JRS VOLUME #8; ISSUE #13
JRS V8:#13:12.16.03
Burning Man Update: The Jack Rabbit Speaks
Volume 8, Issue 13
December 16, 2003
Best BMan office giggle this week: someone graffiti’d the white board in the craft room with “What’s a Gerlach you doing in a place like this?” (It’s no secret that I harbor a proclivity for corny puns…)
As 2003 barrels to a close, we begin to wonder what ever happened to the “slow season” around this place. We’re excited to see what’s taking place: being a part of Burning Man, in many ways, affects the mindset of its participants to the point that they are thinking about new ways of looking at life – and acting upon those ideas – all year… and we’re only too happy to try to keep up with them.
So, what’s to think about in December, when the playa is a very very cold lake and its dust in your garage has finally settled for the season? Check it out: a very important update from the Black Rock Arts Foundation, requests and searches for footage and pics, some early theme camp ideas, a reminder about the lovely Burning Man calendar, and some tales and stories from members of our community… plus, of course, events and happenings in your area (NYE in SF, anyone?)
Now if you’ll excuse me, (ahem) I’ve got to go take my Santa suit to the dry cleaners…
Oh, and PS… APB on the ancient white Toyota pickup truck that someone borrowed from our parking lot. If you have it, please bring it back? We’ve reported it stolen.
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=========TABLE OF CONTENTS=========
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BLACK ROCK CITY NEWS:
– Black Rock Art Foundation update
– Theme Camp Photos Needed for BM Image Archives
– Burning Xmas Gift Idea
PARTICIPATE:
– Video Search: Bluegrass Short Film?
– Temple of Gravity in Southern California
– Help Build the Sand Castle
– BMan Volunteer Fireman Loses House in SoCal
– Found Art?
– Pictures of Leaping Man at Temple of Gravity?
– Or, a Man on Not-Really-a-Bike?
– Or, a Sasshopper?
– Update: Boulder Creek Burner Headed to Iraq in January
EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS:
– Clan Destino Masquerade in LA Dec. 20
– Anon Salon NYE in SF
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========BLACK ROCK CITY NEWS=======
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BLACK ROCK ART FOUNDATION UPDATE
Our “nurse” Jessica Bobier speaks with an update on BRAF!
Seasons Greetings! Welcome to the newsletter within a newsletter! For those of you who don’t know us, the Black Rock Arts Foundation funds year-round interactive art like that which all of us have experienced in Black Rock City.
We are approaching our third year and hope to fund more art than we have in any grant cycle before. This year we are focusing on helping the Burning Man Regional Network foster art in their local communities.
BRAF Receives its First Grant
This past October, BRAF and the Rex Foundation convened over lunch. The gathering included myself, Larry, Marian and Harley and several Rex Foundation board members including Freddy Hahne, MG, Nick Morgan and executive director Sandy Sohot. Soon after meeting, we received a call from Rex telling us that BRAF was being awarded a grant to further our mission. This is the first grant BRAF has ever received and it is an honor to name the Rex Foundation as the grantor. On behalf of our members, board of directors and our friends, I extend a warm and spirited Thank You to the Rex Foundation for their support and faith in BRAF.
The Rex Foundation was founded by the members of the Grateful Dead and friends in 1983 (rexfoundation.org). They have provided grants to community groups over the years with emphasis on the overall betterment of community through the arts, education and social services. Several of the Rex board members have been going to Burning Man for years, and the collective group embodies a spirit dedicated to community, creativity, growth and art. It is a natural and organic connection that exists between Rex and BRAF. We look forward to a possible fundraising collaboration in the future.
Seattle Burning Man Community Contributes to BRAF
When I received an envelope in the mail yesterday that measured over 12″ x 16″, my curiosity was piqued. Once I opened the large envelope and took out the oversized card, I was richly rewarded. It was a magnificent creation from the Seattle Community accompanying a community donation of over $6200 to the Foundation, a result of their SeaCompression Party (burningmanseattle.com/seacompression). It is a singularly significant contribution, the first of its size to come from a Regional group.
Beyond the fact that this contribution will noticeably increase the amount we can dedicate to grants this year, it models a convection BRAF would like to foster between itself and the Burning Man Regionals. This year our focus is to help strengthen the art and community events on a local level. We want to fund art in the Regional communities to facilitate this. To this end, we are forming a grant advisory committee this year which will be comprised of members of the Regional Network, so that we can better identify artists whose work embodies the elements of interactivity and participation. Ultimately we would like to see interactive art travel from one Regional event to the next.
The BRAF board heartily thanks the greater Seattle Burning Man Community, all the people who participated in SeaCompression and the Regional contact, David Peterman, who rallies the Seattle community on a regular basis. This is the second year running that Seattle has contributed to the Foundation. Hooray! A Huge Gracious Thank You to Seattle!
