2008 Media Coverage

Build it, burn it - and they will come to First Night

on December 29, 2008by Jeanne Claire van Ryzinin Austin (TX) American Statesman/Austin360.com

For artists Dave Umlas and Merrilee Ratcliffe, the satisfaction is in the ephemeral - like 34-foot clock that burns

Burning Man meets Havdallah at synagogue in S.F.

on December 12, 2008by Amanda Pazornikin Jewish News Weekly of Northern California

Burning Man is an example of where young Jews are congregating to express their Judaism in nontraditional settings, Bleyer said. Jews celebrate Shabbat, it's in the middle of the desert and half of them are naked.

'Night Lights' in Scottsdale

on November 17, 2008by Kellie Hwangin Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

Mark Lottor, who works in technology and software, introduced his piece Cubatron at the 2004 Burning... The piece consists of thousands of round LED lights programmed to change colors and effects.

Victims of Hurricane Ike Receive Helping Hand in Texas

on November 15, 2008by Jennifer Hetrickin Construction Equipment Guide

Recently, BWB (Burners Without Borders) returned to the Gulf Coast..., Four Seasons Equipment, donated a Hyundai loader and excavator... `We started tearing down houses that afternoon.'

NEXT: Design Industry News That Matters

on November 1, 2008by Michelle Tautein STEP Inside Design Magazine

You've probably heard the question “Paper or plastic?” so many times at the grocery store, it's stopped having any real meaning. An art project at this year's Burning Man festival might jolt you out of complacency.

Out-of-towners give their time to Sabine Pass residents

on November 1, 2008by Darragh Doironin The Port Arthur (TX) News

Based on his reputation, Four Seasons Equipment representatives donated nearly half a million dollars in equipment to a man they'd never met (Richard Scott of BWB) to tear down Sabine Pass structures Hurricane Ike destroyed.

Dry-Ice Martini and Electric Cake

on October 29, 2008by Julia Moskinin New York Times

Mr. Buckley drove his cryogenic ice cream truck (a DHL truck he...converted himself) to the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, stocked with every flavoring he could think of... pomegranate syrup, single-malt whiskey, beets...

Solar panels installed on new UNR student union

on October 28, 2008in AP via San Diego Union-Tribune

The University of Nevada, Reno has dedicated new solar panels to provide energy to the Joe Crowley Student Union.... made possible by partnering with Black Rock Solar...
Additional coverage from Alternative Energy Retailer

Creative fire: Charlotte artists join 49,500 at play in Burning Man's bizarre alternative universe

on October 17, 2008by Hardin Minorin Charlotte Observer

This is my story of the transformative power of collaborative creativity and what I think it means for the future of our Great Democracy.

Decompression party is for burners and civilians alike - Relive the playa's glory or get your first taste Saturday

on October 14, 2008by Clint Demerittin Metromix.com Reno Edition

Held all over the world, the parties celebrate the successful burning of The Man... The event also helps to connect the Burning Man to the real world.

Hot hobby: Playing with fire - Performers capturing thrill of fire spinning

on September 30, 2008by Megan Twoheyin Chicago Tribune

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the gathering near Foster Avenue Beach was growing, from dozens to over 100. The fire-handling tools were laid out—chains, metal staffs, even hula hoops.

The Greening of Burning Man

on September 25, 2008by Suzanne Robertsin National Geographic Travel Magazine

Burning Man has been repeatedly called `counter-culture,' and maybe it is time to take the lessons of that `counter-culture,' and look at the way in which our American culture has lived counter to the environment.

Reader Travelogue: Olive Branch woman soaks up annual Burning Man event

on September 21, 2008by Angi Cooper, The Commercial Appeal (Memphisin TN)

Imagine yourself... underneath a snow globe sky -- huge and magnificent. To your left is the muffled sound of a distant rave beat, to your right is a slow moving 20-foot-tall copper dragon, behind you is a pair of flame jugglers...

