Enabling Creative Chaos: The Organization Behind the Burning Man Event

Burning Man is an annual event held over Labor Day weekend celebrating the arts and individuality that is held as close as you can get to the middle of nowhere. Those of us of an older generation might call Burning Man an extreme be-in. The Burning Man Web site says, "Once a year, tens of thousands of participants gather in Nevada's Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever." (If you don't know about Burning Man, I recommend touring the site: www.burningman.com.) At Burning Man, commercialism is taboo. No money changes hands, although people must buy tickets to defray the cost of building the temporary infrastructure. Otherwise, gifting is the medium of exchange.