David Best Print and Membership Drive
We are at the tail end of this drive that we started in August to help David with his continuing works. Thank you to everyone who has made it a successful fundraising project including our members, the folks at Trillium Press, the BRAF board, and David for giving us the prints.
We still have some here at the office. We want to raise more money to give to artists this year, and we’d like to give larger grants. We want new members. If you would like to support interactive art and help David’s ongoing work, please join BRAF today.
Each lithograph is a beautiful rendering of the Temple of Honor and hand painted by David. Become a member at the $350 level and we will send you one of the few remaining David’s original prints. Please visit the website to see an image of it: blackrockarts.org. If you still need to get just the right gift for your special Burning Man friend, David’s print might be just the ticket.
If you are in part motivated to make a donation for tax purposes, the David Best Membership is not eligible for a tax deduction unless your contribution is greater than $350. For more information, email Jess:
jess
Year End Contributions
If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation for this tax year, please send your pledge via email to
jess
Until Next Year
We are coming up on our third grant cycle this winter. The Letter of Inquiry Applications will be available online starting in February 2004. We look forward to seeing more fun and thought-provoking proposals this year. If you know someone in your hometown who creates collaborative and participatory art, please encourage them to apply. For more information, please visit our website and write Jess at info@blackrockarts.org
Happy Holidays and we’ll see you next year!
Jessica Bobier
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THEME CAMP PHOTOS NEEDED FOR BM IMAGE ARCHIVES
Hello Themecampers! It’s that time of the year, when we archive all our art and themecamp information from the previous year’s event as part of our permanent historical record for Burning Man. Yes, it’s a pretty big and important task and we need your HELP!
If you have not already done so, organize within your campmates and submit ONE, TWO, or maybe even THREE photos of your registered themecamp. Please focus on photos that demonstrate the artistry or interactivity of your camp. If possible, try to avoid huge group photos because, let’s face it, you can’t actually see anyone in those shots and it’s not really that interesting to see a bunch of people holding beer cans unless you’re one of the people pictured. 🙂 Please don’t flood the Image Gallery with hundreds of shots from your camp, as we only need a few good ones for the archives.
You can see the 2002 themecamp archives at:
burningman.com…02_camp_vill_1.html
Thanks for your help with this. It’s an almost impossible task to get photos of every camp, but with your help we can get a lot of them!
With love from your dedicated documentrix…
CameraGirl
AKA Heather Gallagher
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BURNING XMAS GIFT IDEA
Looking for gift ideas for the holidays?
The Burning Man 2004 calendar is available through our on-line Marketplace at: marketplace.burningman.com
And it is also available at 3 retail outlets, which are Burner owned-and-operated:
-Distractions, 1552 Haight Street, San Francisco.
-Berkeley Hat Company, 2510 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley.
-Melting Pot, 888 South Virginia St, Reno.
Price is $15. The calendar covers September 2003 through August 2004 and includes an additional page with Sept-Dec 2004.
This beautiful 16-page calendar contains more than 85 images by over 32 photographers and is filled with historic Burning Man information, unusual factoids and unique cultural events not listed in any other calendar. The photographs span the history of the event, including the very first burn. Stick this to your wall and mark the days until the next Burn.
Guaranteed mom and cubicle friendly!
Ho!
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============PARTICIPATE!===========
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VIDEO SEARCH: “BLUEGRASS” SHORT FILM?
We’re trying to round out the video archive for a special project, and my boss, the Jackrabbit, keeps mentioning this great little video from a few years back that we don’t seem to have. It featured two minutes of fast-paced images of Burning Man, and was set to a lively bluegrass score.
If the producer of this delightful little film could please get in touch, we’d REALLY love to have a copy ASAP!
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TEMPLE OF GRAVITY IN SOUTHERN CAL
A little bird tells us that BM 2003’s Temple of Gravity will be on display on December 19th in Desert Hot Springs, CA (north of Palm Springs.) For more information, check in with the Orange County burners at groups.yahoo.com, under ocburners.
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HELP BUILD THE SAND CASTLE
Steve Mobia writes:
“After starting the Lamplighters and running the lamplighter camp at Burning Man until 1999, I now have another interesting project in mind. If successful, it could be an ongoing yearly camp.
As dreamlike as the Burning Man experience is, to my knowledge there has not been a theme camp entirely devoted to dreams (the nighttime kind). For most of my life the topic of dreams and sleep has fascinated me. Though there are a variety of theories concerning why we dream, there is scientific consensus that nearly everyone dreams (though they may not remember them). Dreams have been a fascinating subject for many cultures.
For a couple of years at Halloween, I dressed as “the Sandman” in a robe covered in sand, wearing a sandglass and sleeping cap (also completely covered in sand.) Thinking back on this, it seemed that there could be a camp populated by sandpeople who would help others with their dreams. Of course there are many ways to approach the subject of dreams, and many techniques.