How I Got Here: At The Helm of Burning Man

on September 17, 2008by Dennis Nishiin The Wall Street Journal

Dennis Nishi spoke with founder Larry Harvey about how he became the founder and organizer of Burning Man. ...says Mr. Harvey, ‘We're not exactly comparable with other more commercial enterprises.’

The city is missing

on September 9, 2008by (automated English translation)
Esteban Peicovich, La Nación (Buenos Aires
in Argentina)

...pilgrims arriving in vehicles invented for the occasion camped in the desert and celebrate their lives as you want... spontaneous and multiple surrealism... It is a journey to humility. The best therapy.

Burning Man art sprouts up in downtown Reno

on September 7, 2008by Geralda Millerin Reno Gazette-Journal

An empty lot on the corner of Sierra Street and the Truckee River in downtown Reno has been converted into a coppice of sculptures that originally were exhibited at Burning Man 2007... Eight trees made from recycled materials

related photos at downtownmakeover.com (images 16-19 in gallery)

49,599 attended Burning Man festival

on September 3, 2008by Kristin Larsenin Reno Gazette-Journal (archivcd by Friends of Black Rock/High Rock)

In keeping with the American Dream theme, this year's Burning Man festival featured bigger, badder toys.

added photo essays and blog coverage from Reno Gazette-Journal

HUMMER crashes Burning Man in a big way

on September 2, 2008by Jeremy Korzeniewskiin Autoblog.com

Take a good look at this Hummer replica that towered over the unique individuals who gathered themselves together at the Playa

American Dreamers Run Free at Burning Man

on August 29, 2008by wired.comin Kat Wade

[Burning Man] celebrates that most-American ideal: freedom. Freedom to ride a giant red, white and blue tricycle across the playa; freedom to blow your mind however you want; freedom to traipse around wearing nothing but body paint.

Burning Man pays for NHP troopers

on August 29, 2008by Scott Sonnerin Associated Press (via Tahoe Daily Tribune)

...organizers have contracted with the Nevada Highway Patrol to provide a dozen or more extra troopers a day through the weekend to assist motorists and help keep a remote 74-mile stretch of state highway safe.

Burning with anticipation

on August 28, 2008in San Francisco Chronicle

Attendees are flocking to the remote festival site known as Black Rock City from all over the world, but the biggest crowds aren't expected until Friday.
additional coverage from San Francisco Chronicle at

Electric kool-aid acid carousel: Artist Anthony Bondi prepares 'Merry Go Down' for Burning Man

on August 28, 2008by Las Vegas City Lifein Jarret Keene

Once the sun goes down, the batteries held in steel baskets will trigger the carousel's self-contained lighting. Also, SuperBalls that light up and change color when struck are crammed into large, gridded panels, allowing for a distinct and dynamic post-sunset appearance.

Bright Light, Fake City: Burning Man's own brand of art

on August 27, 2008by Judi Brawerin Boise (Idaho) Weekly

Greg Briggs...created a DJ-controlled flamethrower that shoots tongues of fire out over a crowd in time with music. By day, this pyrotechnician actually fights fires as a 13-year veteran of the Boise Fire Department.

Burning Man Calling: PhoneCar Roams the Playa

on August 27, 2008by Wired.comin Jeffrey Schwartz

Howard Davis wasn't thinking about Burning Man when he tore apart a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle and fashioned a road-worthy ride that looks like a push-button phone from the '80s... and only this year decided to bring the PhoneCar, in part to celebrate his 50th birthday.

Burning Man Art Build 08

on August 25, 2008in TV Free Burning Man - Current TV

Every year thousands of people descend onto Black Rock to build a city in the desert from scratch. And for many of the artists and engineers, the period of set-up before the gates actually open has become the most important part of this yearly event.
More TV Free Burning Man coverage available at Current.com

TV Free Burning Man Coverage

on August 25, 2008in Current.com

CurrentTV provided spectacular coverage of Burning Man 2007. The live feed of the burn and other great video pods can be seen here.

Burners Take Festival Far Beyond The Playa

on August 23, 2008by Reno Gazette-Journal (archived via personal blog)in Kristin S. Larsen

What started as a small group of friends... in 1986 on a San Francisco beach, has exploded into hundreds of regional events and tens of thousands of participants scattered across the globe.

