I cannot remember the last time I was this busy. While my art show in Kansas City has wrapped up, I am also the Project Lead for a pretty big Burning Man Project.
This year Larry Harvey wanted to bring the spirit of travel to the playa with his theme, Caravansary. Not only do you get the feeling of trailers, gypsies, and travel, but one of the core focuses and projects is the Burning Man Souk. With hundreds of regions around the world, each of us pitched them for one of the coveted spots in the souk and our team made the cut.
Collaborating with the entire state of Texas (Austin, Houston, El Paso, and Dallas CORE teams, along with Corpus Christi’s Burners without Borders), I’m working with a stellar team of people bringing our project to the playa.
Welcome to the Texas Souk Project – The Senses. Our description is as follows:
Texas was settled by 7 distinct cultures; their influences are still felt today in our language, food, music and clothing. With visual references to our historic Mercados, our Souk offers gifts to delight the 5 senses. A comfortable lounge area, supplied with musical instruments, offers a great vantage point from which to enjoy the courtyard, meet and make friends, solve world problems, recite poetry, or bask in the wonder of the moment. The Lone Star souk is filled with Texas Friendly Folks who welcome the Stranger.
We are community sourcing suncatchers, windchimes, lip balms, necklaces, and found treasures to give away at our souk this year. With gorgeous tapestries, rugs, and baskets, I am thrilled to finally put this all together and show the world what Texas is capable of. We have also organized multiple park clean up across the state, bringing the Leave No Trace mentality to our local communities.
We even have a backstory that will be intertwined with the souk experience:
It’s 1901. After Nikola Tesla’s mysterious machine in the desert goes haywire, America is plunged into “The Uncertain Age,” a fantastical steampunk fever dream. The denizens of Professor Tiki’s Travelling Texas Medicine Show are unstuck in time and space. Come sample their wares, hear their tales, and maybe, just maybe, help them find their way home.
If you happen to be on the playa, make sure to stop by! I am working on Sunday from noon-3 and on Friday from 3 to close. I would love to see your faces.
More than anything, I’m excited to be heading home. For anyone who has been reading us for quite a while, not only do you know we are Burners outside of Burning Man, but we haven’t been home in 4 years. My mind has officially become ADD as all I can think about is the experience that is on the horizon.
My heart is full.
I finally know what true happiness is.
We’re coming home.
**We are still fundraising to get our project out there. If you would like to join me at our camp, we are having a fundraising Spaghetti dinner on Thursday. You can buy your spot at our GoFundMe page or even just get yourself a fancy Texas pendant.*
Every year I say, “That this will be the year I go to Burning Man!” and every year I seem to be elsewhere. Even living in SF for 9 years I never made it to The Playa. I swear though that 2015 will be the year for me! Enjoy it extra for me.
This is so freaking cool and I am just bursting with happiness for you. Congratulations, my lovely!!
Hi Erica,
We too are making our way home soon and although we love traveling and living abroad there is something so compelling about going home….especially after a long trip.
Congrats with this new project!
I can’t wait to see how your project turns out! Sounds like quite the undertaking.
I am gearing up for some serious FOMO during Burning Man this year 🙁 I hope you guys make it “home” next year too — because if all goes according to plan I’ll definitely be dropping by your camp!
Hope your project gets a lot of buzz guys … can’t wait to see the photos of it!