Throughout the years there have been numerous theories about the usefulness of dreams and attempts to understanding their purpose. Early in the 20th century Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung placed great importance on dreams, especially for therapeutic use in psychology. Others have stressed a more biological/material basis, which downplays psychological significance. The jury is still out on both the meaning of dream content and the possible biological and mental usefulness of dreaming.
The Sand Castle will not push any one specific theory but does present dreams as creative and exciting experiences. Creativity often involves taking something out of its normal context and re-imagining it in another one. This is the stock and trade of “dream thinking”. Since strong emotions are often brought up in dreams, these experiences are valuable to share with others as one might share a strong waking world experience. One could even say that regardless of the any intrinsic meaning in a dream, if the exploration produces value, then dream exploration is valuable.
The façade of the camp will be made of scaffold and sand covered canvas, made to resemble a sand castle. Inside will be all kinds of dreamlike activities including: sand tray work, a dream theater with costumes for reenacting dreams, a movie screen for surreal films at night, a dream art gallery, a chamber for sleeping with pillows that emit sounds, and guided dream re-entry. Our camp “art car” will be a large rolling (possibly motor driven) bed which could be used to bring sleepers to the castle (or stage an impromptu dream theater event).
To pull this off, I’ll need at least 12 committed people (the more the better.) Some will be needed to design and build the castle or rolling bed. Hopefully some will have studied dreamwork or psychology as I hope to truly get people to share their dreams and gain some insight. I’m open to a variety of approaches concerning dreams. Each sandperson will contribute their own knowledge and experience to the camp and those who enter. Any interested people please contact Steve Mobia at:
hindragal33”
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BM VOLUNTEER FIREMAN LOSES HOUSE IN SOCAL WILDFIRE
This from Burning Man Volunteer Fireman George Patton. See below for how to help.
Just a short note to all my friends at ESD Fire Dept. During the recent wild fire in San Diego, the Cedar fire burned 300,000 acres. The first six hours 100,000 acres alone burned. My crew was dispatched in the beginning on Saturday afternoon as a smoke check; the rest is history. We ran nonstop for two days in San Diego. Then the fire turned and headed for our homes in the San Diego mountains.
On Tuesday we faced a fire storm with 50 MPH winds. Day became night. All resources were gone elsewhere. We were on our own. 1 Engine, 1 Brush Truck, 1 Water Tender and at the last minute a Forestry unit strike team showed up to help. We saved our fire station and a few other structures. More than 200 homes were lost. My home, and the homes of all of my crew, were burned to the ground. I am proud of my crew, and we’re going to rebuild our homes. My wife and I are looking forward to Burning Man 2004. It will be my 3rd and her 2nd.
George Hatton
Captain, Julian Cuyamaca FD
ESD Fire Branch 219
ESD Chief Joseph Pred writes: David Barr (Fire 2) will coordinate donations to George, his family, his department, and his town on behalf of any Burner wishing to contribute. PayPal donations can go to dafydd2277, with a note that it’s for George. For other donation suggestions, please contact him privately:
david_barr
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FOUND ART?
Wally Glenn (who organizes wonderful community service events with burners in Seattle!) writes:
“Dear Fellow Burning Man Participants,
In 2003 I worked with Seattle Glass artist Rodman Miller to try something an experiment I have wanted to do since 1997. I placed some glass body moulds into the base of the Man filled with glass. Rodman and I did several moulds. My face, his hands, the buttocks of Brian Foley and the breasts of Ballou. We made the moulds at Burning Earth, the glass camp, then transported them out to the base of the man and loaded them with glass.
After the man burned and the ashes cooled, I poked around to see what happened to the project. I did this for two reasons. One, if it was successful, I would see my work. If it was a failure, I would clean up the mess. I was too tired and found nothing so I went to bed. The next day I found the shattered remains of several of the moulds, but there was no trace of the glass. The experiment worked! The glass melted and the moulds released. But now I want to know the rest of the story.
This is where you come in.
Someone, it could even be you, found the glass castings. I would really like to know the stories and anecdotes of where they ended up and if any photos exist. Any stories at all. I do not want the castings back, unless you really do not want them. We made them so that others would find them and take them away as a gift. I just want to know what happened to them. Call it a form of barter. You get the art, we get the anecdote. The photos we need so we can assess how everything turned out.
My e-mail address is wally.”
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PICTURES OF LEAPING MAN AT THE TEMPLE OF GRAVITY?
A burner writes:
“You captured incredible shots my leap of faith (at the Temple of Gravity) Friday afternoon. I can’t tell you how grateful I’d be to see them again. Perhaps it’s not meant to be, but it would help me to remember the courage of that moment and the connection I felt to everyone who watched. Thanks and love,
nascentipede”
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OR, A MAN ON A NOT-REALLY-A-BIKE?
