives, Autodesk)
  • Design and Stuff — John “Parts” Taylor (Artist, Lumigeeks)
  • Electrical & Lighting — Joejoe Martin (Artist)
  • Structural Requirements — Eric Kneer (Engineer, Holmes Culley)
  • Climbing Considerations — Presenter: Zach Coffin (Artist)

Workshop 4: Your Art in Public Places: Getting Your Work Funded and Placed Off-Playa

  • Moderator: JD Beltran (President of the Board of the San Francisco Art Commission, Art Institute of San Francisco)
  • Navigating Civic Bureaucracies — David Shulman (Artist, 5 Ton Crane; CFO Digital Obscura)
  • Community Engagement in Public Spaces — Maria Jensen (SFMOMA)
  • Delivering the Perfect Pitch! — Kate Raudenbush (Artist)
  • Representation Modalities — Laura Kimpton (Artist)

Opening Panel

Workshop 1: Project Management Basics

Workshop 2: Fundraising Basics

Workshop 3: Engineering Basics

Workshop 4: Your Art in Public Spaces