Not your usual summer vacation

on August 22, 2008by NJ.com/Morristown (NJ) Greenin Katie Thomson

I simply tell them I'm going camping in the desert in Nevada. This is a true statement. However it doesn't even come close to explaining what I am doing.

from the same author: Back from Burning Man. . . to the default world (Sep 25 2008)

Playa Posh: Luxury Living at Burning Man

on August 19, 2008by Wired.comin Renée Davidson

I discovered some clever options for living large on the playa without leaving a big footprint. Though all three solutions were rather low-tech, none would be accessible to Burners without the internet or open source.

Priming for Burning Man, Flames in Hand

on August 14, 2008by New York Timesin Apr Dembosky

Four hours a night, three nights a week, for the last three months, about 80 people have rotated through this basement apartment for craft sessions. None will see the final presentation of their work until it is assembled in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.

Art ablaze: Local artists prepare for Burning Man

on August 10, 2008by Reno Gazette-Journalin Geralda Miller

The freedom to express one's creativity also defines the American Dream, and Crimson Rose, managing art director for Burning Man, says it's happening in Reno.. Includes: Damian Janssen.s .Zsu Zsu. David Boyer.s kinetic sculptures and Matthew Welter.s .Hand of Order.

Black Rock Unplugged: Before and after Burning Man, silence fills the ethereally empty landscape

on July 27, 2008by Sundayin Meredith May, San Francisco Chronicle

The Playa, a dry desert lakebed in northwestern Nevada, is so flat it creates mirages.Black Rock's blank canvas is the essence of its majesty. emigrants from Oregon came through in the 1850's on their way to California looking for gold. leaving deep tracks that are still there.

Mathematical Tourist: A Tetrix at Burning Man

on July 14, 2008by Mathematical Association of America Onlinein Ivars Peterson

Mathematician. Gwen Fisher of California Polytechnic [and Paul Brown are building] an adult-sized jungle gym in the form of a Sierpin'ski tetrahedron (or tetrix) for the event. 'Bat Country' will stand 21 feet tall and be built from 384 aluminum baseball bats, and 130 12-inch softballs.

Steam Punks in the Trees

on July 9, 2008by East Bay Expressin Rachel Swan

. to create a piece of vintage fantasy-world architecture using scrap repurposed from the streets of West Oakland. Orlando had, at his disposal, sixty part-time workers, a small grant from Burning Man, and six months

Entertainers enjoy going up in flames

on July 4, 2008by Muskegon (MI) Chroniclein Marla Miller

Billed as the premier 'extreme fire show' of the West Michigan lakeshore .Colquitt created West Michigan Burnerz in 2003 after he attended Burning Man

Burned Out on Burning Man: Can the artistic free-for-all go green?

on July 1, 2008by Sierra Club Magazinein Matthew Taylor

Event organizers had long promoted a 'leave no trace' ethic and ensured that volunteers scrub the desert of the last cigarette, but a chorus of demands for increased environmental responsibility helped motivate last year's eco-theme: Green Man.

Bad Parent: 96 Degrees in the Shade - I took my preschooler to Burning Man.

on June 26, 2008by babble.comin Kris Vagner

But if you've been a parent for any length of time, you're used to parties raging on without you. .I just felt privileged to be the one showing them that there were adults out there. whose powers of imagination could compete with a three-year-old's.

Nevada Tribe Gets Solar Power From Burning Man

on May 31, 2008by Oakland CAin Anon, KTVU.com

Students at a school on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation will get a firsthand lesson... a new solar energy system at Natchez Elementary School in Wadsworth (NV)... built through donated labor from Black Rock Solar.“

Burn, Baby, Burn: Should I bring the kids to Burning Man?

on May 21, 2008by East Bay Express (Emeryville)in Kris Vagner

People who believe so strongly in art and fun that they're willing to haul a week's worth of food, water, shelter, and silly clothing out to a barren lakebed in Northern Nevada to share good times with 40,000 strangers. Those were the things – and people – I wanted my kid to see.“

ZeroOne Preview

on May 14, 2008by Silicon Valley Metro/MetroActive.comin Gary Singh

Hudson first displayed Homouroboros at Burning Man last year. the Children's Discovery Museum should provide a perfect downtown San Jose setting for this project, which is simultaneously primeval and technological [yet] simple enough to appeal to those from 1 to 92.