Jake Lyal writes:
“Does anyone have any photos of a strange single-wheel vehicle with the driver in front, that only made it out onto the playa one time, on the Saturday, around 5 or 6pm. We were finally on our way to register it at DMV, as, though we were pre-registered, we’d been having mechanical troubles all week. We didn’t get any photos of it on the playa itself, and we’d LOVE some. This is what it looks like:
yahoo.com…RIOT+Wheel&.dnm=0009.jpg
If you got a pic, hit him at jclsoft.
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OR, A SASSHOPPER?
“I was a very sassy Grasshopper one day on the playa this year and I don’t have any good photos of myself. I had over a 100 photos taken of me by strangers but none have made their way back to me.
I was in all neon green… wig, legs, a little skirt. Topless (of course), thigh high dark green platform boots, and big wire bug eyes.
I would love to track down some photos of that costume. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
love,
The Grassplopper
smargeentha”
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UPDATE: BOULDER CREEK BURNER HEADED TO IRAQ IN JANUARY
In November we reported on Boulder Creek burner Karen Oeh, best known at BM for her work on the Yahoo Education Project, who was about to head to Iraq. We just received word that it is still too dangerous for her to travel all the way to her destination in northern Iraq, so she is now planning to leave in January. As a reminder, she will be working in the northern city of Erbil, teaching the local Kurds how to exhume mass graves and identify victims so they can be returned to their families. She’ll then move to the southern city if Sumawa where she will help exhume the grave sites. To keep tabs on her travels, read her blog at mountaingirl.blogs.com or catch it through Burning Beach at burningbeach.com.
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========EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS======
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All these happenings and more are on our YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR. Check it out to find (or post!) upcoming events in your city.
burningman.com/calendar/yearround
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CLAN DESTINO MASQUERADE IN LOS ANGELES DECEMBER 20
Clan Destino Presents
Masquerade
FLYING Z STUDIO
416 Salsipuedes Street, Santa Barbara, CA View Map
Saturday, December 20, 8:00pm. 21 and over.
Put on your favorite mask. We all wear them. Joy, Lust, Sorrow, Fear, Passion, Bliss are to name but a few…
Join us at 8pm for the show of the year
-DJs, dancing, full bar
-Aerial acrobatics, fire, burlesque
And of course,
-the Red Fur Silver Streak Lounge.
$TBD – drinks included.
Call 805-966-9328 or visit theclandestino.org/Upcoming.htm for more information.
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ANON SALON NEW YEAR’S EVE IN SF
(We always get questions at NY: What’s to do in SF if you want to hang with the Burning Man community on NYE? Here’s one place we know you’ll see a lot of familiar faces.)
SEA OF DREAMS ’04 – Trident’s Tale
NEW YEAR’S EVE-OLUTION: Wednesday, December 31, 2003
8:30pm – 4:30am
In the three radiant REGENCY CENTER BALLROOMS, PLUS the adjacent AVALON BALLROOM
1300 Van Ness @ Sutter St., SF
An Epic Evening’s Journey into the Mythology of Revelry!
Traverse multiple dream worlds filled with inspiring art, music, performance and dance. Your Participation is Requested. Costumes and Passions VERY Encouraged.
ADVANCE TICKETS @ tickets.anonsalon.com
See performances and art by playa friends such as THE MUTAYTOR, LOST AT LAST, XENO, MARISA LEINHARDT, DR. FRIENDLY, JENNE GILES, PERI PFENINGER, and many, many more!
Come dressed as your dream. Share your dream with others!
ADVANCE TICKETS: $65.00 (before 12/20)
@ tickets.anonsalon.com
(21 & OVER)
or drop by StreetLightRecords.com
* SAN FRANCISCO – 3979 24th Street (near Noe)/ 1.888.682.3550
* SAN JOSE – 980 South Bascom Avenue/ 1.888.330.7776
* SANTA CRUZ – 939 South Pacific Avenue/ 1.888.648.9201
or @ Famous For Our Look
* MILL VALLEY – 96 Throckmorton/ 415.388.2550
(Three Entrances, Lots of Parking (Parking Info on the website) & Public Transport)
SEA OF DREAMS INFO: anonsalon.com
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{Soundtrack to the JRS: Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow: “Private Sides” EP.
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======ON & OFF THIS CRAZY LIST======
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Email us or questions any time with questions. Email jackrabbitspeaks by 2 PM PST on Tuesday for post requests. (We don’t post all requests, however.)
For questions: questions
old rabbits: burningman.com…jrs
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—
Andie Grace, Actiongrl
Office of the Jack Rabbit
http://www.burningman.com 