Monday, April 24, 2006

Exhibitors vs. Makers, not really.


This past weekend at the Maker's Faire was, by all accounts, amazing. The faire itself was a phenomenal success with makers, crafters, and exhibitors from all walks: from Legos, to living mushroom sculptures, to sock creatures, to robotics, to you name it. Present were an amazing and engaged group of people that came together to produce and attend the faire. It was a competent and captive audience ready and willing to live life a little differently than the mainstream -- and ready and willing to do whatever it takes to enact and support that change -- how very refreshing!

From a sea of 'I heart Nerds' t-shirts and 'GeekSquad' men in black came inquisitive folks who were curious about what we were doing, already knew what we were up to and wanted to help, and folks with time or resources to donate. It was an amazing out pouring of support from everyone who asked us questions, to the dedicated volunteers who helped us spread the good word of our mission. Many thanks to everyone involved!

P.S. In a room full of geeks, these ladies had no trouble garnering a little support for the Black Rock Arts Foundation

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Flip Your Lid 2006



Get in bed with
Burning Man founder
Larry Harvey... literally
then
FLIP YOUR LID!
Let Art Go to Your Head!
A Benefit for the Black Rock Arts Foundation
Thursday, April 27th, 2006

A fund raising event to bring the art and spirit of Burning Man to our communities
FLIP YOUR LID! will be at the supperclub sanfrancisco, a restaurant featuring dining in bed.
Dinner will be served to guests while eclectic performers entertain. Your opportunity now exists to
literally get in bed with Larry Harvey and the senior staff and several artists from Burning Man who
will each host one of the beds.

Guests are encouraged to flip their lids by wearing their own creative chapeaux for the evening to
complement two dozen hats created by artists. The artistic hats will be modeled for auction throughout
dinner that will culminate with a heady lineup of DJs cooking up dessert on the dance floor. The after
dinner dancing and entertainment is an option to support the Foundation if you do not want to dine in bed.

The Black Rock Arts Foundation was created by the founders of Burning Man to support and export the
art and culture of the annual event held in the Nevada desert. During the past year, monumental art works
by David Best and Michael Christian have been temporarily installed in San Francisco at Hayes Green
and Civic Center Plaza. A third work, the 45 foot tall steel sculpture titled “Passage” by Dan Das Mann
and Karen Cusolito is in the process of installation at Pier 14 on the Embarcadero.

Here is your chance to climb in bed and share a bottle of bubbly with one of these creative characters:
Burning Man founder Larry Harvey, Danger Ranger, LadyBee, Maid Marian Goodell, Harley K. DuBois,
Crimson Rose & Will Roger, actiongrl Andie Grace, artists David Best, Chicken John, or Dicky of Dicky
Box. With which one you ask? It’s a game of chance as names will be drawn at random from a hat!

Event Details and Ticket Information:
Thursday, April 27th at the supperclub, 657 Harrison Street, San Francisco.
Tickets are available online at: www.donatetoblackrockarts.org
For more information, visit the web address or call 415.626.1248
Black Rock Arts Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit.
Tickets (with a value over $60) are tax-deductible.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

FLIP YOUR LID!


LET ART GO TO YOUR HEAD! A benefit for the Black Rock Arts Foundation.

That's right, a benefit. We are working hard to raise funds to support both our 2006 Nationwide Grant Cycle, and the installation of Dan Dasmann and Karen Cusolito's piece, 'Passage,' on the San Francisco Waterfront, and you can help!

The supperclub san francisco, one of SOMA's newest and most singular night spots, has graciously donated their incredible space for an unforgettable evening full of fine food, drink, and performance to benefit BRAF. It's gonna be good. A whole host of local artists and designers have offered to create an assortment of 'art hats' for auction at the event -- some names you might recognize? Michael Christian? Dicky of Dicky Box Fame? And you'll have the chance to bed down with the likes of Larry Harvey, Maid Marian Goodell, Ever Heady Harley K DuBois, Actiongrl Andie Grace, Naked Fire Goddess Crimson Rose, Will 'Mr. Klean' Roger, Burning Man Art Curator Lady Bee, Artist David Best, and more!

The ticket prices are tiered. And yes, some of them are expensive, because (cold hard truth) we are trying to raise money!