'False Space' residential gallery brings art to life

on April 28, 2008by University of Texas at Dallas Mercuryin Mishia Teplitskiy

The exhibition includes an installation by a Dutch artist Daniel Rozenberg called 'Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia.' During his residency at Centraltrak Rozenberg will prepare a much larger model for Nevada's 'Burning Man' festival.

No sugar at this 'tea party' : Annual benefit gives offbeat local artists chance to shine

on April 24, 2008by University of Arizona Wildcatin Laura Hawkins

What do you get when you combine fire, clowns, good music and children's literature? No, not some kind of terrifying ritual book-burning. It's 'Ms. Spyder's Combustible Tea Party,' .Think of it as a small sliver of Burning Man

Environmental Heroes - Harnessing the Sun: Tom Price

on April 21, 2008in People Magazine

Black Rock Solar... brings solar power - a clean and renewable source of energy - to schools and hospitals in low-income communities

Environmental Graffiti Interview: Tom Price

on April 14, 2008by Environmental Grafittiin Robert Knox

...if we ...could get volunteers from Burning Man to help build and install [solar power] for not very much wages, then we could build it pretty much for free

Sculptor envisions colorful steel birds for Capitol Hill subway station

on April 4, 2008in Biloxi (MS) Sun Herald

Take a pair of used fighter jets. Rearrange the slices so that each plane curves, like a heron taking flight...That's the vision of Mike Ross, the public-art sculptor for Sound Transit's future underground station at Capitol Hill...[who built] 'Big Rig Jig'.last year for. Burning Man

Burn on the Bayou' showcases Burning Man participants' post-Katrina relief efforts

on March 21, 2008by CNET news.comin Daniel Terdiman

Burn on the Bayou is a strong film that successfully shows how a large group of people took it upon themselves to run to help communities that were in no position to help themselves.

Tanker, Tanker in the Sky: An artist.s tribute to truck power

on March 1, 2008by RoadKing magazinein Justine Ingersoll

Big Rig Jig [seen at BM 2007] was inspired by a cross-country hitch-hiking tour Ross took with his fiancée, Nicole, years ago. The couple caught the majority of their rides with truck drivers, and Ross found himself fascinated by the people and places he saw along the way.

'Big Rig Jig' artist lands Sound Transit gig

on February 23, 2008by Seattle Timesin Mike Lindblom

For its future Capitol Hill light-rail station, transit officials have hired Mike Ross... whose sculpture of tanker trucks — 'Big Rig Jig' — was a highlight of last year's Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. Barbara Luecke, Sound Transit's public-art administrator, said she pursued Ross after she saw 'Big Rig Jig' at Burning Man.

Taking the desert by storm

on January 21, 2008by Government Computer News (GCN.com)in Joab Jackson

..all we could see was a wash of yellowish-orange flying sand and debris. Iraq? No, the 2007 Burning Man arts festival....How does one make a newspaper in the middle of the desert? The enterprise has indeed left a long line of damaged, sandblasted equipment.

Black Rock Solar

on January 16, 2008by Worldchanging.comin Jeremy Faludi

Ever heard of someone donating a 90-kilowatt solar array? Ever heard of them doing it over and over, and inviting you to help? Meet Black Rock Solar, a child of Burning Man's Black Rock City that plans to make a difference in the rest of the world.

Wi-Fi, Philanthropy, and Solar Power

on January 14, 2008by Wi-Fi Planetin Amy Mayer

The array will wirelessly send information about the wattage currently being generated, ... and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions avoided since the array was installed... a real-life, real-time learning opportunity for the students using the solar power