Burning Man party, and created art for adoption - FREE

TONITE! Burning Man experience art exhibit by Jimmy Descant, The Fritz, Sat. 6-9. Donated art from Burning Man to Jimmy's Guild of artists, up for adoption by Salidans, for FREE! Show will be up for at least a week.

The Amalgamated Debris Assemblage Guild for Burning Man 2016 was conceived by Jimmy Descant and crew Penelope, James Brown, Gary, Shannon, Chris, where we supplied literally a ton of assemblage debris for the 70,000 people to utilize in making their own piece of art out in the desert of Black Rock City, NV. back at the end of August. By the end of the week, 60 out of 350 artist participants who were not able to take their created art back home because of packing, travel, or just generosity to the Guild, left their art nailed to the walls of our booth. Now, two months later, me and the crew want to share the experience, the excitement, the dust, and the art with Salida with a reception at the Fritz this Saturday, Nov. 5, from 6-9, and let folks adopt a work of art for their home, to regift, or to burn in spirit... for FREE! Just like out there in the event, no money will change hands, in a free and open expression of love, art, and creativity. Come see and share!

Back in Feb. I waited till the very last minute to apply for a 20'x20' booth at the Piazza square of DaVinci type workshops at Burning Man this year, as part of radical inclusion and full out creativity. I didn't have that spark, but when I did, I was up till 4am creating my vision of what the Rocketman's version would be out there in the desert of Black Rock City, NV, and how it could relate to theirs and my credos. I made a middle school/social studies fair diorama of the booth, and laid it out that I would bring my raw materials of collecting 10 years in Salida and blanks of wood and hand tools and let the masses create for themselves, all the while 'facilitating'... with simple techniques of how to assemble and get your pieces to STAY where you envision to be at their destiny! I received a booth, a grant, and 6 free tickets for my efforts!!! Then came the matter of choosing the crew, which turned out to be harder than you would think as far as scheduling 2 weeks out there and a 2000 mile round trip, as well as what it might do the physique! On the day before it was set... my wife Penelope, James Brown of Salida fame, Gary Kneeskern of Minnesota who has been in Salida this year and brother of our passed find Eyeball, Shannon Carter of Terlingua and worked Weathervane Farm, and her man Chris Seaton of Pagosa Springs but with strong ties to Salida. ALL OF US WERE VIRGIN BURNERS! Our anchor in the endeavor was the fact that Curtis and Iris were already massively involved in the actual building of the Man while in Oakland and then the desert and veterans of the event as well as Linda and Katie, who made choosing and setting up camp on the outskirts essential to well being of physical and mental proportions. We wanted for nothing, as our friends really educated us on what and how much to bring.

We set up camp, which 2 days later by admins mistake we had to move over 200' (geez!) and we set up our booth in 6 hours and got ready for the masses and an never before experienced or seen live art show of our own making! But the Man, who was supposed to rotate, couldn't be made to actually work yet, so we were delayed 2 days in the opening. So we had fun out on the Playa looking at all the gigantic art and the small pieces around the Esplanade around the Man, learning and experiencing as we went. I got side tracked when I fell of the top of a wooden helix sculpture, split the back of my leg and gave myself arrow shaped contusions down my back. Great medics... who dress in thongs and tutus! We got to open our booth, and as soon as we did, it was art piranhas for 4 days and nights, with at least 12, and at the most 26 people wielding hammers and screwdrivers and drilling and grinding their way to absolute art creation, some ho had never used a tool before. No time limits, no end to dust storms, no end to art at any time! We closed to 10 pm each day with more people wanting in! It was the confirmation for folks that YES they could actually make ART. AND... for us it was amazing to see the results once adults are given the okay to GET MESSY, in a world that has so many rules and so ordered so much of the time. Like kids let loose at recess... then they asked 'what do we do with the art? Well, you get to keep it, bring it home, gift it... or like I have done with my art... give it to family at Christmas, they LOVE that... ("don't you guys have WalMart???") We only handed out 1 bandaid the whole week, when it says on your ticket "You could die at this event".

When we tore down on Friday, we had thousands come thru but we figure there were 350 completed pieces made in 4 days, and we were spent! The people we photographed all had the same satisfied smiles! The stories and art would go round the world! People would look at trash, and like me, say I can make something out of that! The production let us fulfill our destiny of our booth, which was to burn everything we could as a one time only type show. James Brown had built this work table all from found wood in Salida, and it could hold 20 people dancing on top as well and riding The Red Cobra morphed motorcycle sculpture we had bolted to the front as mascot. When finished, we disassembled it all, piled it up on pallets, and the Burn crew forklifted it to the base of the Man for kindling for Saturday night's Burn. We used at least half of all we brought to the desert, took the carpet, trash, and destroyed junk to the landfill, and took the rest home including the completed donated art. Once finished and got a shower, then it was time to see the spectacle of the Man, and we had an 80mph Saharan storm come through camp, so we couldn't leave, and had the whole camp in our camper safe! When we emerged someone had 'taken' my red bike, and I thought maybe it saved their life in the storm. The man burn was spectacular, and I could smell our art, blood, and sweat in it... as we dance 2 feet from smoldering construction and melted metal. The next morn, it took my 2 hours of using the force, and out of 70,000 people and bikes... I found my lost bike thrown down in the dust on the side of the road... MIRACLE! At the exit, there were hundreds of bike for the free taking, but I couldn't thinking someone else may have that last minute sighting. The Temple was burned on Sunday. We had visited and placed photos and writing throughout the hand made giant pagoda, where people were laughing, crying, singing, doing gong ceremonies... very very very solemn and respectful to the Dead. The burning of the Temple was reverential and we sat staring like thousands of others... while souls flew away as dust devils for an hour... the sight was uncanny!

2 camp/solar showers in 2 weeks, covered in baby powder fine Playa dust, wind swept, techno music'ed OUT, we waited an extra day to leave to break camp, as our friends waited in the exodus line for 8 hours, and we made it out in 20 minutes... then 2 nights at a Green River resort for 10 showers, pool, and hot tub, and restaurant meals, and then home... and to the out of whack real world to deal with in reentry... It may sound cliche, but it was a life changing experience in every realm, and so appreciate all the love in our camp, booth, crew, friends, and the Playa. Whether I apply again for next year or not, it is up to the inspiration I receive... but as always, I would do something different and unique... maybe one giant sculpture to create... and Burn... for myself, and the Universe.

ALL thanks, to the opportunity, my crew, our knowledgeable friends... and that spark...