1) The evening begins with a delightful, intimate, well-heeled cocktail hour in the Bar Rouge.
2) As guests arrive we'll move to the Salle Neige where folks will bed down and get comfortable as a 5 course dinner is served, the duration of which will be peppered with modeled hats on auction and entertainment hosted by $teven Ra$pa, featuring: Janine Fondiller of Xeno, Soprano Marisa Lenhardt, Ouchy the Clown of the Porn Clown Posse, and an extraordinary array of amazing aerialists, thrilling performers and magnificent musicians.
3) Once the auction closes we'll get the dance floor moving at 11:00 p.m. with some of your favorite Black Rock City DJs, including Michael Anthony & The Late Night Sneaky, Laird (Get Yer Freak On!), Alibi (House of Lotus), Smoove (Space Cowboys & News Breaks) and Syd Gris (Opel/Opulent Temple).

Tickets range in price from $250 - $30 and we hope we have found a little something for eveyone in this line up!
So, find a fine frock, put a hat on your head, and join us! April 27th at the supperclub san fancisco at 657 Harrison Street.

Tickets are going like hotcakes! Tickets and venue space are sure to sell out! Get yours now!
Visit: http://www.donatetoblackrockarts.org/flyolifuap27.html

Swap-o-rama-rama at the Faire



THIS JUST IN! One of our 2005 granted projects, SWAP-O-RAMA-RAMA, will be featured at the Maker's Faire!

Swap-o-rama-rama addresses America's endless quest for "more" and "new," as spurred on by the fashion industry's commodification of individual image through the imposition of spending brackets and prescribed choices. Through a collaborative process Swap-o-rama-rama participants will be invited to essentially re-design and re-brand already existing clothing. The do-it-yourself process will encourage the individuality and creativity that was once innate in clothing design and manufacture before the craft became subsumed by industry and the machine.

The Swap-o-rama-rama craze was spawned by Wendy Tremayne in New York City, where it met with amazing success. Hundreds of participants showed up for the swaps, thousands of pounds of clothing were transformed into wearable works of art (while simultaneously being diverted from the waste stream), and all the leftover vestments were donated to local women's shelters.

Swap-o-rama-rama is now not only in 11 cities nationwide, but is embarking on a new program to teach the just-off-the-street-families in these shelters how to turn leftover garments into quilted blankets for their new home off the streets. Then just before these families move on, they will have the opportunity to make a blanket for the family taking their place in the shelter -- a first chance to give!

For more information on what to expect, what to bring, and how YOU can PARTICIPATE, check out the Swap-o-rama-rama website at: http://www.swaporamarama.org/makerfaire.htm

Friday, April 07, 2006

BRAF at the Maker's Faire



Tired of mass produced plastic crap? Got a DIY attitude? Join the Black Rock Arts Foundation, the creators of MAKE magazine, the MythBusters, and a whole host of other Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts for the first ever Maker's Faire, April 22nd-23rd in San Mateo, CA.

Come meet, greet and learn from all kinds of people who make all sorts of amazing things in their own backyars, garages, basements, vacant lots, or wherever else space permits. Families, students and teachers of all ages, folks who want to stop buying and start making, are all encouraged to come!

BRAF will be talking to folks about, among other things, our upcoming 'Recycled Art Garden' -- a city wide initiative to encourage people to reuse and recycle through the creation and exhibition of art made entirely from recycled, reused, or repurposed materials. Stay tuned for more information on this incredible project... Or better yet, stop by and see us at the Maker's Faire!

Check it out! http://makezine.com/faire/

Monday, April 03, 2006

Sneak Preview - "The Temple Builder"



Benefit the Black Rock Arts Foundation and...

Join us for a sneak preview of Mike Wilson's, "The Temple Builder," on Wednesday, April 19th 2006 at the historic Victoria Theater in San Francisco's Mission District. The Santa Cruz Film Festival, the Film Arts Foundation, and the Black Rock Arts Foundation will co-present a screening of "The Temple Builder" and "Beyond Black Rock" on April 19th. For those who haven't had a chance to check out "Beyond Black Rock", this is a great opportunity to catch it in a fully immersive theatrical venue... Plus, be the very first to check out Gone Off Deep/Purple Productions' "The Temple Builder". Producer Mike Wilson will be in attendance.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 19th
WHERE: Victoria Theater, SF / 2961 16th Street, San Francisco
WHAT: 7:00 PM “Burning Man: Beyond Black Rock" Screening & 9:30 PM Special Sneak Preview of "The Temple Builder"

* TICKETS $12 for either film OR $20 DOUBLE FEATURE! *

For more information please visit: http://www.blackrockarts.org/templebuilder.html