Burning Man Arts FAQ

On July 26, 2014, The Black Rock Arts Foundation announced that the organization will join forces with the Black Rock City Art Department in creation of the Burning Man Arts program, managed by the Burning Man Project.

The creation of Burning Man Arts will bring more art to more people around the world – it will benefit artists, donors and the broader community. The mission of Burning Man Arts is to change the paradigm of art from a commodified object to an interactive, participatory, shared experience of creative expression.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What’s happening to Black Rock Arts Foundation?
A. Black Rock City’s art department and Black Rock Arts Foundation are joining together to create one unified art program called ‘Burning Man Arts’. This will result in more art being placed in communities worldwide, and more art available for the annual event in the Black Rock Desert. It will streamline operations, and create additional services for artists and opportunities for donors.
Q. Isn’t that a merger?
A. No, it’s not technically a merger. Legally speaking, Black Rock Arts Foundation is becoming a subsidiary of Burning Man Project. Operationally, the two organizations are bringing their resources together to create one robust art program that will work on projects both on and off the playa.
Q. What are the benefits of doing this?
A. This change will benefit artists and donors, and will ultimately lead to more art being created and enjoyed by more people around the globe. It breaks down the barrier between art on playa and art in the world, and instead creates one entity that will work in the interest of both. Artists will have more opportunities to receive funding and other forms of support, and donors will have a new range of options for supporting the arts.
Q. What is the timeline for this to take place?
A. The legal transaction was completed on July 24, 2014. The transition and restructuring of the entities will occur over the coming months and into 2015.
Q. What happens to the BRAF Board?
A. Many of the BRAF Board members have stepped down and we thank them for their dedication and service building a vibrant, successful arts organization over the past 13 years. A scaled down version of the BRAF Board will continue to exist. We are working with members of the board to engage them in new ways with Burning Man Project and Burning Man Arts.
Q. How does this affect current BRAF staff?
A. Current BRAF staff will continue to administer BRAF programs and projects through their new roles at the Burning Man Project.
Q. How will decisions on grants be made?
A. Burning Man and BRAF grant programs will continue to award grants based on the same criteria as before. While we will create some additional efficiency by merging these programs and sharing tools and other resources, we don’t anticipate making immediate changes to our grant criteria or decision-making bodies.
Q. How are current BRAF programs being affected?
A. We don’t expect the transition to have any major immediate effect on existing projects, grants or grant applications. They will be completed within the framework of BRAF in collaboration with Burning Man Project.
Q. What new programs are being planned for?
A. None at this time, but there are some ideas being explored for the future.
Q. What becomes of a donation I already made to BRAF?
A. Your previous donations to BRAF will still fund participatory and collaborative community art projects around the world, funded under the same criteria as the BRAF Grants to Artists and Civic Arts programs. If you’ve donated to a specific BRAF project or program, your funds will still support that project or program. If you made a “general” donation to BRAF, your funds will support future public art projects produced by Burning Man.
Q. What if I want to make a donation to Burning Man Arts moving forward?
A. At this time you can still donate through the BRAF website. In the very near future there will be a new way to donate to art programs through the Burning Man Project. While details are yet to be determined, donors will have the option of directing support specifically to arts.
Q. What will happen to the BRAF website, newsletter and other communication channels?
A. We are working to fold in the content of the BRAF website into the new BurningMan.org. We are looking at options for what to do with the newsletter and social media tools. We would like to have a unified voice for sharing information with artists, donors and the wider community about Burning Man Arts. Burning Man’s communication channels will be sharing information about the activities and opportunities of Burning Man Arts.
Q. I’ve got a great idea for an art piece, community event, etc.! How can I get the Project’s support?
A. We are not developing new programs at this time. You can email info@burningmanproject.org if you have an idea you’d like to have considered in the future.